cigarettes
Tobacco Use
Posted by Gary Hopkins on
An estimated 440,000 people die from smoking - related causes each year in the United States. Nearly all smoking - related deaths occur after the age of 35, but the majority of adults who smoke began during adolescence. Eighty - two percent of adults who smoke started smoking before age 18, and virtually no adult smokers start after the age of 25.
Young adults ages 18 to 25 have the highest prevalence of recent smoking — 60 percent higher than that of adults over the age of 25. The National Institute on Drug Abuse describes the situation with tobacco by pointing out the following:
Smoking Reaches Your Toenails
Posted by Elvin Adams on
Cigarette smoking is the primary cause of lung cancer throughout the world.
The risk of developing lung cancer is related to the total dose of smoke to which you have been exposed during your lifetime. This can be estimated in several ways including: the number of cigarettes smoked per day, the depth of smoke inhalation, the number of pack-years, and the age at which smoking began.
These measures of exposure correlate well with the risk of getting lung cancer, but they are subjective measures and rely on the truthfulness and accuracy of the information smokers report about themselves. Recently, a novel method of more accurately determining smoke cumulative smoke exposure was reported in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
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U.S. High Schoolers Giving Cigarettes the Shaft--Slowly
Posted by Fred Hardinge on
One fifth of US high school students are still smoking!
Analysis of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey from 1991 to 2009 reveals that cigarette use among U.S. high school students is declining, but slowly.
Nearly half of high school students have tried smoking (even one or two puffs), and 20% smoked at least one day in the previous 30 days, with 7% smoking 20 or more days during the past month. (Maybe they should all watch this video!)
PositiveTip: Talk to young people about the dangers of smoking, and support local and national efforts to control access and promotion of cigarettes.
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Hooked on Snus
Posted by Fred Hardinge on
Addiction to smokeless tobacco may be stronger than cigarettes!
Yes, the title is spelled correctly! Snus is moist, oral snuff originating in Sweden that is now being promoted by big USA tobacco manufacturers.
Research has found that those who use snus exclusively, or who use snus and cigarettes, report significantly higher dependence on nicotine than those who only smoke cigarettes. People who use both reported the toughest withdrawal symptoms.
PositiveTip: Smokeless tobacco products, while appealing, are associated with cancers of the mouth, esophagus and pancreas. Just say no!
Girls and Drugs
Posted by Gary Hopkins on
Some adults have the general sense that substance abuse among youngsters is more common for boys than girls. In many cases they may be right, but what do we really know about girls and drugs?
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Pipe and Cigar Smoking Not as "Safe" as Some Think
Posted by Fred Hardinge on
Pipe and cigar smoking also increases risk of lung disease.
Some smoker's switch to pipe and cigar smoking thinking these are much less risky alternatives to cigarettes. Researchers assessed lung function in 3500 participants that ranged in age from 45 to 84 years. Cigar and pipe smokers who did not smoke cigarettes had 2.3 times the odds of airflow obstruction than never-smokers, while those who smoked cigarettes and pipes and cigars had 3.4 times the odds. This underscores the fact that there is really no safe dose of tobacco smoke.
PositiveTip: There is no better time to quit all forms of tobacco than the present! Explore community resources for quitting.
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Reduction in Number of Cigarettes Smoked Reduces Mortality
Posted by Fred Hardinge on
For each 5 daily cigarettes forsaken there is an 18% reduction in mortality.
Smoking is a well-established risk factor of heart disease. Many individuals try to quit but fail to achieve complete abstinence. Researchers in Israel followed over 1500 patients for an average of 13.2 years who were admitted to hospital following their first heart attack. Not surprisingly, those who had never smoked or who had quit prior to the heart attack had the best survival rates. Among those who cut back on the number of cigarettes smoked, each reduction of 5 daily cigarettes smoked resulted in an 18% lower death rate compared to 40-48% for those who quit.
PositiveTip: Quitting smoking is by far the best option, but significant benefits result from cutting back on the number of daily cigarettes smoked.
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Cigarette Smoking May Be Hazardous to Your Computer!
Posted by admin on
Smoking near your Apple computer may void the warranty!
We all know that smoking is not good for humans of any age. Now it seems at least one computer company is recognizing that smoking is not good for its computers, and is refusing warranty service on machines filled with tarry crud! Apple Computer has refused to repair at least two machines owned by smokers that were brought in for service. One of these persons was told they had voided their warranty and it couldn't be serviced due to the "health risks of second hand smoke." The other person was told his smoke-tainted computer was a "bio-hazzard". Even Apple president Steve Jobs' reportedly refused to help these smokers.