Sunday, December 26, 2010
Why Smoking is Bad for Everyone
Why Smoking is Bad for Everyone
Smoking is an expensive habit and it should be banned. Although smokers claim that it helps them to relax and release stress, the negative aspects of the habit outweigh the positive. It is a health hazard for both smokers and non-smokers and it is especially harmful to unborn babies. Cigarettes are also addictive because of the nicotine they contain.
Cigarette smoking causes a number of health problems which are expensive to treat. It is a major cause of respiratory diseases such as asthma, lung cancer and bronchitis. It also leads to heart disease. In spite of the money which the Government receives from taxing cigarettes, the cost of medical treatment for these diseases exceeds this income. As a consequence, non smoking taxpayers are forced to pay for the health costs of smokers. This is a very unfair situation.
Another reason for banning smoking is that cigarette smoke affects the health of non-smokers and unborn babies. Non-smokers soften suffer from eye and nose irritations, allergies and headaches as a result of inhaling second-hand smoke. There is also evidence to suggest that passive smoking may cause lung cancer. Smoking during pregnancy can hinder to growth of the foetus and may even result in death.
Finally, the nicotine which is found in cigarettes is highly addictive. Other addictive substances such as cocaine and heroin are illegal. The fact that tobacco remains legal
Smoking is an expensive habit and it should be banned. Although smokers claim that it helps them to relax and release stress, the negative aspects of the habit outweigh the positive. It is a health hazard for both smokers and non-smokers and it is especially harmful to unborn babies. Cigarettes are also addictive because of the nicotine they contain.
Cigarette smoking causes a number of health problems which are expensive to treat. It is a major cause of respiratory diseases such as asthma, lung cancer and bronchitis. It also leads to heart disease. In spite of the money which the Government receives from taxing cigarettes, the cost of medical treatment for these diseases exceeds this income. As a consequence, non smoking taxpayers are forced to pay for the health costs of smokers. This is a very unfair situation.
Another reason for banning smoking is that cigarette smoke affects the health of non-smokers and unborn babies. Non-smokers soften suffer from eye and nose irritations, allergies and headaches as a result of inhaling second-hand smoke. There is also evidence to suggest that passive smoking may cause lung cancer. Smoking during pregnancy can hinder to growth of the foetus and may even result in death.
Finally, the nicotine which is found in cigarettes is highly addictive. Other addictive substances such as cocaine and heroin are illegal. The fact that tobacco remains legal
Teens and Smoking Tobacco
The differences between subjective feelings of those who smoke and those who don’t are shown in behavioral changes that are more apparent in teens than adults. Teens seem to be more abrasive when smoking or they feel like they are older and wiser when they smoke. Why do they smoke when we have seen billions of dollars spent on antismoking campaigns? The American Lung Association estimates that every minute four thousand eight hundred teens will take their first drag off a cigarette. Of those four thousand eight hundred, about two thousand will go on to be chain smokers. The fact that teen smoking rates are steadily increasing is disturbing. We are finding out that about 80% of adult smokers started smoking as teenagers.
We now see a lot of smokers giving each other rewards in social aspects such as conversations, companionships, and other common social contacts. Research has proven the fact that nicotine has the ability to suppress feelings, suppress appetite for food, is used as stimulation after sex, and is a good way to relax from troubles and feelings of insecurities. People that smoke go to designated areas and congregate around the one that has the light, even when the weather is sub-zero. There they are huddled up against each other in an area, taking in the last drag before the break is over, or they find some kind of shelter to smoke their cigarettes.
Teens like to act as if they are someone special or dangerous. By smoking they can act on those feelings. Because it is so forbidden it becomes more alluring to teens. The problem is that when they take that first puff, they can become addicted. The idea that they are breaking the law or going against their parents and schools is an addiction within itself. Kids like to get attention; it does not matter if it’s good attention or bad attention. They crave attention and by smoking they get big attention. The other teens look at them in all kinds of ways and the adults get upset and don’t know what to do.
