Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Why Does Anybody Smoke?


With all of the well-established dangers and unpleasant side effects of smoking, some people may find it shocking that anybody starts or keeps smoking. Ernest Dichter from The Psychology of Everyday Living interviewed several hundred people and asked them why they liked to smoke cigarettes. Many people responded that smoking is simply fun; that it provides a good break during their day, a time to relax and get refreshed. Hundreds of people said that smoking is a reward system for them. Each time they accomplish something they tell themselves they deserve a cigarette as a reward. Soon this system of rewards becomes a conditioned response. One of the most significant reasons people smoke is that it provides oral pleasure. There is a powerful erotic sensitivity of the mouth region, and sucking on cigarettes stimulates this pleasure.

The online reference site Wise Geek provides more information on why people continue to smoke. Tobacco advertising can have a big effect on people's decision to smoke. For years, the industry has focused on making smoking glamorous through advertising in movies, television, and billboards. Now tobacco advertising is controlled by laws, but its effects can still be felt through free samples, coupons, and other media mechanisms. Another factor in continuing smoking is the social factor involved. Many people have friends and associates who smoke, so it is the natural thing for them to do as well.

People who smoke have many reasons for doing so, even though they are well-aware of the dangers they are exposing themselves to. The truth is that most people who smoke continue to do so because they simply can't quit. Smokers get a rush after a cigarette, and quitting smoking produces unpleasant side effects like withdrawal symptoms and trouble sleeping. About 70% of people who quit smoking will pick up the habit again. Smokers must be educated and offered effective treatment programs in order to effectively quit smoking.

The Chemicals in Cigarettes


Cigarette smoke contains about 4,000 different chemicals according to the Quit Smoking Campaign. 43 of these are carcinogens meaning they are known to cause cancer in humans. A decision to smoke is a decision to put yourself at incredibly increased risk for cancer. Here is just a small list of some of the chemicals you can find in cigarette smoke (and keep in mind that these same chemicals are found in secondhand smoke):

1. Formaldehyde: a clear, highly poisonous liquid that is used to preserve dead bodies. Formaldehyde is associated with cancer; respiratory, skin, and gastrointestinal problems.
2. Ammonia: commonly used as a household cleaner.
3. Acetone: an efficient solvent that is used in nail polish remover.
4. Carbon Monoxide: the deadly poison that is exuded by car exhaust pipes.
5. Benzene: a solvent that is obtained from coal and petroleum. Benzene has been extensively linked to leukemia.
6. Tar: the material used to make roads. About 70% of the tar found in cigarette smoke is directly deposited into the smoker's lungs.
7. Butane: A chemical found in cigarette lighter fluid.

It's plain to see that nobody would want these chemicals in their body in any amount. Yet, according to the American Cancer Society, almost 50 million people in the United States still smoke.

The Nicotine Patch




For many people, the nicotine patch is the first thing that comes to mind when it comes to quitting smoking. But how do these patches work, and are they effective? Nicotine patches have been available over-the-counter since 1996, and deliver nicotine, the addictive substance in cigarettes, through the skin and into the bloodstream. The nicotine is released at a steady, controlled rate, thereby reducing the effects of nicotine withdrawal. The patches are available in different doses, which are prescribed depending on how many cigarettes the smoker used every day. A regular cigarette delivers about 1 mg of nicotine, so the patches regularly come in 21, 14, and 7 mg doses. The goal is to slowly decrease dosage over a period of weeks. According to MedLine Plus, the nicotine patch is applied directly to the skin on a clean, hairless area like the upper chest, upper arm, or hip. The same patch is worn for 16-24 hours, depending on the brand and dosage.

A study by Hays, et. al followed a group of 958 people smokers. Half of the participants received the nicotine patch treatment, while the other half received a placebo patch. After 24 weeks, the authors of the study concluded that the nicotine patch is an effective and safe treatment for smoking cessation. However, research does show that successful quitting smoking is most likely to occur with the combination of the patch and another stop smoking program. The New York Times reported that individuals who use the nicotine patch are more than twice as likely to quit smoking for at least six months than those who don't use a patch. Luckily, this treatment is also affordable; on average it costs a user $20-$30 per week, a figure equal to or less than the money spent on cigarettes each week.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Secondhand Smoke


Secondhand smoke, also called passive or environmental tobacco smoke, consists of two categories:
1. Mainstream smoke: the smoke exhaled by a smoker.
2. Sidestream smoke: the smoke coming directly off the burning cigarette.
The Environmental Protection Agency has classified secondhand smoke as a Class A carcinogen, meaning it is a substance known to cause cancer in humans. It contains twice as much nicotine and tar as the smoke directly inhaled by smokers, and five times the amount of carbon monoxide.

According to the University of Minnesota's Division of Periodontology, between 70 and 90% of Americans, including children and adults, are regularly exposed to secondhand smoke. Only about 15% of the smoke generated by a cigarette is inhaled by the smoker. The other 85% of this smoke containing 40 carcinogens lingers in the air for everyone else to breathe. For every eight smokers who die from smoking, one innocent non-smoker also dies. Shockingly enough, if a person sits in the same room with someone smoking for about two hours, they will have inhaled the equivalent of four cigarettes.

These statistics are scary because nobody can avoid secondhand smoke altogether. Each time we walk by someone smoking or sit in the same room as them, we are inhaling cancer-causing chemicals. This should be yet another motivation for active smokers to quit: smoking is definitely not an individual decision. Your decision to smoke negatively affects everyone around you. As non-smokers, there are some things we can do to avoid the harmful effects of secondhand smoke:
  • Don't allow anyone to smoke inside your house. If they have to smoke, ask them to do it outside.
  • Avoid restaurants and other public places where people are allowed to smoke. Go to smoke-free places only.
  • If someone is smoking on the street, walk quickly past and don't linger near them.
  • In situations where sitting by a smoker is unavoidable, simply ask them politely to put out their cigarette or smoke elsewhere.