Know the Facts: How Cigarette Smoking Affects Your Health

“More deaths are caused each year by tobacco use than by all deaths from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), illegal drug use, alcohol use, motor vehicle injuries, suicides, and murders combined.” (Center For Disease Control)

Cigarette smoking kills, plain and simple. We all know that smoking has an impact on our health, but the damage is done so insidiously that it is easy to ignore the long term consequences. But when facts like the one stated above by the CDC come out, we have no choice but to acknowledge how detrimental cigarettes can be. Sometime just knowing the facts can be enough to motivate yourself to quit. Here are some facts as reported by the government’s national health data:

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  • The adverse health effects from cigarette smoking account for an estimated 443,000 deaths, or nearly one of every five deaths, each year in the United States
  • About 8.6 million people in the U.S. have at least one serious illness caused by smoking. That means that for every person who dies of a smoking-related disease, there are 20 more people who suffer from at least one serious illness associated with smoking
  • Smoking causes an estimated 90% of all lung cancer deaths in men and 80% of all lung cancer deaths in women
  • Smoking causes coronary heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States
  • Smoking increases the risk of: infertility, preterm delivery, stillbirth, low birth weight, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
  • Cigarette smoke contains over 4,800 chemicals, 69 of which are known to cause cancer
  • Smoking is known to cause these cancers:  acute myeloid leukemia, bladder cancer, cancer of the cervix, cancer of the esophagus, kidney cancer, cancer of the larynx (voice box), lung cancer, cancer of the oral cavity (mouth), cancreatic cancer, cancer of the pharynx (throat), stomach cancer
  • Smokers die significantly earlier than nonsmokers: 13.2 years for men and 14.5 years for women
  • Nicotine is an addictive drug, which when inhaled in cigarette smoke reaches the brain faster than drugs that enter the body intravenously

When looking at the facts, it is hard to rationalize cigarette smoking. While many continue to smoke for their own pleasure, it is likely that there will be long term health consequences. Quitting smoking is not easy, but knowing how cigarette smoking affects your body can help you to take steps toward giving up cigarettes for good.

Quit Smoking Dallas offers a free smoking cessation program to help those in need. If you or someone you know is seeking assistance in smoking cessation, please fill out a prescreen to see if Quit Smoking Dallas can help you. A research study being conducted at Southern Methodist University is helping locals live a smoke-free lifestyle by providing free interventions such as a nicotine patches and therapy. For more information call  214-768-7848  or visit QuitSmokingDallas.com.

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Is smoking keeping you from having a Valentine?

        Valentine’s day is a day dedicated to spending time with your loved one, yet many people spend it alone, and smokers may be spending Valentines days alone than non-smokers. Those seeking a mate often look for others with similarities in behaviors and interests. A large number of non-smokers value non-smoking behavior and seek a romantic partner that also does not smoke.

        According to the Center for Disease control, as of 2010, only 19% of adult Americans smoke cigarettes. If we assume that the other 81% of adult Americans who do not smoke, prefer a non-smoking partner, that leaves smokers with just 19% of the population to find a mate from. Finding a life partner can be difficult enough, yet smokers are possibly limiting themselves to a mere 1/5th of the population to find a prospective partner. According to an article by Marina Adshade, economists are calling this dating market as ‘thin’, the economists state that as a result, “it will be harder for them to find a partner who has all the qualities that they hoped for in a mate simply because they are searching within a smaller pool of singles than are non-smokers”. The article also explains that partners found by smokers often fall short of expectations of their ideal mate, something that is less likely to happen with a larger market (a.k.a. the non-smoking market).

        To further narrow the dating market of smokers, smokers looking for a college educated partner will have an even tougher time finding a suitable date. Those with a college degree are much less likely to smoke than the average American. About 10.5% of men and 8% of women with a college degree smoke cigarettes. Again, assuming that all non-smokers seek non-smokers, the population left to date from for college educated men and women is vastly reduced, and their chances of finding a life-long partner significantly decreased.

            For this post, we have assumed that all non-smokers pair with non-smokers and thus, smokers are left to pair with smokers, and while this isn’t a fact, it generally holds true. Marriage data suggests that we tend to marry someone who has similar smoking habits to ourselves. A study from Colombia University found that “92% of non-smoking men and 86% of non-smoking women were married to women/men who also did not smoke”.

            So if you smoke and have had a rough time finding a partner, maybe smoking is in fact the reason why. If you currently smoke cigarettes, would like to quit smoking for free, and live in the Dallas area, fill out an online screen to see if you are eligible to participate in a study conducted by Southern Methodist University. If you would like to know more about the study visit QuitSmokingDallas.com or call 214-768-7848.

