Health Care and Smoking

Some info about it.

Have you ever smoked? Ever sneak a cigarette when you were a teen, behind the school or someplace where your parents didn’t see you and your friends thought you were cool? How about now as an adult? Are you a social smoker, only lighting up when it’s acceptable at a club or restaurant, or perhaps at someone’s home or a party? Ever meet some guys at a cigar bar for some male bonding involving thick tobacco smoke and good times? Way back in the days before smoking was seen as a major health issue, it was deemed cool to smoke. Most of the major Hollywood stars smoked on screen, and the public emulated those images.  When you smoke, how does that make you feel? Are you in control, or is the nicotine in control of you? Have you tried to quit; and if so, how many times?

According to the National Institutes of Health and Medline Plus, tobacco use is the most common preventable cause of death. About half of the people who don't quit smoking will die of smoking-related problems. Quitting smoking is important for your health and provides many benefits. Soon after you quit, your circulation begins to improve, and your blood pressure starts to return to normal. Your sense of smell and taste return and breathing starts to become easier. In the long term, giving up tobacco can help you live longer. Your risk of getting cancer decreases with each year you stay smoke-free. Quitting is not easy. You may have short-term effects such as weight gain, irritability and anxiety. Some people try several times before succeeding. There are many ways to quit smoking. Some people stop "cold turkey." Others benefit from step-by-step manuals, counseling or medicines or products that help reduce nicotine addiction. Your health care provider can help you find the best way for you to quit.

There are some very ugly facts about smoking, according to Smoking-Cessation.org. Here’s how smoking affects your body internally:

A. Smokers have a limited sense of smell.
B. Both active and passive smokers are at a greater risk of developing chest infections.
C. Smokers are at greater risk of developing cancer, especially in the throat, lungs.
D. People with asthma who are exposed to smoke may experience significant worsening of their condition.

Each cigarette you smoke shortens your life by 14 minutes...do the math. That's over 4 hours per pack! According to Smoking-Cessation.org, you can eat salad and broccoli till your face turns green, exercise more than Madonna, watch your carbs and your calories, but if you don't stop smoking you're destroying your insides. Did you know that smoking is the leading cause of blindness? Smoking is one of the most common causes of visual impairment and blindness in wealthy countries. The blood vessels in the retina are sensitive, and can be easily damaged by smoke. Substances in cigarettes cause a kind of chemical inflammation in the ocular conjunctiva, giving rise to a bloodshot appearance in the mucous membrane of the eye, as well as an itchy sensation.

Smoking can cost you your eyesight, according to Smoking-Cessation.org. Macular degeneration is the deterioration of the retina of the eye, resulting in the gradual loss of eyesight. Today, macular degeneration is the most common form serious visual impairment and blindness in the wealthy countries of the world. The condition affects heavy smokers twice as much as non-smokers.
Unfortunately, the risk of macular degeneration is only slightly reduced after giving up smoking. In addition to macular degeneration, smokers also run an increased risk of cataracts. According to a major American study, smokers are 60 per cent more likely to suffer from age-related cataracts. This applies particularly to the form of cataract that appears on the inner surface of the lens of the eye. Cataracts of this type (posterior subcapsular cataracts) affect smokers 2.6 times more than non-smokers. Additionally, smoking affects these parts of your mouth:
A. Lips.
B. The floor of the mouth, under tongue.
C. The tongue.
D. The palate.
E. The root of the tongue.

Smoking causes oral cancer. According to Smoking-Cessation.org, smoking is dangerous for your teeth and gums. The teeth may fall out, as smoking can cause periodontal disease. Smoking delays the healing of wounds, and stains the teeth, gums and fillings. The worst consequence is the increased risk of mouth cancer. Periodontal disease is a condition where the tissues that support the teeth - the gums and the bone - slowly deteriorate, and the teeth become loose and finally fall out. Anyone can suffer from periodontal disease, but smoking increases the risk. Heavy smokers are six times more likely to suffer from periodontal disease than non-smokers. The risk of contracting periodontal disease depends on how much you smoke. If you smoke 30 cigarettes a day, you are six times more likely to contract periodontal disease than a non-smoker. If you smoke 10 cigarettes a day or less, the risk is still three times higher than for a non-smoker. If you smoke, the risk of contracting cancer of the mouth is four times higher than for a non-smoker.

