Tobacco use is the most important
preventable illness and cause of death in the U.S., according to the National
Cancer Institute (NCI). Tobacco use was estimated to be the cause of 443,000
deaths in 2010 in the U.S.
Angle:
Stop smoking tobacco; start to
stop today (it takes about 15 years of non-smoking behavior to achieve a
"normal" risk level for heart disease for those that smoke).
Stop using chewing tobacco to avoid oral cancers.
Adverse consequences of tobacco
use:
Tobacco use causes or contributes
to a large number of cancers in the U.S. In men, 90% of lung cancer deaths are
attributable to smoking; 80% in women. Tobacco use causes cancers of the lung,
mouth, lip, tongue, oesophagus, kidney, and bladder. It also further increases
the risk of bladder cancer in subjects occupationally exposed to certain
organic chemicals found in the textile, leather, rubber, dye, paint, and other
organic chemical industries, and further increases the risk of lung cancer
among subjects exposed to asbestos.
Tobacco use causes atherosclerotic arterial disease (hardening and
narrowing of the arteries) that can lead to heart attacks, strokes, and lack of
blood flow to the lower extremities. Tobacco use causes an estimated 20%-30% of
coronary heart disease in the U.S. It also further increases the risk of heart
attacks among subjects with elevated cholesterol, uncontrolled hypertension,
obesity, and a sedentary lifestyle.
Tobacco use causes an estimated
20% of chronic lung diseases in the U.S., such as chronic bronchitis and
emphysema, and causes pneumonia in those with chronic lung disease. The CDC, in
2011, estimated that 90% of deaths from chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD)
were due to smoking.
Pregnant women who smoke are more likely to deliver babies with low
birth weight.
Secondhand smoke can cause
middle-ear infections (otitis media), coughing, wheezing, bronchitis, and
pneumonia in babies, and aggravate asthma in children. Secondhand smoke
(sometimes referred to as passive smoking) can also cause lung cancer.
Remarks and recommendations (tips):
Quitting smoking is difficult to
accomplish; tobacco contains nicotine, which is addictive. Some smokers can
quit "cold turkey," but for most, quitting smoking requires a serious
life-long commitment and an average of six quitting attempts before success.
Quitting smoking efforts may include behavior modification, counseling,
use of nicotine chewing gum (Nicorette Gum), nicotine skin patches (Transderm
Nicotine), or oral medications such as bupropion (Zyban).
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