Nicotine is considered the number one entrance drug into other substance abuse problems. Research shows that teens between 13 and 17 years of age who smoke daily are more likely to use other drug substances. The use of other drugs is part of the peer pressure that our children have to face. The earlier that our youth begin using tobacco, the more likely they will continue using into adulthood.
Why is tobacco so addicting? It is because nicotine acts as a stimulant, which is stimulating the mind, body, and spirit. When the body tolerance levels high then one ends up needing to use larger doses of nicotine to maintain a certain level of the physiological effect. When the body becomes accustomed to the presence of nicotine, it then requires the use of the chemical to help the body to function normally. This level of dependence is referred to as an addiction.
Here are some common experiences from teens who smoke.
♣ They tried their first cigarette in sixth or seventh grade
♣ They often do not perform well in school
♣ They feel like they are not a part of the school
♣ They become isolated from other students
♣ They can’t perform as well at sports events
♣ They feel like they have little hope of going to college
♣ They feel like they need a job to support their smoking habit
♣ They are reported to school officials for skipping classes
♣ They start using other illegal substances
♣ They begin experimenting with alcohol and other drugs
♣ They experience pressure from home and school and use tobacco as a form of relief
♣ Teen smokers enjoy trying to hide their smoking
This has made school more fun for some tobacco users. These types of behaviors get attention because the initiation of smoking is influenced by having a friend, particularly a best friend, who smokes. The risk factors do not apply because those who are young think that they are indispensable. The peers who use or have favorable attitudes toward tobacco use are more likely to use other illegal substances. On the other hand, if the teen becomes a member of a pro-social group, such as those participating in sports, cheerleading, or any club that promotes healthy living, the likelihood that the teen will attempt to stop smoking improves.
The amount of teens smoking cigarettes dropped about 28% in 2001. The following are some reasons why:
a) The increase of cost in the retail price of cigarettes has gone up 70%
b) The schools have implemented efforts to fight the use of tobacco (teen smoking).
c) There is an increase in youth exposure to both state and national mass media campaigns.
d) The truth on the effects of nicotine that are in tobacco products.
When tobacco companies lost the lawsuit that made them pay for anti-smoking ads, they raised the cost of cigarettes. Young people are having a harder time finding ways to smoke because smokers are paying top dollar for their cigarettes. We are also seeing teens speak out in the media and in person and they have been capturing the attention of their peers and changing attitudes about how un-cool and unhealthy teen smoking is.
The times are changing; what the public and science did not know twenty years ago is now coming to the surface. The fact is that smoking cigarettes can cause many health problems including emphysema, high blood pressure, and various forms of cancer. We are seeing people live longer and healthier lives and the old idea that smoking makes you cool and attractive is gone. This is the truth about cigarettes; they are loaded with harmful chemicals and the end result is that they are a dangerous drug that can seriously harm people.
We now see a lot of smokers giving each other rewards in social aspects such as conversations, companionships, and other common social contacts. Research has proven the fact that nicotine has the ability to suppress feelings, suppress appetite for food, is used as stimulation after sex, and is a good way to relax from troubles and feelings of insecurities. People that smoke go to designated areas and congregate around the one that has the light, even when the weather is sub-zero. There they are huddled up against each other in an area, taking in the last drag before the break is over, or they find some kind of shelter to smoke their cigarettes.
Teens like to act as if they are someone special or dangerous. By smoking they can act on those feelings. Because it is so forbidden it becomes more alluring to teens. The problem is that when they take that first puff, they can become addicted. The idea that they are breaking the law or going against their parents and schools is an addiction within itself. Kids like to get attention; it does not matter if it’s good attention or bad attention. They crave attention and by smoking they get big attention. The other teens look at them in all kinds of ways and the adults get upset and don’t know what to do.
Nicotine is considered the number one entrance drug into other substance abuse problems. Research shows that teens between 13 and 17 years of age who smoke daily are more likely to use other drug substances. The use of other drugs is part of the peer pressure that our children have to face. The earlier that our youth begin using tobacco, the more likely they will continue using into adulthood.