Smoking kills your looks. The appearance of wrinkled, pale and grayish skin is four to five times more frequent in smokers than non-smokers. In 1971 an extensive study showed that the facial skin of long-term smokers was so terribly wrinkled that they looked as if they were 20 years older. Talk about not aging well! Smoking causes the microscopic muscle fibers in the walls of the blood vessels to contract. This is why smokers have pale skin. Some smokers even say their fingers become cold when they smoke. A single cigarette can reduce the blood supply to the skin for more than an hour. Giving up smoking will improve the blood supply to the skin and give previously pale skin a more 'natural' appearance. A smoker's skin is also wrinkled because its vitamin A content is low compared with that for a non-smoker. Vitamin A protects the skin against strong chemical substances that may damage or destroy it.

According to the American Heart Association and AmericanHeart.org, about 23 percent of adult men and 19 percent of adult women smoke. This figure is down considerably from 42 percent in 1965. Changes in smoking habits during the late 1960s, the 1970s and the 1980s have very likely contributed to the drop in cardiovascular deaths that occurred at the same time in the United States.

Reason That Make You Quit

Above 4 reasons it will make you quit.

The Tobacco Control Act might be aimed at keeping those cancer sticks out of the hands of kids, but the legislation that kicks in this week will have some major adult effects too.

 

If you're one of the 46 million Americans who hasn't kicked the smoking habit, maybe this will put you over the edge (here's hoping anyway).

1. No more cheap small packs. Anything packaged with 20 or fewer cigarettes has been deemed too kid-friendly, and they're being kicked off the shelves.

2. No more false advertising. You might feel better reading the words "ultra light," but it's all in your head, not in your lungs. Cigarette companies are officially banned from using words like "ultra light," "mild," and "low-tar."

3. No more freebies. Love your Marlboro man cowboy hat? Put it on eBay because they won't be making any more of those free gifts with purchase.

4. No more in-your-face advertising. Whether the marketing of tobacco at sporting events made you crave a cigarette or not, the temptation is gone. Those ads are officially illegal.

If you're still smoking, does any of this make you want to stop?

Expert Shocked by High Nicotine

Above some info about it.

One of the leading tobacco experts in the world, Dr. Jeffrey Wigand is highly shocked with the high levels of nicotine and tar in the cigarettes consumed in New Zealand. He feels that smokers, who are exposed to such high levels of these dangerous chemicals, face a lot of risks.

He has been invited by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) to New Zealand to interact with Maori affairs select committee inquiry into tobacco.

Dr. Wigand is considered a hero for his actions, which lead to huge penalties on the tobacco Companies. A movie was made on him called The Insider in which Russell Crowe played the role of Dr. Wigand.  

He has also served as the former Head of Research and Development for a United States tobacco Company. When he first glanced at the high level of nicotine and tar to which an average New Zealand smoker is exposed, he thought it was a hoax.

A study found that from eight countries, New Zeeland has the highest amount of tar in cigarettes and is placed second behind South Africa for nicotine levels. Tar is considered to be a leading cause of lung cancer.  

The study was conducted by British American Tobacco (BAT) after testing 80,000 filters given by smokers from eight countries.

Dr. Wigand stressed that high levels of tar made it difficult for people, who are trying to quit smoking and this specially, hurt young people and adults severely.

He also termed the tobacco industry as an immoral industry as it harms and kills millions of people around the world.

No Tobacca Day

Some info about it.

The World Health Organization (WHO) called on countries to protect women and girls from efforts by the tobacco industry to induce them to start smoking.

The organization released data that smoking and chewing of tobacco among women and girls is increasing in Asia and the Pacific. It is estimated that more than 8 percent of girls between 13 and 15 years of age, or around 4.5 million girls, are using tobacco products.

In observation of World No Tobacco Day this year, WHO called for comprehensive bans on advertising, promotion and sponsorship to protect women and girls from deceptive messages that portray smoking as glamorous or fashionable.

Worldwide, of more than 600,000 deaths caused every year by second-hand smoke, 64 percent occur among women.

The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control calls for gender-specific tobacco control strategies and the full participation of women in tobacco control measures.

FACT SHEET FOR WORLD NO TOBACCO DAY 2010

Empower and protect women from tobacco marketing and smoke

Women are at great risk

Tobacco companies are spending heavily on alluring marketing campaigns that target women.

Women are gaining spending power and independence. Therefore, they are more able to afford cigarettes and feel freer to use them.

Tobacco companies are investing heavily in the low- and middle- income countries, where most potential new female users live.