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Quitting Smoking As a New Years Resolution

It’s a new year and a new you, right? Will this be the year you stick to that looming new years resolution, or will your new goal be swept by the wayside, along with the other 92% of Americans who fail to achieve their resolutions? This extremely large margin of failure may be due to the fact that new years resolutions are often unobtainable dreams rather than realistic goals, but failure can also be attributed to lack of motivation and dedication to making these resolutions a reality.

The truth is, most new years resolutions at their core, revolve around a complete lifestyle change. If we look at the top 10 new years resolutions of 2012, as reported by the University of Scranton, Journal of Clinical Psychology, the list is dominated by, you guessed it, losing weight. There is no doubt that America is a vastly obese nation, so it is not surprising when studies show losing weight is a highly popular resolution. The only trouble in this equation is that thinking a new years resolution will work is about as efficient as the wish of a birthday candle if you aren’t going to actually make a change in your life. Fact is, these resolutions aren’t being obtained because of the great measures required to put them in action. Many resolutions, like losing weight or quitting smoking, need external support from not only friends and family, but also demand costly items such as a gym membership or smoking cessation aids.

Quitting smoking is listed as the eighth most popular new years resolution of 2012 and once again, not surprising. Millions of smokers unsuccessfully attempt to quit smoking on their own each year and may see the new year as an opportunity for trying to quit. Much like the resolution of losing weight, quitting smoking requires a complete lifestyle and attitude change. A change that smokers often times find themselves not ready to make on their own. Quitting smoking is difficult, plain and simple, and if you are determined to keep your new years resolution of quitting smoking, it may be time to look for external help. At Quit Smoking Dallas we can provide you with the tools, information and support you need to make your resolution of staying smoke-free a reality. Contact Quit Smoking Dallas if you would like to know more about the completely free options we have for you. You can call us at 214-768-7848 or see visit QuitSmokingDallas.com.

 

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Will November 15, 2012 be your quit date?

The Great American Smokeout hosted by the American Cancer Society is aiming to help millions quit smoking on November 15th of this year in an effort to create more birthdays. It is a known fact that smoking is detrimental to your health and is proven to cause all kinds of cancer. The American Cancer Society wants to see less people smoking and more people living a healthy life style; that is why they created the event, the Great American Smokeout.

The Great American Smokeout was first held in 1976, and this year will mark it’s 37th anniversary. Every November 15th the American Cancer Society asks all smokers to be smoke-free for one day, and take a step in the direction of quitting for good. The American Cancer Society also provides resources such as over-the-phone coaching sessions through thier toll-free line or information and support on their website, which can be found here. On their website they have tools to help enlighten smokers on how cigarettes are not only harming them physically but financially. The Great American Smokeout focuses on the collective effort to quit smoking, because it is often easier for people to quit in groups where they can support eachother. External support from family and friends is also greatly beneficial for anyone who wishes to quit smoking.

Tobacco use in the United States is considered the most preventable cause of disease and premature death. The American Cancer Society states that cigarette smoking is responsible for about 443,000 premature deaths each year, or one in five of all deaths. About 80 percent of all lung-cancer deaths, as well as 30 percent of cancer deaths, are caused by cigarette smoking. Check out the compelling infographic provided by the American Cancer Society to see the costs of smoking to society and individuals.

 If you or someone you love smokes and you would like to provide them with a free resource center and smoking cessation program, please contact Southern Methodist University’s smoking cessation program for help today. If you have any further questions or would like to know more about the study please visit QuitSmokingDallas.com or call 214-768-7848.

 

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Do You Really Know What Is In Your Cigarette?

Nicotine is just one of over 4,000 chemicals that can be found in a cigarette. Many of these chemicals are toxic to human health, and would never be consumed if it weren’t for cigarettes. At least 50 of the chemicals in cigarettes directly contribute to the development of all types of cancers had by smokers. These chemicals are so toxic they are often used for other abrasive purposes such as poisons, fuels, embalming corpses, and even in batteries. To give you an idea of how dangerous these ingredients can be, here is a list, published by the American Lung Association, of the most shocking and things found in cigarettes and the purposes they can serve:

  • Acetone – found in nail polish remover
  • Acetic Acid –  an ingredient in hair dye
  • Ammonia – a common household cleaner
  • Arsenic – used in rat poison
  • Benzene – found in rubber cement
  • Butane – used in lighter fluid
  • Cadmium – active component in battery acid
  • Carbon Monoxide – released in car exhaust fumes
  • Formaldehyde – embalming fluid
  • Hexamine – found in barbecue lighter fluid
  • Lead – used in batteries
  • Napthalene – an ingredient in moth balls
  • Methanol – a main component in rocket fuel
  • Nicotine – used as insecticide
  • Tar – material for paving roads
  • Toluene – used to manufacture paint

The truth is that according to the American Lung Association there are only 600 ingredients in a cigarette initially, yet when burned these ingredients compound to create more than 4,000 chemicals. If you would like to see an entire list of the 600 additives in cigarettes, click here, you may be surprised to see how many ingredients you’ve never even heard of are added. If this list alone isn’t enough to encourage you to quit smoking, contact Southern Methodist University’s free smoking cessation program to see if they can help you and provide you with the tools to living a smoke-free lifestyle. Call them at 214-768-3354 or fill out an online pre-screen to see if you are eligible to participate.

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Happy Stoptober! Will you take the challenge?

October is nearly upon us and there are many exciting things to look forward to, such as Halloween, cooler temperatures, and Stoptober! Stoptober campaigns to help smokers take the steps towards quitting for good. For the first twenty-eight days of October, the Stoptober campaign will be encouraging Britain’s 8 million smokers to quit by sending motivational daily support through texting and apps on cellular devices, guiding them through the 28 day process. Stoptober may be an effort aimed at aiding the UK’s smoking population, but that is no reason that Americans cannot participate! Taking part in Stoptober is as simple as quitting smoking for a simple 28 days.

The reason Stoptober is so adamant about the 28 day rule, rather than using the entire 31 days October has to offer, is that research shows that “those who stop smoking for 28 days are five times more likely to stay smoke-free”. Twenty-eight days to a healthier lifestyle. Stoptober also has is benefits through the social aspect. Quitting is hard, and even harder to do alone. Stoptober creates a mass effort from the people to support eachother reach a common end goal of living a smoke-free lifestyle. By working together, participants in Stoptober feel as if they each have an integral role in the success of the campaign, giving them more motivation to persevere and not smoke.

Check out Stoptober’s ad campaign here: http://youtu.be/koE2fJ4V41U .

Prepare for Stoptober by liking their Facebook page ”Stoptober” and by visiting their webpage, http://smokefree.nhs.uk/ .

October 1st.. are you going to participate in Stoptober?

If you wish to quit smoking and don’t think Stoptober is for you, or don’t know where to start, Southern Methodist University of Dallas may be able to help. SMU provides willing participants with free tools and smoking cessation therapy. If you would like to learn more about their program please complete on online screen to find out if you are eligible to participate or call 214-768-7848 for more information.

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Smoking Post-Stroke Increases Risk of Death Drastically

Smoking cigarettes has been linked to countless health complications affecting nearly every organ system in the body, yet millions continue to use tobacco products every day. It should come as no surprise that the risk for disease associated with cigarette smoking is exponentially greater with age. That is, the older a person is, they are more likely to suffer health problems, presumably because that person has had a longer life to consume a greater amount of cigarettes. Smoking is also known to cause strokes. Some lifetime smokers may continue to smoke even after they become aware of their own health problems, regardless of the fact that smoking is what caused those problems in the first place.

In fact, those who have previously suffered a stroke and continue to smoke have been found to triple their likelihood of death within a year. A study conducted by cardiologists at S. Filippo Neri Hospital in Rome, observed how quickly patients resumed smoking after suffering a stroke, finding that those who resumed smoking earlier suffered the most harm and increased their risk of death within a year. Professor Furio Colivicchi’s study monitored almost 1,000 patients who smoke and were hospitalized for a stroke. Those patients were then treated for their medical problems and counseled on smoking cessation. Every patient reported a motivation to discontinue smoking upon release from the hospital, yet within a year 53% of those patients were smoking again. Moreover, 9.6% or 89 patients actually died. Colivicchi reports that the sooner the patient resumed smoking after suffering their stroke, the more likely they were to die, especially those who resumed smoking within 10 days of leaving the hospital.

This study really grasps the concept of how difficult quitting smoking can be for some. Even after suffering a stroke, more than half of these patients continued to engage in the harmful activity that could have killed them. Smoking is an addiction that many need help to overcome. If you or someone you love smokes and you would like to provide them with a free resource center and smoking cessation program, please contact Southern Methodist University’s smoking cessation program for help today.

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Smoking and R-Rated Films

Is smoking enough to cause an R rating in movies?

