SMOKING
by Mark Briskie from the HR Department of the UCLA
Medical Center
None of the habits that
can damage the health of human beings has been as clearly
documented, or as widely publicized, as smoking.
- Smoking promotes
heart disease and cancer
- Smoking is the major
cause of premature, preventable deaths in the
United States
- Smoking can make you
sick if you are health, and make it harder to
recover if you do get sick.
The Harmful
Elements in Smoke
- CARBON
MONOXIDE - Is the most dangerous gas in
smoke. When inhaled, it passes into the
bloodstream where it interferes with the ability
of red blood cells to transport oxygen. It may
account for the breathlessness of some smokers.
- TARS
- Microscopic particles that form sticky,
resin-like substances in the lungs. Tars impair
the function of the respiratory system. Some of
the chemicals in the tars are carcinogenic, that
is, they produce cancer in tissues which they
come in contact with.
- NICOTINE
- This is the most insidious element on tobacco.
It is a powerful, central nervous system
stimulant that is highly addictive. Nicotine
directly affects blood pressure, heart rate, skin
temperature. hormone production, muscle tension,
and pain sensitivity.
The Damage To Your
Health
- CANCER - The
deadliest risks from smoking are cancer of the
lungs, throat, and mouth. Pack-a-day smokers are
fourteen times more likely to die from these
cancers than nonsmokers. Lung cancer is largely a
disease of smokers. Because lung cancer is
difficult to detect until it reaches An advanced
stage, over 90 percent of the cases are fatal.
- HEART DISEASE -
Smoking is a major risk factor in heart attacks.
Smoking damages the lining of the arteries (which
is thought to encourage the formation of arterial
plaque). It also increases the stickiness of
blood platelets, making a clot in the narrowed
arteries more likely. In addition, nicotine makes
the heart beat faster, which requires more
oxygen, yet the carbon monoxide in smoke cuts
down on the amount of oxygen the blood can carry.
Smoking also raises blood pressure temporarily,
and it may constrict coronary arteries as well,
which makes them less able to supply oxygen to
the heart when increased physical efforts demands
it.
- RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS
- The tars in tobacco smoke gradually impair the
cilia, the tine hairs in lungs and airways that
sweep mucus and foreign particles toward the
throat for clearing. Heavy smoking will
eventually destroy the cilia, making the smoker
more susceptible to colds, chronic bronchitis,
and other respiratory infections. Smoking is also
the leading cause of emphysema, a condition that
damages air sacs in the lungs and gradually
destroys the lungs' elasticity, causing labored
breathing and chronic shortness of breath.
How To Stay An
Ex-Smoker
- One of the myths
about smoking is that quitting is mainly a matter
of willpower.
- Quitting is a dynamic
process, not a discrete event. If smoking is
central to your life (and for most smokers it
is), you have to do more than just quit.
- Plan new activities
and ways to relax that do not depend on nicotine.
- Be prepared for rough
times. The first three months are the most
difficult. Don't fool yourself into having
"just one". It is not worth the risk.
If you are tempted, remind yourself how hard it
was to quit.
- Don't be fooled into
thinking you can become an "occasional"
smoker.
- Don't be alarmed or
ashamed if you begin smoking again. If you do,
quit again
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