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January 10th, 2011:

A Report of the Surgeon General: How Tobacco Smoke Causes Disease: The Biology and Behavioral Basis for Smoking-Attributable Disease

Last updated: January 10, 2011

Source: US Surgeon General

The Report

A Report of the Surgeon General: How Tobacco Smoke Causes Disease –

The Biology and Behavioral Basis for Smoking-Attributable Disease
Fact Sheet

This is the 30th tobacco-related Surgeon General’s report issued since 1964. It describes in detail the specific pathways by which tobacco smoke damages the human body. The scientific evidence supports the following conclusions:

There is no safe level of exposure to tobacco smoke. Any exposure to tobacco smoke – even an occasional cigarette or exposure to secondhand smoke – is harmful.

  • You don’t have to be a heavy smoker or a long-time smoker to get a smoking-related disease or have a heart attack or asthma attack that is triggered by tobacco smoke.
  • Low levels of smoke exposure, including exposures to secondhand tobacco smoke, lead to a rapid and sharp increase in dysfunction and inflammation of the lining of the blood vessels, which are implicated in heart attacks and stroke.
  • Cigarette smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals and compounds. Hundreds are toxic and at least 69 cause cancer. Tobacco smoke itself is a known human carcinogen.
  • Chemicals in tobacco smoke interfere with the functioning of fallopian tubes, increasing risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes such as ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage, and low birth weight. They also damage the DNA in sperm which might reduce fertility and harm fetal development.

Damage from tobacco smoke is immediate.

  • The chemicals in tobacco smoke reach your lungs quickly every time you inhale. Your blood then carries the toxicants to every organ in your body.
  • The chemicals and toxicants in tobacco smoke damage DNA, which can lead to cancer. Nearly one-third of all cancer deaths every year are directly linked to smoking. Smoking causes about 85% of lung cancers in the U.S.
  • Exposure to tobacco smoke quickly damages blood vessels throughout the body and makes blood more likely to clot. This damage can cause heart attacks, strokes, and even sudden death.
  • The chemicals in tobacco smoke inflame the delicate lining of the lungs and can cause permanent damage that reduces the ability of the lungs to exchange air efficiently and leads to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis.

Smoking longer means more damage.

  • Both the risk and the severity of many diseases caused by smoking are directly related to how long the smoker has smoked and the number of cigarettes smoked per day.
  • Chemicals in tobacco smoke cause inflammation and cell damage, and can weaken the immune system. The body makes white blood cells to respond to injuries, infections, and cancers. White blood cell counts stay high while smoking continues, meaning the body is constantly fighting against the damage caused by smoking which can lead to disease in almost any part of the body.
  • Smoking can cause cancer and weaken your body’s ability to fight cancer. With any cancer – even those not related to tobacco use – smoking can decrease the benefits of chemotherapy and other cancer treatments. Exposure to tobacco smoke can help tumors grow.
  • The chemicals in tobacco smoke complicate the regulation of blood sugar levels, exacerbating the health issues resulting from diabetes. Smokers with diabetes have a higher risk of heart and kidney disease, amputation, eye disease causing blindness, nerve damage and poor circulation.

Cigarettes are designed for addiction.

  • The design and contents of tobacco products make them more attractive and addictive than ever before. Cigarettes today deliver nicotine more quickly from the lungs to the heart and brain.
  • While nicotine is the key chemical compound that causes and sustains the powerful addicting effects of cigarettes, other ingredients and design features make them even more attractive and more addictive.
  • The powerful addicting elements of tobacco products affect multiple types of nicotine receptors in the brain.
  • Evidence suggests that psychosocial, biologic, and genetic factors may also play a role in nicotine addiction.
  • Adolescents’ bodies are more sensitive to nicotine, and adolescents are more easily addicted than adults. This helps explain why about 1,000 teenagers become daily smokers every day.

There is no safe cigarette.

  • The evidence indicates that changing cigarette designs over the last five decades, including filtered, low-tar, and “light” variations, have NOT reduced overall disease risk among smokers and may have hindered prevention and cessation efforts.
  • The overall health of the public could be harmed if the introduction of novel tobacco products encourages tobacco use among people who would otherwise be unlikely to use a tobacco product or delays cessation among persons who would otherwise quit using tobacco altogether.

The only proven strategy for reducing the risk of tobacco-related disease and death is to never smoke, and if you do smoke to quit.