Why is tobacco so addicting? It is because nicotine acts as a stimulant, which is stimulating the mind, body, and spirit. When the body tolerance levels high then one ends up needing to use larger doses of nicotine to maintain a certain level of the physiological effect. When the body becomes accustomed to the presence of nicotine, it then requires the use of the chemical to help the body to function normally. This level of dependence is referred to as an addiction.
Here are some common experiences from teens who smoke.
♣ They tried their first cigarette in sixth or seventh grade
♣ They often do not perform well in school
♣ They feel like they are not a part of the school
♣ They become isolated from other students
♣ They can’t perform as well at sports events
♣ They feel like they have little hope of going to college
♣ They feel like they need a job to support their smoking habit
♣ They are reported to school officials for skipping classes
♣ They start using other illegal substances
♣ They begin experimenting with alcohol and other drugs
♣ They experience pressure from home and school and use tobacco as a form of relief
♣ Teen smokers enjoy trying to hide their smoking
This has made school more fun for some tobacco users. These types of behaviors get attention because the initiation of smoking is influenced by having a friend, particularly a best friend, who smokes. The risk factors do not apply because those who are young think that they are indispensable. The peers who use or have favorable attitudes toward tobacco use are more likely to use other illegal substances. On the other hand, if the teen becomes a member of a pro-social group, such as those participating in sports, cheerleading, or any club that promotes healthy living, the likelihood that the teen will attempt to stop smoking improves.
The amount of teens smoking cigarettes dropped about 28% in 2001. The following are some reasons why:
a) The increase of cost in the retail price of cigarettes has gone up 70%
b) The schools have implemented efforts to fight the use of tobacco (teen smoking).
c) There is an increase in youth exposure to both state and national mass media campaigns.
d) The truth on the effects of nicotine that are in tobacco products.
When tobacco companies lost the lawsuit that made them pay for anti-smoking ads, they raised the cost of cigarettes. Young people are having a harder time finding ways to smoke because smokers are paying top dollar for their cigarettes. We are also seeing teens speak out in the media and in person and they have been capturing the attention of their peers and changing attitudes about how un-cool and unhealthy teen smoking is.
The times are changing; what the public and science did not know twenty years ago is now coming to the surface. The fact is that smoking cigarettes can cause many health problems including emphysema, high blood pressure, and various forms of cancer. We are seeing people live longer and healthier lives and the old idea that smoking makes you cool and attractive is gone. This is the truth about cigarettes; they are loaded with harmful chemicals and the end result is that they are a dangerous drug that can seriously harm people.
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Benefits Of Quitting Smoking For Teenagers
Benefits Of Quitting Smoking For Teenagers
Teen smoking is very serious and the trend in statistics and the increased teenage smoking and tobacco use is alarming. Yet, this trend is reversible, and the benefits of quitting smoking for teenagers are immense.
Most of this group start the habit because they consider it to be cool, tough and independent, not knowing that they could easily find themselves smoking as adults, and struggling for a long time to quit and be free of this deadly habit. Cessation of smoking can be very difficult, sometimes one quits only to find themselves start again.
Quitting smoking benefits for teenagers and other smokers are many, here are some of the
effects of cigarettes that begin to be reversed on stopping :
Health–
It is an established fact that smoking is bad for your health. The first advantage of stopping is that health starts to be regained. Within 20 minutes of dropping the habit, heightened heart rate and blood pressure drops. After 12 hours, carbon monoxide levels in the blood drop back to normal. And your health keeps getting better from there as long as you stay stopped.
Intellectual development–
Nicotine has been found to cause the teenage brain to develop abnormally.
Concentration–
Smoking teens find it hard to concentrate and be focused, especially when several things are happening at the same time. So school work becomes difficult. Chances of better concentration and reduction in failure rates become better.
