Transcript Tobacco

Chapter 20
The Health Risks
Medical studies have shown that
tobacco use is the leading cause of
preventable death & disability in the US.
 About 90% of adult smokers began the
habit as teenagers.
 Quitting is very difficult.

The Health Risks
Addictive Drug – a substance that
causes physiological or psychological
dependence
 Nicotine – the addictive drug found in
tobacco leaves
 Stimulant – a drug that increases the
action of the central nervous system, the
heart, and other organs

Poisonous Substances
 Carcinogen
– a cancer-causing
substance
 Tar – a thick, sticky, dark fluid
produced when tobacco burns
 Destroys cilia and alveoli
 Carbon
monoxide - a colorless,
odorless, and poisonous gas
Other forms of tobacco
 Pipes,
cigars, and smokeless
tobacco are just as dangerous
as cigarettes
 Leukoplakia- thickened, white,
leathery-looking spots on the
inside of the mouth that can
develop into oral cancer
Harmful Effects of Tobacco
 Short-term
 Long-term
Brain chemistry
changes
 Respiration & heart
rate increase
 Taste buds dulled,
appetite reduced
 Bad breath, yellow
teeth, smell
 Chronic

bronchitis
 Emphysema
 Lung cancer
 Coronary heart
disease & stroke
 Weakened immune
system
Other Consequences
 Costs
to society $167 Billion/ year
 Cost to individual $3,561/year
 Legal consequences
Reduced tobacco use in teens

Tobacco legislation
 Advertising

No-smoking policies
 Public places
Family values
 Positive peer pressure
 Health risks

Strategies for Avoidance
Surround yourself with positive
influences
 Reduce peer pressure
 Be prepared with refusal skills

Ending the Addiction Cycle
Nicotine withdrawal – the process that
occurs in the body when nicotine, an
addictive drug, is no longer used
 Nicotine substitutes – products that
deliver small amounts of nicotine into
the user’s system while he/she is trying
to give up the tobacco habit
 Tobacco cessation program – a
course that provides info. & help to
people who want to stop using tobacco

Risks to others

Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS)
– air that has been contaminated by
tobacco smoke
 AKA - secondhand smoke
Mainstream smoke – the smoke
exhaled from the lungs of a smoker
 Sidestream smoke – the smoke from
the burning end of a cigarette, pipe, or
cigar
 What is thirdhand smoke?

Risks to others
Secondhand smoke causes about 3000
deaths/year from lung cancer
 Smoking during pregnancy can seriously
harm the unborn baby
 Children of smokers are more likely to
be in poor health
