tobacco 101. what is tobacco tobacco is a plant grown for its leaves, which are smoked, chewed, or...
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Tobacco 101
What is Tobacco
Tobacco is a plant grown for its leaves, which are smoked, chewed, or stiffed for a variety of effects. It is considered an addictive substance because it contains the chemical nicotine.
Cigarette smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals and compounds. Hundreds are toxic and at least 70 cause cancer. Tobacco smoke itself is a known human carcinogen.
Chemicals in Cigarettes
Cancer-Causing Chemicals
Formaldehyde: Used to embalm dead bodies
Benzene: Found in gasoline
Polonium 210: Radioactive and very toxic
Vinyl chloride: Used to make pipes
Tobacco is the leading preventable cause of death in the world. It causes 1 in 10 deaths among adults
worldwide.
Toxic Metals
Chromium: Used to make steel
Arsenic: Used in pesticides
Lead: Once used in paint
Cadmium: Used to make batteries
Poisonous Gases
Carbon monoxide: Found in car exhausts
Hydrogen cyanide: Used in chemical weapons
Ammonia: Used in household cleaners
Butane: Used in lighter fluid
Toluene: Found in paint thinners
Nicotine
• More addictive than cocaine and heroine• Toxic if ingested in high doses
Carbon Monoxide
The compound in car exhaust that causes death
Causes shortness of breath
Reduces the amount of oxygen blood can carry
Carbon monoxide is colorless, odorless, tasteless, and non-irritating.
Tar
Sticky residue that stains the fingers, teeth and lungs.
Contains benzopyrene - one of the deadliest cancer causing agents known.
Tar exposes the user to an increased risk of lung cancer, emphysema, and bronchial disorders.
Street Names for Tobacco
Cigarettes: Smokes, Cigs, Butts. Smokeless Tobacco: Chew, Dip, Spit Tobacco, Snuff
Short-Term Effects
Increase in blood pressure
Increase in heart rate
Increase the flow of blood from the heart
Increase the effect of irritants on any standing allergies
Increase in acid in the stomach
Long-Term Effects
Chronic lung disease
Coronary heart disease
Stroke
Cancer of the lungs, larynx,esophagus, mouth, and bladder
Smokeless Tobacco
Smokeless tobacco, also called spit tobacco,chew, chaw, and dip, come in two forms: snuff and chewing tobacco
Snuff is a fine grain tobacco that often comes in teabag-like pouches that users pinch or dip between their lower lip and gum.
Chewing tobacco comes in shredded, twisted, or bricked tobacco leaves that users put between their cheek and gum.
Consequences of Smokeless Tobacco
Cracking and bleeding lips and gumsReceding gumsIncrease heart rate, blood pressureCancer
What is Secondhand Smoke
Secondhand smoke, also known as environmental tobacco
smoke or passive smoke, is a mixture of 2 forms of smoke
from burning tobacco products:
Sidestream smoke: smoke that comes from the end of a lighted cigarette, pipe, or cigar
Mainstream smoke: smoke that is exhaled by a smoker
Consequences of Secondhand Smoke
Secondhand smoke is the third leading cause of preventable death in the United States.
There is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke.
Heart diseaseLung cancerSudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)Low birth weightFrequent and more severe asthma attackBronchitis and pneumoniaIncreased risk for ear infectionsIncreased risk of cervical cancer
Children & Secondhand Smoke
38% of children aged 2 months to 5 years are exposed to secondhand smoke in the home
Up to 2,000,000 ear infections each yearNearly 530,000 doctor visits for asthmaUp to 436,000 episodes of bronchitis in
children under five
Pregnancy & Secondhand Smoke
Miscarriage
Preterm Delivery
Prematurity
Low birth weight
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
Benefits of Quitting
Within 20 Minutes: Blood pressure drops to normal Pulse rate returns to normal Body temperature of hands and feet increases to
normalWithin 8 Hours: Carbon Monoxide level in blood drops to normal Oxygen level in blood increases to normal Smoker’s breath disappearsWithin 24 Hours: Your chance of a heart attack decreases
Benefits of Quitting
Within 48 Hours: Nerve endings start to re-grow Your ability to smell and taste is enhancedWithin 72 Hours: Bronchial tubes relax making it easier to breathe Lung capacity increases making it easier to do
physical activitiesWithin 2 Weeks: Circulation improves Walking becomes easier
Benefits of Quitting
Within 1-9 Months: Coughing, sinus, congestion, fatigue, shortness of
breath decrease Energy level increasesWithin 1 Year: Risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a
smokerWithin 2 Years: Heart attack risk drops to near normalWithin 5 Years Stroke risk is reduced
Benefits of Quitting
Within 10 Years: Lung cancer death rate is similar to that of a
person who does not smoke The pre-cancerous cells are replacedWithin 15 Years: Risk of coronary heart disease is the same as a
person who has never smoked
Quitting at any age and at any time is beneficial. It's never too late to quit, but the sooner the better.
New strategies for cessation, including nicotine replacement and non-nicotine medications, can make it easier.
Resources to Quit
Mississippi Tobacco Quitline1-800- QUIT-NOW
ACT Centerhttp://act2quit
Sources
American Heart AssociationCenters for Disease Control and
PreventionAmerican Lung AssociationThe New York TimesSurgeon General’s ReportMississippi State Department of Health