VERY important! According to the National Cancer Institute, tobacco use, particularly cigarette smoking, is the single most preventable cause of death in the U.S. Cigarette smoking is directly responsible for approximately 30% of all cancer deaths and 87% of all lung cancer deaths! In fact, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in both men and women.

   Smoking is an equal opportunity killer! 

WHAT HARMFUL CHEMICALS ARE FOUND IN CIGARETTE SMOKE?

   According to the CDC, cigarette smoke contains about 4,000 chemical agents, including over 60 carcinogens. Nicotine is a drug which is naturally present in the tobacco plant and is responsible for the addiction to tobacco products. In fact, nicotine is similar to heroin and cocaine in terms of its addiction potential!

ARE THERE ANY HEALTH RISKS FOR NON-SMOKERS?

   Secondhand smoke is responsible for an estimated 3,000 lung cancer deaths among U.S. non-smokers yearly. Exposure to secondhand smoke, or environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), significantly increases the risk of lung  cancer and heart disease in non-smokers as well as respiratory illnesses in young children. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and World Health Organization (WHO) have classified second hand smoke as a known human carcinogen!

WHAT IS MY RISK FOR DEVELOPING A SMOKING-RELATED DISEASE?

   Your individual risk increases with your total lifetime exposure to cigarette smoke. This includes the number of cigarettes a person smokes each day, the “intensity” of smoking, the age at which you started smoking, the number of years smoking and your second hand smoke exposure. Cervical cancer rates are higher in smokers than in non-smokers. In fact, nicotine can be isolated from the cervix of smokers!

WHAT EFFECT DOES SMOKING HAVE ON WOMEN WHO ARE TAKING BIRTH CONTROL PILLS?

   The use of birth control pills is associated with an increased risk of thrombo-embolism events such as strokes and heart attacks. Heavy cigarette smoking (over 15 cigarettes/day) further increases the risk of these adverse events. The risk is higher as women age, being quite marked in women over age 35 who smoke and take birth control pills.

WOMEN WHO USE ORAL CONTRACEPTIVES SHOULD NOT SMOKE! 

HOW CAN I STOP SMOKING?

   There are numerous products and strategies available to help people who want to quit smoking. Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) may be used to help reduce nicotine withdrawal symptoms. Zyban was approved by the FDA in 1997 as the first non-nicotine pharmacotherapy to aid smokers. Zyban relieves cravings and nicotine withdrawal symptoms.

    For those of you who are thinking about quitting smoking and want to learn more about smoking cessation options and your health risk factors, please call for an appointment with one of our medical providers to talk about  your concerns at  (760) 750-4915.