This document discusses the health effects of smoking. It covers why people smoke due to nicotine addiction and social influences. The key components of cigarette smoke - nicotine, tar, and carbon monoxide - are explained and their negative health impacts like cancer, heart disease, and lung damage. The document also discusses how to quit smoking through behavior modification and nicotine replacement therapies. It concludes by noting declining public acceptance of smoking through increased regulations.

1. James M. Eddy
Texas A&M University
The Health Effects
of Smoking

2. Introduction
• Substance Abuse includes tobacco and
alcohol as well as illicit drugs.
• Sidestream smoke (from end of
cigarette) causes cancer and heart
disease.
• Nicotine in tobacco and ethyl alcohol in
alcohol are addictive drugs.

3. Why People Smoke
• Addiction to Nicotine
• Nicotine addiction: the state of being physically
and emotionally dependent on nicotine.
• Withdrawal symptoms are experienced when
trying to quit after being addicted.
• Tolerance: increased doses are needed to
achieve desired effects.
• Dependence: when a person cannot live
comfortably without a drug.

4. Why People Smoke
• Addiction to Nicotine
• Primary characteristics of tobacco, alcohol,
and drug addiction:
• The individual displays a highly controlled or
compulsive pattern of use.
• The individual experiences psychoactive or mood-
altering effects from use.
• The individual finds that use leads to further use.

5. Why People Smoke
• Influence from Family, Peers, and
Advertising
• Children of smoking parents are more likely
to smoke than children of nonsmoking
parents.
• Smoking teenagers are more likely to have
friends who smoke than nonsmoking
teenagers.
• Teenagers are twice as likely to be influenced
by cigarette advertisements as by peer
pressure.

6. The Components of Cigarette Smoke
• Nicotine
• Constricts blood vessels.
• When smokers inhale, 90% of the nicotine is
absorbed in the bloodstream.
• Quick acting.

7. The Components of Cigarette Smoke
• Tar
• Tar is the gummy mixture left over from
burning tobacco.
• Tar includes over 200 chemicals and is the
most carcinogenic agent in cigarettes.
• Affect on the respiratory system.

8. The Components of Cigarette Smoke
• Carbon Monoxide
• Carbon monoxide is the most hazardous of
the many gaseous compounds in cigarette
smoke.
• Carbon monoxide is the same gas emitted
from car exhaust.
• It causes smokers to get out of breath when
exercising because it affects the blood’s ability
to carry oxygen.

9. Why Smoking Is Dangerous to Your Health
• Links to Cancer
• Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of
cancer deaths in the U.S.
• After 20 years of not smoking, a former
smoker’s risk of dying of lung cancer is almost
equal to that of someone who has never
smoked.
• Increases risk of cancer of the mouth, larynx,
esophagus, kidney, bladder, pancreas, stomach
and cervix

10. Why Smoking Is Dangerous to Your Health
• Heart Disease and Stroke
• Increased blood pressure.
• Increased heart rate.
• 20% of all coronary heart disease deaths is
attributable to smoking.

11. Why Smoking Is Dangerous to Your Health
• Lung Damage
• Emphysema: a disease that results in the loss of
surface area in the lung.
• Chronic bronchitis is an inflammation of the
bronchial tubes due to irritation, e.g. smoking.

12. Why Smoking Is Dangerous to Your Health
• Complications During Pregnancy
• Smoking causes serious harm to a growing
fetus.
• Carbon monoxide crossing the placenta slows
fetal growth
• Slow growth increases risk of problems such as
stillbirth, etc.

13. Why Smoking Is Dangerous to Your Health
• Other Health Effects of Smoking
• Smoking is associated with increased upper
respiratory infections, such as colds.
• Smoking contributes to allergy symptoms, such
as coughing and sneezing.
• Smoking reduces the effects of medications.
• Smoking damages cells and tissues which delays
healing.
• Smoking wrinkles the skin.

14. Noncigarette Exposure to Tobacco
• Passive Smoking
• Passive smoking: inhaling environmental
tobacco smoke.
• Young children are especially affected by
sidestream smoke.
• Environmental tobacco smoke.

15. Noncigarette Exposure to Tobacco
• Cigar and Pipe Smoking
• Greater risk for cancer of mouth, lip, and
tongue than cigarette smokers
• Lower risk of lung cancer than cigarette
smokers

16. Noncigarette Exposure to Tobacco
• Smokeless Tobacco
• Smokeless tobacco (chewing tobacco or snuff)
increases the risk of oral cancer.
• Leukoplakia is white patches on the oral mucosa
that can become cancerous.
• Inter-individual differences.

17. Kicking the Habit: How to Stop
• Cessation Approaches
• Behavior modification: learning to change
smoking behavior patterns.
• Smoking-cessation is another term for
breaking a smoking habit.
• Nicotine replacement is getting nicotine
through means other than tobacco.
• Nicotine gum
• Transdermal nicotine patch
• Nasal spray

18. The Changing Climate of Public
Acceptance of Tobacco Use
• Smoking has been banned in many areas
where people congregate, e.g. restaurants.
• Numerous lawsuits against tobacco
companies by states and individuals
• It is against the law in all states to sell or
distribute tobacco products to minors.