According to a study by Dr. James D. Sargent, a cancer-prevention specialist and professor of pediatrics at Dartmouth Medical School, the amount of smoking in PG-13 movies greatly increases the likelihood that young teenagers will try smoking.  Sargent looked at the occurrence of smoking within movies and ranked it on the movie smoking exposure (MSE) scale. He found that within PG-13 movies the occurrence of smoking was nearly 3 times higher than that of R rated movies, but the relationship to smoking was relatively the same. This is because young teenagers who watch PG-13 films are more likely to mimic adults than the older teenagers who watch R rated films. “Adolescents are trying to figure out what they’re all about and what their identity is,” Sargent says. “They figure this out by watching their parents and their friends, and movie stars are like very high-profile peers. When they see people [smoking a cigarette], they think this might make them look cool. As they become more convinced there’s something in it for them, they become more likely to try it.

Sargent believes that children who watch PG-13 movies are particularly impressionable by “cool” movie stars. In fact, the chance of a child trying smoking increased by 49%. Also, that PG-13 films have a more mature tone that adds to the lure of smoking.

Thankfully, PG or G rated movies that contain smoking do not have the same effect as PG-13 films. Children who watch a cartoon such as 101 Dalmatians will not be attracted to smoking because Cruella De Vil smokes, but they maybe more interested when the attractive movie star Brad Pitt lights up in Oceans Eleven.

Sargent found that if smoking were eliminated in PG-13 movies, with all other things remaining equal, the effect should result in an 18% decrease in childhood smoking.

If you would like to quit smoking and live in the Dallas area, please complete on online screen to find out if you are eligible to participate in a free-of-charge cessation study conducted by Southern Methodist University. If you have any further questions or would like to know more about the study please visit QuitSmokingDallas.com or call 214-768-7848.

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Second-hand Smoke and Diabetes

A new study shows that there may be even more health implications associated with second hand smoke including the development of type 2 Diabetes. Dr Theodore C Friedman, the chairman of the Department of Internal Medicine at Charles R Drew University in Los Angeles,  look at data from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between the years 2001 and 2006. This sample included 6,300 nationally representative participants who were classified as smokers, non-smokers and passive or second-hand smokers.

25% of the participants in the study were smokers, that is they identified themselves as smokers and had cotinine levels above 3 nanograms per milliliter. Continine is a chemical that is produced within the body after nicotine has been metabolized.

41% of participants were non-smokers. They did not identify themselves as smokers, and had cotinine levels lower than .05 nanograms per milliliter.

The remaining 34% were second-hand smokers. They did not identify themselves as smokers, but their cotinine levels were above .05 nanograms per milliliter.

Dr. Freeman found that when adjusting for other risk factors such as gender, age, alcohol consumption and exercise, people who had been exposed to second hand smoke were more likely to have the risk factors associated with the development of type 2 Diabetes. These include the hemoglobin A1C which is a measure of blood sugar control.

Current smokers had a lower BMI than the second hand smokers, but had a higher level of A1C. Even after controlling participants data for BMI, second hand smokers still had an increase in A1C. There is an association between second-hand smoke and obesity.

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Smoking and Skin Cancer

New studies show that skin cancer may be another health risk linked to smoking that puts especially women at risk.

Research has already found a link between smoking, lung cancer and heart disease, but now there may be another health risk that smokers expose themselves to every time they light up.

A meta analysis of 25 studies from 11 countries and four continents showed that current smokers increase their odds of developing non-melanoma skin cancers by 52%. Previous smokers have a higher risk than non-smokers, but not to the extreme of current smokers.

Non-melanoma skin cancers include basal cell carcinomas or squamous cell carcinomas. These non-melanoma cancers are the most common, yet not as deadly as melanoma. There has been no link to suggest that smoking has an effect on the development of melanoma skin cancer.

Another study from the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, FL found that woman with squamous cell carcinoma were nearly four times more likely to have been smokers for the past 20 years than the women who did not develop the cancer.

There was no significant increase for men, and researchers are not sure why. A possibility is that the hormone estrogen may impair the body’s ability to repair DNA in lung cells.

The study asked 383 patients with cancer and 315 cancer-free patients how often they smoked and for how many years. While they found a link between smoking and skin cancer, it is too soon to assume a causal effect of smoking on the development of skin cancer.

Smoking increases chances for many health risks. If you smoke and are looking for a free cessation program, Southern Methodist University of Dallas, Texas may have a solution for you. Their program provides several quit therapies free of charge. If you would like to know if you are eligible, simply fill out an online prescreen at QuitSmokingDallas.com or call 214-787-7848.

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