Tobacco and it’s effects

By Todd Corabi

Some information taken from Glencoe Health pre-made powerpoints from Teen Health series

FACT: Smoking and Obesity are the 2 single highest causes of preventable death in the United States.

Forms of Tobacco

Tobacco products are made from the Tobacco plant. The can be smoked, inhaled, chewed and absorbed.

Products that are smoked: Cigarettes Cigars and pipes

Smokeless products: Chewing tobacco Snuff, dip, “spit”

CigarettesCigarettes (which most of this powerpoint will focus on) are made from shredded tobacco leaves.

A single puff of tobacco smoke contains more than 4000 chemicals

Most of these chemicals prevent the body from functioning the way it should Between 43-80 these chemicals cause cancer

In the United States, more than 400,000 people die each year because of smoke-related illnesses.

Why Teens Begin Using Tobacco

PEER PRESSURE

Parents or family members use tobacco

Wanting to

look “cool”

Wanting to

be just like

a favorite

celebrity

Other: readily available, social settings, to fit in, do not believe facts, addicted due to second hand smoke?

Too hooked

to be able

to quit

Other…see

below

What Is in Tobacco?Cigarettes contain 3 different components that cause harm to the body

Nicotine:

the drug in tobacco. It is a stimulant and highly addictive

Carbon monoxidea colorless, odorless, poisonous gas produced when

tobacco burns

Tar a sticky brownish liquid that coats any part of the body that smoke touches including the lining of the

lungs and causes diseases

Cigars and PipesAlthough most of this power point concerns cigarettes, shredded tobacco leaves are also used in cigars and pipes.

Dangers of using cigars or pipes:

Cigar smoke contains 25 times more carbon monoxide and up to 400 times more nicotine than cigarette smoke.

Cigar and pipe smokers are more likely to develop cancers of the lip, mouth, and tongue than nonsmokers.

Tobacco Addiction

Nicotine: type of drug = stimulant

is as addictive or more so a drug as cocaine or heroin.

Nicotine addiction leads to more diseases and deaths than all other addictions combined.

Reducing or cutting off the supply of nicotine causes withdrawal.

Psychological Dependence

A tobacco user first becomes psychologically dependent on tobacco.

Psychological dependence leads to addiction because a person believes that he or she needs a drug in order to feel good or function normally although they really do not

To break a psychological dependence on tobacco, users need to change their habits.

Physical DependencePhysical dependence is an addiction in which the body develops a chemical need for a drug.

Physical dependence on tobacco is directly related to nicotine.

As a person continues to use tobacco, the body’s tolerance for nicotine increases.

Tolerance is the body’s need for larger and larger doses of a drug to produce the same effect.

Parts of the Respiratory System

LungsTwo large organs that exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide

Trachea

Tube in throat that takes air to and from lungs

EpiglottisFlap of tissue in back of mouth that covers the trachea to prevent food from entering it

Bronchi Two tubes that branch from the trachea; one tube leads to each lung

Nose/MouthPassages for air; nose lined with cilia

Tar can stick to any of these inside organs and things within and around them such as the teeth in your mouth and sinus cavities

Harmful Substances in Tobacco SmokeHarmful chemicals include but are not limited to…..

Cyanide is a deadly poison.

Methanol, a poisonous liquid alcohol, is known to cause blindness.

Formaldehyde is an irritating, acidic gas used in laboratory disinfectants and preservatives.

Some Short term effects of smoking include

Increases Heart Rate, Blood Pressure and Breathing Rate

Activates Fight or Flight Response

Increases alertness (makes you hyper)

Decreases Digestive System

Tricks people to think they are relaxed

Bad Breath

Smell on clothes, hair and skin

Lowers amount of Oxygen going into body

Respiratory SystemTobacco smoke damages the alveoli. This damage

maylead to emphysema.

Smokers are also between 12 and 22 times more likely

than nonsmokers to develop lung

cancer.

Nervous SystemTobacco use reduces the flow of oxygen to the brain, which

can lead to a stroke.

Circulatory System

Tobacco use is linked to

heart disease.

Excretory SystemSmokers have at least

twice the risk of developing bladder

cancer as nonsmokers. Smokeless tobacco can also put users

at risk of developing bladder cancer.

Digestive System increase the risk

of cavities and gum disease.

Taste Buds die.linked to cancers

of the mouth, throat, esophagus, stomach,

and pancreas.

Some long term effects of smoking include………………

Some more Long Term Effects of Smoking

Smoking is the #1 risk factor associated with Heart Attacks and Heart Disease

Common Problems of the Respiratory System associated with smoking

Disease or Disorder Description Treatment

Chronic Bronchitis

Emphysema

is a chronic inflammation of the bronchi (medium-size airways) in the lungs.

Bronchodilators

Disease in which alveoli harden and disintegrate; symptoms include extreme difficulty breathing; almost entirely caused by smoking

No known cure; pure oxygen can make breathing easier

Lung CancerUncontrolled growth of cells that produce abnormally in lungs;often caused by smoking

Surgery, radiation,and medication; Survival rates are very low

How Tobacco Affects Nonsmokers (cont’d.)

Exposure to secondhand smoke causes people to become passive smokers.

Passive smoking is harmful because:

It can cause respiratory problems, including lung cancer, just like smoking.

It may irritate the nose and throat and cause itchy and watery eyes, headaches, and coughing.

Rights of Nonsmokers

As a nonsmoker, you have the right to:

Breathe air that is free of tobacco smoke. Express your preference that people not

smoke around you.

Rights of Nonsmokers (cont’d.)

Laws protecting the rights of nonsmokers:

In 1989, the federal government banned smoking on all domestic airplane flights.

Almost every state government has put restrictions on smoking.

Employers have a legal right to restrict smoking in the workplace, and many have banned smoking.

Children and Unborn Babies

Tobacco use during pregnancy is associated with the following:

Increased chance of miscarriage Increased chance of stillbirth Low birth weight.

Children and Unborn Babies (cont’d.)

Infants whose mothers smoke during and after pregnancy are three times more likely to die from a condition known as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome than are infants whose mothers do not smoke.

Children of smokers experience higher rates of allergies, asthma, chronic bronchitis, ear infections, and heart problems.

The Benefits of Saying No to Tobacco