Tobacco

In the United States, tobacco is primarily consumed through the use of cigarettes. Tobacco smoke, whether consumed directly or in the form of second-hand smoke, has many negative effects on health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that smoking leads to 443,000 deaths a year; that’s 1 in 5 deaths in the United States. Tobacco contains nicotine, a highly addictive drug that, like cocaine, heroin, and marijuana, causes the neurotransmitter dopamine to increase, which stimulates the part of the brain responsible for the sensation of pleasure. Nicotine is in all tobacco products, not just cigarettes. Any consumption of tobacco puts the user at increased risk for severe health problems.

Smoking is linked to the following health problems:

· Heart attack

· Stroke

· Lung cancer

· Acute myeloid leukemia

· Bladder cancer

· Cancer of the cervix

· Cancer of the esophagus

· Kidney cancer

· Cancer of the oral cavity

· Cancer of the pharynx

· Stomach cancer

· Cancer of the uterus

· Infertility

· Chronic bronchitis

· Chronic emphysema

· Cataracts

· Pneumonia

Second-hand smoke also increases the risk for severe health problems, including heart disease and lung cancer, as well as other respiratory problems.

Second-hand smoke puts children at increased risk for:

· Respiratory problems caused by increased phlegm, under functioning lungs, or infection

· Severe asthma

· Ear infections

· Pneumonia

· Bronchitis

· Sudden infant death syndrome

Additionally, women who smoke while they are pregnant are at a greater risk for miscarriage, stillbirth, premature labor, and babies with low birth weight. Smoking while pregnant has also been linked to learning and behavioral disabilities in children.

Just like tobacco smoke, smokeless tobacco also has an adverse effect on health. Smokeless tobacco is typically consumed in the form of chew or snuff, and according to the CDC, it contains 28 cancer-causing agents or carcinogens.

Smokeless tobacco is linked to the following health problems:

· Cancer of the oral cavity

· Leukoplakia, a lesion of the mouth

· Gum disease

· Tooth decay

Smokeless tobacco poses the same risks to pregnancy as tobacco smoke.

Alcohol

Around 79,000 deaths occur annually in the U.S. as a result of excessive alcohol use. The CDC defines heavy drinking for men as the consumption of two or more drinks a day on average and for women one or more drinks a day on average. It defines binge drinking as the consumption of 5 or more drinks for men and 4 or more drinks for women in the course of one occasion.

Excessive alcohol use over time can lead to the following health problems:

· Cancer of the mouth

· Cancer of the throat

· Cancer of the esophagus

· Liver cancer

· Colon cancer

· Breast cancer

· Infertility

· Impotence

· Dementia

· Neuropathy

· Stroke

· Cardiovascular disease

· Liver diseases such as cirrhosis and alcoholic hepatitis

· Gastrointestinal problems

In addition to health problems, excessive alcohol use can also lead to psychiatric problems such as depression and anxiety as well as social problems such as unemployment, decline in productivity, and family conflict. Alcohol use in pregnant woman can lead to fetal alcohol syndrome.

We know that you understand that substance use has adverse health effects. Knowing specifically how these substances work against you helps to provide motivation to reduce use, if not quit altogether. For more information about how our coalition is dedicated to fighting substance abuse in Pinellas County, visit us online.

Sources:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

The National Institute on Drug Abuse

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Community Resources for Dealing With Drug Prevention and Addiction

When you go to the grocery store all of the food has labels that list ingredients. If you are going to put something in your body, you should know what it is made of, right? Unfortunately this same logic does not apply to cigarettes. Yes, they have warning labels, but they lack a detailed list of what exactly they are comprised of. This might lead some people to simply say, “tobacco of course,” and move on with their day, thinking it’s okay because tobacco is “natural.”

While tobacco is obviously the main ingredient in cigarettes, a little research shows that there are multiple other ingredients in cigarettes that justify concern. In fact, when you read up on the ingredients, you might think that you are about to do some work on your house or catch up on some cleaning, maybe even do a little extermination work. See for yourself:

• Tar
• Formaldehyde
• Ammonia
• Hydrogen Cyanide
• Arsenic
• Cadmium
• Chromium
• Nickel
• Benzene
• Polonium-210

Those are just some of the over 4,000 chemical elements that are actually in a cigarette. As you can see, not only are cigarettes more than just tobacco, they have some ingredients you would normally not consider ingesting. In fact, at least 50 of the ingredients in a cigarette are known carcinogens. Carcinogens are substances that have been shown to cause cancer. In addition to the carcinogens, cigarettes have 250 other ingredients which harm your body in ways besides causing cancer. The numbers speak for themselves: cigarettes are bad news. Not only do these harmful ingredients hurt the smoker, but they can also harm anyone who inhales the smoke second hand.

These chemicals have negative effects on the body. There is some good news though. The negative effects that these chemicals produce can begin to subside shortly after you stop smoking (and hopefully quit for good).

• Within minutes of quitting your heart and blood rates stabilize
• Within a few hours of quitting the carbon monoxide level in your blood drops
• After several weeks your circulation will be improved
• Once you have made it several months without a smoke your lungs will be stronger and more functional

That is just a brief overview of the improvements your body will experience after quitting. It is easy to see that the ingredients in cigarettes take a significant toll on the human body. While some brands might advertise that they are “more natural” than others, you can believe that no brand of cigarette is available without harmful substances in it. The best way to avoid negative aspects of smoking is to quit, not to switch to “lights” or smoke less often.

Keep in mind that the list above covers just some of the harmful ingredients in cigarettes. There are many more that begin hurting your body as soon as you start smoking. While it might take a degree in chemistry to know what all of the ingredients are off of the top of your head, it doesn’t take a scientist to know that you shouldn’t be putting them in your body.

Sources:

Live Free!

Quit Smoking Support

National Cancer Institute

Centers For Disease Control and Prevention

Related Posts:

Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition of Pinellas County

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