  • Quitting at any age and at any time is beneficial. It’s never too late to quit, but the sooner the better.
  • Quitting gives your body a chance to heal the damage caused by smoking.
  • When smokers quit, the risk for a heart attack drops sharply after just 1 year; stroke risk can fall to about the same as a nonsmoker’s after 2-5 years; risks for cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, and bladder are cut in half after 5 years; and the risk for dying of lung cancer drops by half after 10 years.
  • Smokers often make several attempts before they are able to quit, but new strategies for cessation, including nicotine replacement and non-nicotine medications, can make it easier.
  • Talk to your doctor or call 1-800-QUIT-NOW and get started on a quit plan today.

Prizes provide incentive to quit smoking

Last updated: January 10, 2011

Source: The Record

Many people are determined to quit smoking as a New Year’s resolution. The chance to win big prizes may help people keep their resolve to kick the bad habit.

The Canadian Cancer Society launched its annual Driven to Quit Challenge today. Tobacco users who quit for the month of March can win prizes, including a new Honda CR-Z hybrid, Honda Insight hybrid, $5,000 vacation getaways and $2,000 MasterCard gift cards.

“We know that people are looking for incentives to quit smoking and this is a great time to do it,” said Monica Bennett, regional co-ordinator for the society’s Smokers’ Helpline.

Last year, 29,000 people registered — a record number for the annual challenge, now in its sixth year. About 130,000 people joined the challenge since its start. This year occasional smokers can enter, too.

“Occasional smokers can turn into daily smokers,” Bennett said.

One in five Ontario adults are tobacco users, including cigarettes, cigars and chew tobacco, according to a December survey. Half have tried unsuccessfully to quit.

Bennett encourages people to call the smokers’ helpline before March to get started on a plan.

“Nicotine is a very powerful substance, very addictive, and the withdrawal can be really difficult,” Bennett said. “You have to be prepared for what you’re going to do through those tough times.”

The Canadian Cancer Society’s smokers’ helpline is a free, confidential service providing personalized support, advice and information about quitting smoking by phone, online and text messaging. Call 1-877-513-5333 or go to www.smokershelpline.ca.

People can also chat online with other people trying to quit.

“It’s a very supportive, encouraging environment,” Bennett said.

And that goes a long way in helping people stay smoke-free. People registering for the challenge need to find a buddy to help them get through March without tobacco. Buddies can win a $200 gift card.

“We know support makes all the difference,” Bennett said.

More than half of Ontario adults have used tobacco products. On average, people try more than three times to quit.

“Everyone has to come up with what will work for them,” Bennett said.

Remembering four tips for quitting can help. Delay a cigarette, then often the craving passes. Distract yourself by doing something different, such as going for a walk. Take a deep breath. Some smokers only take a deep breath when they smoke, but deep breathing has great benefits. And drink water as a substitute.

National Non-Smoking Week is the third week in January.

Smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease and death. Yet many people still smoke.

“It is surprising,” said Donna Nicholson, a public health nurse in the region’s tobacco and cancer prevention program. “I guess that says something about how hard it is for smokers to quit.”

Region of Waterloo Public Health, which has a tobacco information line at 519-883-2279, partners with the Cancer Society in the Driven to Quit Challenge, along with other health units.

Smoking rates vary across Waterloo Region. Cambridge is at 24.4 per cent, Kitchener at 23, the townships at 17.8 and Waterloo is the lowest at 13.6 per cent. Smoking is highest among people age 20 to 44.

Canada’s smoking rate was 18 per cent among those 15 and older in 2009, down from 25 per cent in 1999, according to Statistics Canada.

Nicholson urges people to set a date to quit and stick to it.

Nicotine’s hold is strong, she said, but behaviour has a lot to do with smoking, too. People need to identify situations that trigger smoking and then try to avoid those or find another activity.

“Think about changing things up so you’re not so tempted,” Nicholson said.

And don’t be frustrated by failed attempts to quit. Each one does bring a person closer to being smoke-free.

“It does often take more than one try to quit smoking,” Nicholson said. “They have to be motivated to quit and work at it.”

For more details on the challenge or to register, go to www.driventoquit.ca. Registration is open until Feb. 28. Those registering in January can qualify to win a $1,000 gift card. People who have quit in the new year can also register. Winners will be announced in April.