Transcript Tobacco Myths- Up in Smoke (American Cancer Society)

Tobacco MythsUp in Smoke
(American Cancer Society)
HS 460
 Estimates
show that the average smoker
thinks seriously about quitting four times a
year. But some smokers worry that they’ll
gain weight. Others fear the withdrawal
symptoms associated with nicotine
addiction. And some think that for them
it’s too late.
1. Myth: Smokers who quit gain a
lot of weight
 Truth:
although many smokers do gain
some weight when they quit, it’s usually
under 10 pounds. But weight gain isn’t
inevitable. If you exercise and watch your
calories, you can control it. Tip: smokers
who use the drug Bupropion (Zyban) to
help quit generally don’t gain weight.
2. Myth: nicotine addiction is
impossible to beat
 Truth:
it’s estimated that at least one-fifth
of smokers who use nicotine replacement
therapy- such as patches, gum or nasal
spray- can stay smoke-free after the same
period, and results are even better when
Zyban and Nicotine replacement are
combined. Adding behavioral counseling
appears to further improve the chances of
overcoming addiction.
3. Myth: Simply quitting cold turkey
doesn’t work
 Truth:
of the 17 million people who try to
quit for at least one day during the Great
American Smokeout (Nov. 18), more than
4 million are still smoke-free three months
later.
4. Myth: For lifelong smokers, the
damage has been done. Quitting
won’t help.
 Truth:
it’s never too late to quit. When you
do, the body begins to recover within 20
minutes. That’s when blood pressure
drops to normal. After eight hours, carbon
monoxide in the blood drops, too. Within
24 hours, the chance of heart attack
decreases… and after one year, excess
risk of heart attack is half that of a smoker.
5. Myth: Smoking isn’t dangerous
if you don’t inhale.
 Truth:
smokers who don’t inhale, including
pipe and cigar smokers, are still at risk for
lip, mouth, and tongue cancers.
6. Myth: Smokeless tobacco and
snuff are safe alternatives
to smoking.
 Truth:
Smokeless tobacco leads to
cancers of the mouth, gum, pharynx,
larynx, and esophagus. Fact is, snuff
dippers consume on average more than
10 times the amount of cancer-causing
substances cigarette smokers do.
The Bottom Line
 Smoking
shortens life expectancy by 1012 years. Quitting now can add years to
your life. If you don’t smoke: share these
truths to help someone who’s trying to kick
the habit.