Chapter 20

Tobacco

Lesson 1

The Health Risks of Tobacco Use

Health Risks of Tobacco Use

What’s the truth about tobacco? All tobacco products display warning labels stating that using tobacco products can be harmful to an individual’s health.

Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death and disability in the United States.

Forms of tobacco: smoking, chewing or dipping Smoking is linked to lung disease, cancers and

heart disease. 90% of adult smokers began in their teens

Nicotine

Addictive Drug: substance that causes physiological or psychological dependence.

All tobacco products contain nicotine-addictive drug found in tobacco leaves.

Nicotine is a stimulant- drug that increases the action of the central nervous system, the heart and other organs.

Using nicotine raises blood pressure and increases heart rate.

Poisonous Substances in Tobacco Smoke

Tobacco is addictive and is toxic Tobacco is a carcinogen-cancer-

causing substance Tobacco smoke contains tar and

carbon monoxide, and also contains the same poisonous compounds found in products such as paint, rat poison and toilet cleaner.

Tar

Thick, sticky, dark fluid produced when tobacco burns

Damages a smoker’s respiratory system by paralyzing and destroying cilia, the tiny hairlike structures that line the upper airways and protect the body against infection.

Destroys the alveoli-air like sacs which absorb oxygen and rid the body of carbon dioxide.

Lung tissue is damaged Smokers are more susceptible to diseases like

bronchitis, pneumonia, emphysema, heart disease and cancer.

87% of cancer deaths are from smoking

Carbon Monoxide

Colorless, odorless, and poisonous gas. Found in cigarette smoke and absorbed

more easily then oxygen. Deprives the body’s tissues and cells of

oxygen Increases risk of high blood pressure,

heart disease and hardening of the arteries and other circulatory problems

Pipes, Cigars, and Smokeless Tobacco

Smoke from pipes and cigars also cause serious health consequences

Cigars contain significantly more nicotine and produce more tar and carbon monoxide then cigarettes.

One cigar contains as much nicotine as 20 cigarettes.

Pipe and cigar smokers increase risk of developing cancers of the lips, mouth, throat, larynx, lungs and esophagus.

Pipes, Cigars and Smokeless Tobacco

Smokeless Tobacco-tobacco that is sniffed through the nose, held in the mouth or chewed.

A.K.A. Spitting Tobacco The nicotine and carcinogens in these products

are absorbed into the blood through the mucous membranes in the mouth or digestive track.

Harmful chemicals of smokeless tobacco are absorbed into the body at levels up to 3x the amount of one cigarette.

Exposure is 3x longer then a cigarette Irritates the sensitive tissues of the mouth

causing leukoplakia- thickened, white, leather-looking spots on the inside of the mouth that can develop oral cancer.

Pipes, Cigars, and Smokeless Tobacco

Smokeless tobacco causes cancers of the mouth, throat, larynx, esophagus, stomach and pancreas.

Chewing 8-10 plugs of tobacco a day is about the same as 2 packs of cigarettes.

Harmful effects of Tobacco Use

Short-Term Effects: Brain chemistry changes Respiration and heart rate increase Taste buds are dulled and appetite is

reduced Users have bad breath, yellowed teeth,

and smelly hair, skin and clothes

Long-Term Effects

Chronic bronchitis Emphysema Lung cancer Coronary heart disease and stroke A weakened immune system

Other Consequence

Costs to Society Cost to Individuals Legal consequences