Improvements in behavioral disorders–
Aggressiveness, getting caught in fights and even stealing to keep up the habit is more prevalent in teen smokers than in their non-smoking peers. Quitting the habit also reduces drastically the chances of developing addiction to other substances like alcohol and harder drugs.
The list of benefits of quitting smoking for teenagers is long. The best advise still is, avoid the long struggle to stop, don’t start at all !
Teen smoking is very serious and the trend in statistics and the increased teenage smoking and tobacco use is alarming. Yet, this trend is reversible, and the benefits of quitting smoking for teenagers are immense.
Most of this group start the habit because they consider it to be cool, tough and independent, not knowing that they could easily find themselves smoking as adults, and struggling for a long time to quit and be free of this deadly habit. Cessation of smoking can be very difficult, sometimes one quits only to find themselves start again.
Quitting smoking benefits for teenagers and other smokers are many, here are some of the
effects of cigarettes that begin to be reversed on stopping :
Health–
It is an established fact that smoking is bad for your health. The first advantage of stopping is that health starts to be regained. Within 20 minutes of dropping the habit, heightened heart rate and blood pressure drops. After 12 hours, carbon monoxide levels in the blood drop back to normal. And your health keeps getting better from there as long as you stay stopped.
Intellectual development–
Nicotine has been found to cause the teenage brain to develop abnormally.
Concentration–
Smoking teens find it hard to concentrate and be focused, especially when several things are happening at the same time. So school work becomes difficult. Chances of better concentration and reduction in failure rates become better.
Improvements in behavioral disorders–
Aggressiveness, getting caught in fights and even stealing to keep up the habit is more prevalent in teen smokers than in their non-smoking peers. Quitting the habit also reduces drastically the chances of developing addiction to other substances like alcohol and harder drugs.
The list of benefits of quitting smoking for teenagers is long. The best advise still is, avoid the long struggle to stop, don’t start at all !
What is secondhand Smoke?
What is secondhand smoke?
Secondhand smoke is also known as environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) or passive smoke. It is a mixture of 2 forms of smoke that come from burning tobacco: sidestream smoke (smoke that comes from the end of a lighted cigarette, pipe, or cigar) and mainstream smoke (smoke that is exhaled by a smoker). Even though we think of these as the same, they aren't. The sidestream smoke has higher concentrations of cancer-causing agents (carcinogens) than the mainstream smoke. And, it contains smaller particles than mainstream smoke, which make their way into the body's cells more easily.
When non-smokers are exposed to secondhand smoke it is called involuntary smoking or passive smoking. Non-smokers who breathe in secondhand smoke take in nicotine and other toxic chemicals just like smokers do. The more secondhand smoke you are exposed to, the higher the level of these harmful chemicals in your body.
Why is secondhand smoke a problem?
Secondhand smoke causes cancer
Secondhand smoke is classified as a "known human carcinogen" (cancer-causing agent) by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the US National Toxicology Program, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a branch of the World Health Organization.
Tobacco smoke contains over 4,000 chemical compounds. More than 60 of these are known or suspected to cause cancer.
Secondhand smoke causes other kinds of diseases and deaths
Secondhand smoke can cause harm in many ways. In the United States alone, each year it is responsible for:
· An estimated 46,000 deaths from heart disease in non-smokers who live with smokers
· About 3,400 lung cancer deaths in non-smoking adults
· Other breathing problems in non-smokers, including coughing, mucus, chest discomfort, and reduced lung function
· 50,000 to 300,000 lung infections (such as pneumonia and bronchitis) in children younger than 18 months of age, which result in 7,500 to 15,000 hospitalizations annually
· Increases in the number and severity of asthma attacks in about 200,000 to 1 million children who have asthma
· More than 750,000 middle ear infections in children
· Pregnant women exposed to secondhand smoke are also at increased risk of having low birth- weight babies.
Secondhand smoke may be linked to breast cancer
Whether secondhand smoke increases the risk of breast cancer is an issue that is still being studied. Both mainstream and secondhand smoke contain about 20 chemicals that, in high concentrations, cause breast cancer in rodents. And we know that in humans, chemicals from tobacco smoke reach breast tissue and are found in breast milk.