Many countries do not do enough to protect their people from second- hand smoke.

Many women do not know about the harm done by second-hand smoke, or feel as if they have no right to complain.

Same Deadly Diseases

Above talks about differenr colored cigarette packs, same deadly diseases.

The landmark tobacco legislation President Obama signed last year banned tobacco companies from using descriptors like "light," "ultralight," "low tar" and "mild" on cigarette labels starting June 22. An FDA guidance document points out that when tobacco companies introduced "light" and "ultralight" cigarettes in the 1960s and 1970s, the implicit message (pdf) in their advertising was that these products were safer and healthier than regular-strength cigarettes. People believed it, and the same belief persists today, as many many smokers still mistakenly believe that "light" and "low tar" cigarettes are safer and cause fewer health problems than full-flavor cigarettes. While tobacco companies will no longer be able to describe their products using misleading words, they aren't too worried. Instead, over the last year or so, they have simply changed the colors of the packs to convey the same message, eventually training people to recognize "light" and "low tar" cigarettes by color instead of words on the pack. All Salem cigarette packages, for example, used to be the same shade of green, but now Salem "lights" are a lighter-colored green and white, and "ultralight" cigarette packs will be pale gray and white. R.J. Reynolds argues that the "smoking experience" is the cigarettes' appeal, not safety, and that different-colored packages will ensure that smokers can still get the taste they desire from cigarettes. Rep. Henry Waxman (D-California) thinks differently, saying the industry has just found a way to evad

Facts About Electronic Cigarettes.

These some info about electronic cigarettes.

Electronic cigarettes have been available for several years already, and there are still so many people who have never heard of them and those who could still not know much about them. If you are a tobacco smoker or someone close to you is, is it possible that a change to an electronic cigarette can be a good decision, but you must know everything there is to know about them before you finally decide.
First you should know that your cigarettes are not designed to get people to stop smoking. What e cigarettes can do if you are already tobacco smoking is allow you to stop the burning tobacco to make nicotine. Now if you do not understand how this could help a smoke tobacco, you should consider what is in tobacco. Tobacco has over four thousand chemicals in it, and many of them are things you probably never even dreamed about was off. Did you know that tobacco contains benzene, formaldehyde, arsenic, and lots of other deadly things? It does.

Then there is the tar factor. When you burn tobacco plant material, it creates tar, Tar is one of the main reasons why smoking tobacco can be so deadly. The sticky brown residue coats your airways and your lungs and your body has to constantly try to clear that mess out so you can breathe as efficiently as you should. As long as you smoke tobacco your body will be working over time just trying to breathe normally.

While using an electronic cigarette, you do not have to worry about the tar because it is not in e cigarette solution. Neither are the deadly chemicals like those mentioned that are in tobacco. Although there is some chemical content in e cigarette solution, they are in many products we already use. You should remember that e cigarette solution usually does have nicotine and nicotine is an addictive part of smoking, but an e cigarette user can choose e liquid without nicotine if they want it.

Besides these facts, e cigarettes are also odorless and most people that have switched to them find they are much cheaper to use as well. E cigarettes might be the perfect solution for any tobacco smoker that wants a cleaner way to get their nicotine or wants to enjoy the feel of smoking without any real smoke.

Prohibited for light, mild and low tar cigarettes

Above about light, mild and low tar cigarettes to be prohibited.

Light cigarettes, the most popular sales, should be abolished as part of the family is the Prevention and Tobacco Control Act.
The tobacco companies have long marketed as a special non-smoking "light", "low tar" and "soft" supporters of the legislators and the fight against smoking. It has been said to convince the customer to claim a false belief that smoking is less dangerous. Studies have shown that they are equally hazardous.
Groups such as the American Association Lung hopes smokers will see this change as a time to stop.

“We commemorating this historic day by encouraging smokers to quit,” said Charles D. Connor, President and CEO of the American Lung Association. “The Lung Association is committed to helping you and your loved ones quit with our proven smoking cessation programs and resources.”

Lighters from Utah

Here’s about light cigarettes to be phased out of Utah.

Effective June 22, the most popular selling cigarettes — light cigarettes — will be phased out in Utah as part of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act signed into law last year.

According to the law, cigarettes termed "light," "low-tar" and "mild" will be prohibited.

