A middle-aged cigarette smoker who has smoked for decades is two to three times more likely to die early than someone similar who has never smoked. Tobacco smoking is well known to be a major risk factor for various cancers, lung and cardiovascular problems, and is also linked to other health problems, such as complications in pregnancy, low sperm count in men, oral problems, and increased likelihood of cataracts.
Little wonder then that the World Health Organisation (WHO) sees tobacco smoking as the number one avoidable cause of death in the world. US statistics reveal that smoking causes more deaths each yearthan HIV, illegal drug use, alcohol misuse, motor vehicle injuries and homicides combined. Similar comparisons can be found in UK statistics. However, while there can be few today who are unaware of the toll smoking takes on the body, the effects of long-term tobacco smoking on other areas such as learning and memory are less well known. Read more......About: admin
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What are Arizonans saying about smoke-free living?
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Arizona Success in Protecting People from Secondhand Smoke is a Model for the Nation
The successful smoke-free programs we have been working on in Arizona for people living in multi-unit housing have been expanded nationwide. Over the last several years, three Arizona organizations, the Arizona Smoke-Free Living Coalition, American Lung Association in Arizona, and the Arizona Multihousing Association, under the leadership of our Bureau of Tobacco and Chronic Disease, have converted 147 multi-family properties to smoke-free communities since 2012, and an additional 220 are in the process of transition.
Last week the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced a rule requiring public housing developments to implement a smoke-free policy. This is a big step toward building on our successes of the last several years to protect the health of Arizonans. This rule will provide safer living situations and shield residents from secondhand smoke in their homes. Several studies have proven that secondhand smoke can permeate throughout multifamily housing, moving from units occupied by smokers into units occupied by nonsmokers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found about one-third of those residents reported experiencing secondhand smoke that involuntarily entered their home from other areas in their building. The 2006 Surgeon General's Report concluded that secondhand smoke indisputably increases the risk of serious respiratory problems and infections in children, and causes lung cancer and coronary heart disease in adults who do not smoke. In the last five years the adult smoking rate in Arizona has gone from 19 to 14 percent. The work being done in our state, along...Rethinking nicotine and its effects…
Nicotine removed from tobacco smoke is not as harmful as was once thought, a recent Truth Initiative white paper reminds us. Nicotine by itself does not cause cancer. While it may contribute to heart disease and other health problems, nicotine is certainly much less harmful than tobacco smoke. In fact, nicotine can actually provide some benefits, such as improving attention and memory.
“We need to rethink nicotine and its effects,” said Raymond Niaura, director of Science and Training at Truth Initiative’s Schroeder Institute, and author of the article. “Although nicotine is addictive, its impact varies greatly depending on the product.” The most addictive form of nicotine is inhaled in tobacco smoke. In contrast, nicotine replacement therapies that help smokers quit, such as nicotine gum and the patch, do not pose a significant risk of abuse. New nicotine products—such as electronic cigarettes—likely fall somewhere in the middle, Niaura explains.
Given the devastating health consequences of smoking, Niaura argues policymakers should continue to encourage youth to abstain from tobacco and nicotine. At the same time, they should encourage adult smokers who cannot or will not quit tobacco to move to less harmful products. He notes that the FDA has found Swedish snus smokeless tobacco to be less harmful than other tobacco products. Early studies suggest electronic cigarettes also have fewer toxic effects than traditional cigarettes.