But a link between secondhand smoke and breast cancer risk in human studies is still being debated. This is partly because breast cancer risk has not been shown to be increased in active smokers. One possible explanation for this is that tobacco smoke may have different effects on breast cancer risk in smokers and in those who are exposed to secondhand smoke.
A report from the California Environmental Protection Agency in 2005 concluded that the evidence regarding secondhand smoke and breast cancer is "consistent with a causal association" in younger women. This means that the secondhand smoke acts as if it could be a cause of breast cancer in these women. The 2006 US Surgeon General's report, The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke, found that there is "suggestive but not sufficient" evidence of a link at this point. In any case, women should be told that this possible link to breast cancer is yet another reason to avoid being around secondhand smoke.
Secondhand smoke kills children and adults who don't smoke, and makes others sick (Surgeon General's report)
The 2006 US Surgeon General's report reached some important conclusions:
· Secondhand smoke causes premature death and disease in children and in adults who do not smoke.
· Children exposed to secondhand smoke are at an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), acute respiratory infections, ear problems, and more severe asthma. Smoking by parents causes breathing (respiratory) symptoms and slows lung growth in their children.
· Secondhand smoke immediately affects the heart and blood circulation in a harmful way. Over a longer time it also causes heart disease and lung cancer.
· The scientific evidence shows that there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke.
· Many millions of Americans, both children and adults, are still exposed to secondhand smoke in their homes and workplaces despite a great deal of progress in tobacco control.
· The only way to fully protect non-smokers from exposure to secondhand smoke indoors is to prevent all smoking in that indoor space or building. Separating smokers from non-smokers, cleaning the air, and ventilating buildings cannot keep non-smokers from being exposed to secondhand smoke.
Where is secondhand smoke a problem?
You should be especially concerned about exposure to secondhand smoke in these 4 places:
At work
The workplace is a major source of secondhand smoke exposure for adults. Secondhand smoke meets the standard to be classified as a potential cancer-causing agent by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the federal agency responsible for health and safety regulations in the workplace. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), another federal agency, also recommends that secondhand smoke be considered a possible carcinogen in the workplace. Because there are no known safe levels, they recommend that exposures to secondhand smoke be reduced to the lowest possible levels.
Secondhand smoke in the workplace has been linked to an increased risk for heart disease and lung cancer among adult non-smokers. The Surgeon General has said that smoke-free workplace policies are the only way to do away with secondhand smoke exposure at work. Separating smokers from non-smokers, cleaning the air, and ventilating the building cannot prevent exposure if people still smoke inside the building. An extra bonus other than protecting non-smokers is that workplace smoking restrictions may also encourage smokers to quit.
In public places
Everyone can be exposed to secondhand smoke in public places, such as restaurants, shopping centers, public transportation, schools, and daycare centers.
Some businesses seem to be afraid to ban smoking, but there is no proof that going smoke-free is bad for business. Public places where children go are a special area of concern.
At home
Making your home smoke-free may be one of the most important things you can do for the health of your family. Any family member can develop health problems related to secondhand smoke.
Children are especially sensitive to secondhand smoke. Asthma, lung infections, and ear infections are more common in children who are around smokers. Some of these problems can be serious and even life-threatening. Others may seem like small problems, but they add up quickly: think of the expenses, doctor visits, medicines, lost school time, and often lost work time for the parent who must take the child to the doctor. In the United States, 21 million, or 35% of children live in homes where residents or visitors smoke in the home on a regular basis. About 50% to 75% of children in the United States have detectable levels of cotinine, the breakdown product of nicotine, in their blood.
Think about it: we spend more time at home than anywhere else. A smoke-free home protects your family, your guests, and even your pets.
In the car
Americans spend a great deal of time in cars, and if someone smokes there, hazardous levels of smoke can build up quickly. Again, this can be especially harmful to children.