With the ban on "light", "low" and "mild" on all brands of cigarettes, the Food and Drug Administration will impose new restrictions on cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products that is effective in of youth access and advertising regulations. The restrictions include the elimination of free samples of cigarettes and federal level, the application of state law prohibiting tobacco sales to minors.
In addition, with effect from June 22 is a provision that requires large warnings on each package of smokeless tobacco products and advertising of smokeless tobacco products.

About Tar in Cigarettes

Above some info about tar in cigarettes.

Tar in lungs is not the same tar that is used to manufacture tires or build roads. It is a sticky, dark brown chemical that is produced when tobacco is burned through smoking. Tar can damage the lungs and can stain teeth, fingers and clothing.

Inhalation

The tar enters the lungs when the smoke is inhaled. The more a smoker smokes, the more tar he will inhale. When a smoker inhales the smoke from the cigarette, that dark tar is also inhaled into the lungs. When cigarette smoke is inhaled, it condenses and deposits cigarette tar in the lungs. The more a smoker smokes, the more tar that will coat his lungs. It will eventually interfere with the smoker's breathing.

Levels of Content

High-tar cigarettes can contain up to 27 mg of tar. Medium tar cigarettes can contain anywhere from 15 to 21 mg of tar. Low tar cigarettes contain less than 7 mg of tar.

Smoking Hazards

Let’s know the hazards of smoking.

One may think that with the amount of evidence out there linking cigarette smoking with various life-threatening, pain-inducing and socially alienating consequences, more people would kick the habit. But the fact is, giving up smoking is hard! The proof: the majority of smokers who try to quit end up relapsing shortly thereafter.

One factor to successfully becoming smoke-free is to build up the incentive to quit in the first place. Those who are still struggling with a smoking addiction may want to consider the following A to Z list of smoking hazards:

A- Aortic aneurism- swelling of the aorta

B- Chronic bronchitis

C- The big “C”- Cancer of the lungs, kidneys, pancreas, stomach, esophagus, bladder, pharynx, uterus, cervix, lips, tongue, throat and voice box (Sorry, were you going to use those?)

D- Death. Approximately 87% of all lung cancer deaths in the US are caused by cigarette smoking

E- Emphysema is common among heavy smokers between the ages of 40 and 60

F- Damage to the fetus, causing still or premature birth, low birth weight and SIDS

G- Gum disease and tooth decay, not to mention bad breath

Low tar and light cigarettes

Here’s the truth about low tar and light cigarettes.

Why do some smokers choose “low tar” and “light” cigarettes? Because they think these cigarettes may be less harmful to their health than regular cigarettes.

The Federal Trade Commission wants you to know that cigarette tar and nicotine ratings can’t predict the amount of tar and nicotine you get from any particular cigarette. That’s because how you smoke a cigarette can significantly affect the amount of tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide you get from your cigarette. Research indicates that many smokers of “low tar” or “light” cigarettes compensate by taking deeper, longer, or more frequent puffs from their cigarettes. The amount of tar and nicotine a smoker actually gets also can increase if the smoker unintentionally blocks tiny ventilation holes in cigarette filters that are designed to dilute smoke with air.

When it comes to “low tar” and “light” cigarettes, the FTC wants you to know:

• The tar and nicotine numbers used in advertising and on packaging are determined using a smoking machine — a smoking “robot” so to speak — that smokes every brand of cigarette exactly the same way.
• The numbers do not represent the amount of tar and nicotine a particular smoker may get: First, people don’t smoke cigarettes the same way the machine does; second, no two people smoke the same way.
• Many lower tar cigarettes have filters with very small vent holes in the sides that allow air to dilute the smoke in each puff. It’s easy for smokers to cover the holes unknowingly; that results in them getting more tar and nicotine.
• It’s impossible to tell from the ratings the amount of tar and nicotine a smoker will get from any cigarette. Smokers of lower nicotine cigarettes tend to compensate for the lower nicotine by taking deeper and more frequent puffs than they would from a regular cigarette.
• The amount of tar and nicotine smokers actually get depends on how deep and how often they puff on the cigarette and whether they block the vent holes.
• Smoking “low tar” or “light” cigarettes does not eliminate the health risks of smoking. If you’re concerned about the health risks of smoking, stop smoking.

Electronic Cigarette

Above news about the amazing of electronic cigarette.

Electronic cigarettes (or e cigarettes) are a brilliant invention. They allow the smoker to still inhale and exhale “smoke”, with nicotine, but without the smoke! Not only is there no smell, tar or the other harmful carcinogens found in tobacco cigarettes, but they’re also legal to smoke anywhere – even in non-smoking areas!

