1. It’s ok to be a quitter. By: Keri Verdell Anna Henderson Lexy Tauber

2. Why they are so nasty… Cigarettes contain more than 4000 chemical compounds and at least 400 toxic substances. Most damaging toxins: – Tar (carcinogen/causes cancer) – Nicotine (increases cholesterol levels) – Carbon monoxide (reduces oxygen)

3. Smoking causes diseases Coronary heart disease (leading cause of death in the US) Peripheral vascular disease Abdominal aortic aneurysm Lung disease

4. Smoking causes cancer Acute myeloid leukemia Bladder cancer Cancer of the cervix Cancer of the esophagus Kidney cancer Cancer of the larynx (voice box) Lung cancer Cancer of the oral cavity (mouth) Cancer of the pharynx (throat) Stomach cancer Cancer of the uterus

5. Compared with non-smokers, smoking increases the risk of… coronary heart disease by 2 to 4 times stroke by 2 to 4 times men developing lung cancer by 23 times women developing lung cancer by 13 times dying from chronic obstructive lung diseases (such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema) by 12 to 13 times

6. A True Story… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVLtNgAh PRg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVLtNgAh PRg

7. Benefits of quitting… 20 minutes after quitting-your heart rate and blood pressure drop. 12 hours after quitting-the carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal. 2 weeks to 3 months after quitting-circulation improves and lung function increases. 1 to 9 months after quitting-coughing and shortness of breath decrease 1 year after quitting-excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a continuing smoker 5 years after quitting- Risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, and bladder are cut in half. Cervical cancer risk falls to that of a non-smoker. Stroke risk can fall to that of a non-smoker after 2-5 years. 10 years after quitting- The risk of dying from lung cancer is about half that of a person who is still smoking. The risk of cancer of the larynx and pancreas decreases 15 years after quitting-the risk of coronary heart disease is that of a non- smoker.

8. Websites http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVLtNgAhPRg http://www.cancer.org/Healthy/StayAwayfromTobac co/GuidetoQuittingSmoking/guide-to-quitting- smoking-benefits http://www.cancer.org/Healthy/StayAwayfromTobac co/GuidetoQuittingSmoking/guide-to-quitting- smoking-benefits http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sh eets/health_effects/effects_cig_smoking/ http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sh eets/health_effects/effects_cig_smoking/ http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/health_advice/facts/sm okehealth.htm http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/health_advice/facts/sm okehealth.htm