How does tobacco use affect your body?
A. Smoked: When tobacco is burned it releases chemicals into the smoke that the smoker inhales. These chemicals cause the heart to beat faster, and over time become weak. Chemicals in the smoke also cause the lungs to become sticky and less able to get oxygen to the body. The smoke goes into the lungs and can cause cancer of the lungs, throat, and voice box, as well.
B. Smokeless: When chewed tobacco is held in the mouth, it releases chemicals that cause the heart to beat faster. It may cause cancer where the tobacco is held between the lips, gums, and inside cheek.
A. Cancer: This disease is very serious. There are many types of cancer, but all cancers have some similar characteristics. When cancer starts, cells in the body begin to divide and multiply much faster than the body needs them. As a result there are too many cells for the body to keep them all fed and healthy. Cancer cells are very aggressive and they take all the body's nutrients for themselves and other normal cells begin to die. Soon there are not enough normal cells and the body begins to not do all the jobs it needs to do to survive. Eventually really important jobs are not done and the person becomes sick and may die.
B. Heart disease: All of the cells of the body need nutrients from blood in order to work properly. The heart must pump blood to all of the rest of the body. Smoking causes the heart to not pump blood as efficiently as it needs to. As a result blood does not get to body organs and they cannot work properly. When the body does not get enough blood the person becomes very weak. If the heart stops beating the person dies soon because they cannot get blood to important parts of the body.
C. Stroke - Cells in the brain are similar to cells in the heart; when they die they do not get replaced like other cells that die. Because the brain controls all the functions of the body it is important that it gets enough blood to continue its work. When blood does not get to the brain, parts start to die. When the part of the brain that controls speech does not get blood, the person may lose their ability to speak. If the part of the brain that controls the heart does not get blood, the heart can stop beating.
Celebrity Use
Why do famous people, like athletes and movie stars, use tobacco?
Movie stars often smoke in movies because the script and director say they must smoke in some scenes. Often these actors do not smoke when they are not involved in movies. Some athletes do smoke or use smokeless tobacco; this is sad because the athletes are probably addicted, or they would not jeopardize their abilities or health. If you notice fewer athletes use tobacco each year because they do not want to hurt their bodies.
Peer Pressure
If people know that tobacco is dangerous to their health, why do they smoke anyway?
Many people start to use tobacco because their friends use tobacco and they think it is cool. Later, people become concerned about their health and don't think tobacco is cool, but they have become addicted and can not quit. Addiction is when a person mentally knows they must stop using tobacco, but they are unable to quit because their body physically craves the tobacco.
Personal Choice
If the President and the Governor want people to quit using tobacco, why do they let people grow and sell tobacco?
In our country, our Constitution insures many personal liberties. That means that many times people are free to choose to do things that may harm them. Governor Chiles chose to help the youth of Florida to make the choice not to smoke.
Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS)
Is tobacco smoke dangerous to people who are around others who smoke?
YES Once tobacco is burned, the dangerous chemicals remain in the smoke. Even when the smoke is hard to see, the dangerous chemicals are still there. If a smoker inhales the smoke, their lungs filter out some of the chemicals, but many remain in their lungs. There are dangerous chemicals in the smoke from burning cigarettes, cigars, and pipes. You breathe in the dangerous chemicals when you are in the room where tobacco is being burned.
Cessation
Is tobacco a big problem? How many people want to quit but cannot? How many people die from smoking?
YES - Tobacco use is a major personal and community health problem in this country, as well as, the entire world. Tobacco related illnesses take responsibility for 430,000 deaths every year in this country alone. When examined worldwide, this figure jumps dramatically to 3 million deaths every year! That's a big problem!
Many people that smoke today, say that they want to quit. I don't know an exact figure for the number of people who want to quit. However, as people learn more and more about the dangers of tobacco use, more people will want to quit.
How do people quit using tobacco?
A. Patches: When people are addicted to tobacco they are addicted to one of the chemicals in the tobacco leaf. That chemical is nicotine. When people are addicted to nicotine doctors may prescribe nicotine patches to help people stop smoking. The patches give people the nicotine their body is addicted to and the person does not need to smoke or chew tobacco in order to get the chemicals the body needs. The amount of nicotine in the patches is gradually reduced until the person's need for nicotine is gone. Unfortunately not everyone can be successful in quitting by using the patch.
B. Gum - Nicotine gum's work in much the same way that the nicotine patch works. Instead of putting a patch on the arm a person chews a piece of gum that contains nicotine. In this way a person can use the chewing gum only when they feel the need for tobacco. Eventually the person should lose their need for nicotine. This device works as well as most patches.
C. Cessation programs: Another way to try to quit using tobacco is to become part of an organized program. Programs usually have a number of people who are trying to quit using tobacco meet together and share experiences and successes. People help each other by providing emotional support. Many times people use patches or nicotine gum in addition to the program.
D. Avoid the Addiction: Ultimately, breaking the addiction to nicotine is not easy. The best approach for people to take would be to not start smoking in the first place. Never beginning the tobacco habit will save people the difficult, and sometimes frustrating, process of quitting.
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