In response to this fact, the US Environmental Protection Agency has a special program to encourage people to make their cars, as well as their homes, smoke-free. And some states have laws that ban smoking in the car if carrying passengers under the age of 17.
What about smoking odors?
There is no research in the medical literature as yet that shows cigarette odors cause cancer in people. Research does show that particles from secondhand tobacco smoke can settle onto hair, clothing, and other surfaces and remain there long after the smoke is gone. Some researchers call this "thirdhand" smoke. Researchers have now proven that these settled-out particles can form more cancer-causing compounds.
Though unknown, the cancer-causing effects would likely be very small compared with direct exposure to secondhand smoke, such as living in a house with a smoker. The compounds may be stirred up and inhaled with other house dust, but more may be absorbed through the skin or accidentally taken in through the mouth. This is why any risk the compounds pose may be larger for babies and children who play on the floor. No actual cancer risk has been measured, but this is an active area of research.
Secondhand smoke is also known as environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) or passive smoke. It is a mixture of 2 forms of smoke that come from burning tobacco: sidestream smoke (smoke that comes from the end of a lighted cigarette, pipe, or cigar) and mainstream smoke (smoke that is exhaled by a smoker). Even though we think of these as the same, they aren't. The sidestream smoke has higher concentrations of cancer-causing agents (carcinogens) than the mainstream smoke. And, it contains smaller particles than mainstream smoke, which make their way into the body's cells more easily.
When non-smokers are exposed to secondhand smoke it is called involuntary smoking or passive smoking. Non-smokers who breathe in secondhand smoke take in nicotine and other toxic chemicals just like smokers do. The more secondhand smoke you are exposed to, the higher the level of these harmful chemicals in your body.
Why is secondhand smoke a problem?
Secondhand smoke causes cancer
Secondhand smoke is classified as a "known human carcinogen" (cancer-causing agent) by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the US National Toxicology Program, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a branch of the World Health Organization.
Tobacco smoke contains over 4,000 chemical compounds. More than 60 of these are known or suspected to cause cancer.
Secondhand smoke causes other kinds of diseases and deaths
Secondhand smoke can cause harm in many ways. In the United States alone, each year it is responsible for:
· An estimated 46,000 deaths from heart disease in non-smokers who live with smokers
· About 3,400 lung cancer deaths in non-smoking adults
· Other breathing problems in non-smokers, including coughing, mucus, chest discomfort, and reduced lung function
· 50,000 to 300,000 lung infections (such as pneumonia and bronchitis) in children younger than 18 months of age, which result in 7,500 to 15,000 hospitalizations annually
· Increases in the number and severity of asthma attacks in about 200,000 to 1 million children who have asthma
· More than 750,000 middle ear infections in children
· Pregnant women exposed to secondhand smoke are also at increased risk of having low birth- weight babies.
Secondhand smoke may be linked to breast cancer
Whether secondhand smoke increases the risk of breast cancer is an issue that is still being studied. Both mainstream and secondhand smoke contain about 20 chemicals that, in high concentrations, cause breast cancer in rodents. And we know that in humans, chemicals from tobacco smoke reach breast tissue and are found in breast milk.
But a link between secondhand smoke and breast cancer risk in human studies is still being debated. This is partly because breast cancer risk has not been shown to be increased in active smokers. One possible explanation for this is that tobacco smoke may have different effects on breast cancer risk in smokers and in those who are exposed to secondhand smoke.
A report from the California Environmental Protection Agency in 2005 concluded that the evidence regarding secondhand smoke and breast cancer is "consistent with a causal association" in younger women. This means that the secondhand smoke acts as if it could be a cause of breast cancer in these women. The 2006 US Surgeon General's report, The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke, found that there is "suggestive but not sufficient" evidence of a link at this point. In any case, women should be told that this possible link to breast cancer is yet another reason to avoid being around secondhand smoke.