Most smokers smoke because a) they enjoy the sensation of smoking, and b) because they are addicted to nicotine. Although nicotine patches and gum provide the nicotine fix, they don’t provide the sensation of inhaling and exhaling smoke. Electric cigarettes do, because the smoker inhales and exhales water vapor – and if it’s a good brand of electric cigarette, it will provide enough vapor to give the same sensation as conventional cigarettes – without the smell and harmful effects.

There are herbal cigarettes – which provide the smoking feeling, but they come with an unfortunate smell, and of course, don’t contain the nicotine. And then there are dummy cigarettes – you know, those plastic ones – which of course, provide neither the smoke nor the nicotine. They tend to make you feel a bit like a child with a candy cigarette. Not exactly a cool image!

Instead of delivering the nicotine via smoke through burning tobacco, an electric cigarette delivers the nicotine through water vapor – avoiding the tar, chemicals and carcinogens. Although nicotine is still not good for you, and is addictive, recent research shows it is the smoke rather than the nicotine that is responsible for cancer:

Virginia Reichert, NP, director of the Center for Tobacco Control, North Shore-Long Island Jewish (LIJ) Health System, Great Neck, NY says: ]”People smoke to get the addictive drug, nicotine, but the drug alone does not cause cancer. The delivery system, a cigarette full of hundreds of toxic chemicals that are inhaled along with nicotine, does.”

Since an electronic cigarette delivers the nicotine in a vapor rather than smoke, the health risks are dramatically reduced.

Another problem with conventional smoking is the increase of “no smoking” zones in public places. An e cigarette means the smoker can smoke inside restaurants and bars, and on public transport. It also means that smokers nervous of flying can at least have a cigarette on the flight to help them keep calm.

A good electric cigarette makes a great gift for your favorite smoker – it means that when all other smokers have to go outside, or wait until they’re in a “smoking area”, before they can enjoy a cigarette, the smart smoker can brazenly take out their electric cigarette, and puff away to their heart’s content.

As you can see, electronic cigarettes have completely revolutionized smoking. The smoker still gets the two main components that make him a smoker – the sensation (smoke – in the form of vapor), and nicotine. Those around him experience no smell, no second-hand smoke, no butts and no ash the smoker is able to enjoy a smoke anytime, anywhere – legally, and most importantlyhis lungs aren’t exposed to the tar, smoke, and chemicals that abound in “normal” cigarettes.

Now, not all e cigarettes are created equally, so it’s wise to shop around. During my research, I’ve found that Green Smoke electric cigarettes have the largest amount of vapor – which feels more like the sensation of conventional smoking.

Also, the cartridges come with various levels of nicotine, so you can use them to start to cut down on nicotine. You can also get them in flavors such as apple, coffee, tobacco (of course) and even chocolate!

All in all, the e cigarette is a perfect option for smokers who want the flexibility to smoke where and when they want to, while reducing some of the harmful effects.

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Dangers of smoking

Here are about dangers of smoking.

Cigarette smoking is a known health risk. While cigars and other smoking tobacco, such as pipes that are not as common as cigarette smoking, the dangers are the same. Some new evidence that smoking tobacco through a water pipe can be toxic ("Bong") as cigarettes and cigars. Most smokers are aware of the dangers and warnings on the packaging, it is difficult for an eye to the potentially fatal consequences of smoking cigarettes.

Most smokers at some point or the other hold on to the belief that they are immune to the dangers of cigarette smoking – ‘it won’t happen to me’, ‘I will quit soon’, ‘I am a light smoker’. However, the most serious consequences of smoking can strike at any time, irrespective of the number of cigarettes consumed in a day or for the period one is smoking. Individual susceptibility to the toxic compounds means that a light smoker smoking for less than a year may develop health related complications while a heavy, long term smoker may be unaffected.

It is accepted that smokers who start smoking from an early age, smoke for prolonged periods of their life or ‘heavy’ smokers will be more at risk. Smoking lighter offers a false sense of protection – light cigarettes (low nicotine and tar) are just as dangerous as heavier cigarettes. Tobacco contains nicotine which is highly addictive. It is this addiction that compels a smoker to continue smoking leading to prolonged periods of cigarette smoking and possibly even heavier daily consumption. Apart from the nicotine, burning tobacco also releases a host of other harmful substances like carbon monoxide (similar to fumes released by car exhausts) and cyanide (a well known, rapid acting poison).