Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Want to Kick the Habit?





                According to the Center for Disease Control, tobacco dependence is the most common form of chemical addiction in the United States; naturally-occurring nicotine is fast-acting and may be as addictive as alcohol or heroine. Tobacco dependence is a serious, chronic condition, and quitting may involve several bouts with relapse and withdrawal, but it can and has been done.

                Though not as effective as never smoking in the first place, cessation has been shown to reduce a smoker’s risk of lung cancer to that of a non-smoker within fifteen years, not to mention the reduced risks of coronary heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, stroke and COPD. Therefore, the earlier one decides to quit, the higher the likelihood of a favorable outcome. Fortunately, nearly 70% of current American smokers report that they want to quit permanently, and 62.4% of Americans aged 18-24 stopped for more than 1 day in 2010 because of their intention to cease.



              Once the hurdle of deciding to quit has been passed, there are several routes one can take:

  • Habit breaking techniques
    • Put together a list of reasons why you want to quit and place it near where you keep your cigarettes as a reminder
    • Think about when and where you tend to smoke, and make plans to be somewhere else or with other people instead
    • Place the contents of your ashtray in a jar, dump in a few cups of water and leave the jar alone until you are hit with a craving. “It’s really disgusting; it’ll make you never want to see a cigarette again,” according to Dr. Coral Avon, a behavioral health specialist in Miami and former smoker
    • Reward yourself with small things such as a fancy dinner or visit to the spa when you overcome             a craving or at other, regular intervals of time
    • Gradually replace tobacco with less harmful habits, even electronic or water vapor cigarettes
    • Be your own devil’s advocate: dispute your irrational urges
  • Clinical support, where your physician takes time to offer advice and assistance
  • Group counseling, even with family and friends
  • Over-the-counter products such as nicotine patches/lozenges as well as prescription therapies including Chantix and Zyban have been proven effective


                All in all, those who commit themselves to quitting are likely to enjoy a reduced risk of disease or premature death, and although it is more effective in those who quit early, cessation is beneficial for smokers of all ages. Since 2002, former smokers in the United States have outnumbered current smokers; support is available, and breaking free of dependence is not out of reach.



               
http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/cessation/quitting/index.htm
http://www.stop-smoking-programs.org/quitting-smoking-facts.html  
http://www.webmd.com/smoking-cessation/quit-smoking-11/surviving-without-smoke?page=3

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

HKB Member Blog- Health Effects of Tobacco Use


Health Effects of Tobacco Use

There is an abundance of detrimental health effects of tobacco use.

Tobacco use currently leads to 20% of deaths in the US annually, or in other words, 443,000 deaths per year.

There are many cancers, associated with tobacco use, including cancer of the: bladder, cervix, esophagus, kidneys, larynx, oral cavity, pancreas, pharynx, stomach, and lungs.

Tobacco use is a cause of lung cancer and leads to approximately 80% of women’s lung cancer deaths and 90% of men’s lung cancer deaths. Women are 13 times more likely to obtain lung cancer if smoking tobacco, and men are 23 times more likely to do so.

Smoking also increases the risk of lung diseases such as emphysema, bronchitis, chronic airway obstruction and leads to one being 13 times more likely to die from chronic obstructive lung diseases.   

Tobacco use additionally harms ones cardiovascular health, for smoking is a cause of coronary heart disease, abdominal aortic aneurysm, and increases one’s risk of obtaining peripheral vascular disease.

Smoking is also attributed to infertility, and has adverse impact on young ones, including: preterm delivery, still birth, low birth weight, and sudden infant death syndrome, also known as SIDS.

It is evident that there is a dearth of health reasons why one should not smoke tobacco. Hopefully this will move people to not start the habit, and quit if they have! Remember, HKB is on your side!!


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Disclaimer

This blog is not meant to be a comprehensive alternative to the formal HKB Smoke-free Campus Policy Proposal. If you would like more information regarding data and research, or to request a copy of the formal proposal in its current state, please do not hesitate to contact HKB at HopkinsKicksButts@gmail.com. We are more than happy to supply you with any supporting documentation and further explainations.