Secondhand smoke kills children and adults who don't smoke, and makes others sick (Surgeon General's report)
The 2006 US Surgeon General's report reached some important conclusions:
· Secondhand smoke causes premature death and disease in children and in adults who do not smoke.
· Children exposed to secondhand smoke are at an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), acute respiratory infections, ear problems, and more severe asthma. Smoking by parents causes breathing (respiratory) symptoms and slows lung growth in their children.
· Secondhand smoke immediately affects the heart and blood circulation in a harmful way. Over a longer time it also causes heart disease and lung cancer.
· The scientific evidence shows that there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke.
· Many millions of Americans, both children and adults, are still exposed to secondhand smoke in their homes and workplaces despite a great deal of progress in tobacco control.
· The only way to fully protect non-smokers from exposure to secondhand smoke indoors is to prevent all smoking in that indoor space or building. Separating smokers from non-smokers, cleaning the air, and ventilating buildings cannot keep non-smokers from being exposed to secondhand smoke.
Where is secondhand smoke a problem?
You should be especially concerned about exposure to secondhand smoke in these 4 places:
At work
The workplace is a major source of secondhand smoke exposure for adults. Secondhand smoke meets the standard to be classified as a potential cancer-causing agent by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the federal agency responsible for health and safety regulations in the workplace. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), another federal agency, also recommends that secondhand smoke be considered a possible carcinogen in the workplace. Because there are no known safe levels, they recommend that exposures to secondhand smoke be reduced to the lowest possible levels.
Secondhand smoke in the workplace has been linked to an increased risk for heart disease and lung cancer among adult non-smokers. The Surgeon General has said that smoke-free workplace policies are the only way to do away with secondhand smoke exposure at work. Separating smokers from non-smokers, cleaning the air, and ventilating the building cannot prevent exposure if people still smoke inside the building. An extra bonus other than protecting non-smokers is that workplace smoking restrictions may also encourage smokers to quit.
In public places
Everyone can be exposed to secondhand smoke in public places, such as restaurants, shopping centers, public transportation, schools, and daycare centers.
Some businesses seem to be afraid to ban smoking, but there is no proof that going smoke-free is bad for business. Public places where children go are a special area of concern.
At home
Making your home smoke-free may be one of the most important things you can do for the health of your family. Any family member can develop health problems related to secondhand smoke.
Children are especially sensitive to secondhand smoke. Asthma, lung infections, and ear infections are more common in children who are around smokers. Some of these problems can be serious and even life-threatening. Others may seem like small problems, but they add up quickly: think of the expenses, doctor visits, medicines, lost school time, and often lost work time for the parent who must take the child to the doctor. In the United States, 21 million, or 35% of children live in homes where residents or visitors smoke in the home on a regular basis. About 50% to 75% of children in the United States have detectable levels of cotinine, the breakdown product of nicotine, in their blood.
Think about it: we spend more time at home than anywhere else. A smoke-free home protects your family, your guests, and even your pets.
In the car
Americans spend a great deal of time in cars, and if someone smokes there, hazardous levels of smoke can build up quickly. Again, this can be especially harmful to children.
In response to this fact, the US Environmental Protection Agency has a special program to encourage people to make their cars, as well as their homes, smoke-free. And some states have laws that ban smoking in the car if carrying passengers under the age of 17.
What about smoking odors?
There is no research in the medical literature as yet that shows cigarette odors cause cancer in people. Research does show that particles from secondhand tobacco smoke can settle onto hair, clothing, and other surfaces and remain there long after the smoke is gone. Some researchers call this "thirdhand" smoke. Researchers have now proven that these settled-out particles can form more cancer-causing compounds.
Though unknown, the cancer-causing effects would likely be very small compared with direct exposure to secondhand smoke, such as living in a house with a smoker. The compounds may be stirred up and inhaled with other house dust, but more may be absorbed through the skin or accidentally taken in through the mouth. This is why any risk the compounds pose may be larger for babies and children who play on the floor. No actual cancer risk has been measured, but this is an active area of research.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)