1. SUBSTANCE ABUSE: Tobacco’s Risks and Quitting
Ms. Mai
Lawndale High School

2. Risks for Tobacco Users
Smoking is the major cause of premature, preventable deaths
Smoking causes heart disease, cancer, and chronic lung disease
Smokeless tobacco users have an even higher rate of some types of cancers than smokers do

3. Heart Disease
Cigarette smoking is the primary cause of heart disease because the arteries are blocked by fatty material
This blockage eventually cuts off the blood supply to the heart leading to a heart attack
Smoking damages the arteries, raises blood cholesterol and pressure, and reduces oxygen in the blood

5. Cancer
Tobacco use is the leading cause of deaths due to cancer because of the carcinogens in tobacco
Lung Cancer – shortness of breath and coughing up mucus
Oral Cancer – mouth, tongue, and lips have sores (leukoplakia)
Throat Cancer – larynx gets infected (vocal chords are removed)

7. Chronic Lung Disease
Cigarette smoking is the major cause of chronic lung disease in the US (bronchitis and emphysema)
Bronchitis – inflammation of the membrane that lines the air passages
Emphysema – lungs are destroyed and airs sacs are lost (difficulty breathing because lungs cannot inflate)

9. Other Health Problems
Smoking can also lead to a stroke (disruption in blood supply to the brain)
Smoking can trigger allergies and swelling of sinuses (common cold)
Smokers have weaker lungs and can get diseases (influenza and pneumonia)
Smoking can also cause diseases in the gums and teeth, and bad breath

10. Risks for Nonsmokers
Smokers are not the only people who suffer negative effects from smoking
Passive smoking means breathing air that has been contaminated with tobacco smoke
Because of the harmful side effects, many states have passed laws that limit or prohibit smoking in public areas

11. Passive Smoking
Passive smokers breathe in 2 types of smoke: mainstream and sidestream
1. Mainstream Smoke – smoke inhaled and exhaled by a smoker
2. Sidestream Smoke – smoke from the burning end of a cigarette
Sidestream is more harmful than mainstream because it contains more tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide

12. Pregnancy and Smoking
The fetus of a pregnant woman who smokes is a passive smoker
Nicotine and carbon monoxide pass through a mother’s bloodstream to a fetus’s bloodstream through the placenta
Pregnant smokers have higher risk of miscarriages, stillbirths, and premature births, birth defects, and low birth weight

13. Some Tobacco Statistics
There are over 50 million smokers and over 12 million smoke-less tobacco users in the United States
Every year smoking-related diseases kill more Americans than cocaine, heroine, alcohol abuse, auto accidents, homicides, and suicides combined
Every year, an estimated 1 million people start smoking (3,000 per day)
Adolescent males are the fastest growing group of smokers

14. Quitting Tobacco Use
Every year, 1 million people in the US stop using tobacco
For most, quitting is not easy because of the nicotine addiction
Regardless of the difficulty, the benefits are well worth the efforts

15. The Health Benefits of Quitting
When someone stops using tobacco, their body immediately begins to clean itself
During the first 24 hours, the levels of nicotine and carbon monoxide in the blood drop, the heart rate decreases, blood pressure lowers, and more oxygen flows in the blood

16. The Health Benefits of Quitting
During the next week or so, chronic cough begins to clear up and breathing is easier
In time, the risks of heart disease, chronic lung disease, lung cancer, oral cancer, and other cancers are decreased
After two years, the risks of heart and lung disease are about the same as those who never smoked

17. Other Benefits of Quitting
People who quit soon discover that food tastes better, smell improves, and the bad taste in their mouth disappears
Quitters sleep better, teeth and finger stains fade, breath smells fresher, skin looks healthier, and end up saving a lot of money
They also feel a sense of relief to be finally free of tobacco

18. What To Expect
Tobacco users typically experience certain withdrawal symptoms
Two or three days after quitting, most of he nicotine in the body is gone so it is no longer a physical dependence, but a psychological one

19. Common Withdrawal Symptoms
Duration
Cause
Craving for tobacco
first 2 or 3 days
Addiction to nicotine
Dizziness
1 or 2 days
More O2 in blood
Coughing, Dry Throat
A few days
Body getting rid of mucous from cough
Trouble sleeping
1 week
Nicotine affects sleep patterns
Irritability
2 to 4 weeks
Body no longer being stimulated by nicotine
Hunger
Several weeks
Nicotine craving confused with hunger

20. How To Quit On Your Own There is no right or best way to quit
Many people quit suddenly (cold turkey), while other do it gradually
Most people who have quit and stayed off tobacco had to try several different times before they were successful

21. How To Quit with a Group
In the past 20 years, many group programs have become available to help people stop using tobacco
These programs provide information, supportive materials, and structured quitting plans
These group programs are sponsored by hospitals, clinics, and health organizations and charge a small fee

22. How To Quit with Nicotine Substitutes
A nicotine substitute is a manufactured form of nicotine that is used as a temporary replacement for the nicotine in tobacco (gum and patch)
The nicotine in these products is just as addictive, but the psychological dependence of lighting up or exhaling smoke is not there

23. Quitting and Weight Gain
Many people worry that they will gain weight if they quit smoking
Weight gain actually depend upon eating and exercise habits, not the sudden lack of nicotine in your body

24. Techniques for Quitting Tobacco
Set a quit date
Keep track of tobacco use
List your own reasons of quitting
Tell other people for support
Quit one day at a time (focus on today, don’t worry about tomorrow)
Substitute with other activities