What's in a Cigarette?
What's in a Cigarette?
Cigarette smoke contains over 4,000 different chemical compounds. Many of these are toxic, and at least 43 are known carcinogens (cancer-causing agents). Tobacco
* Nicotine is the active drug in tobacco smoke - it is the chemical that causes addiction. In combination with carbon monoxide, nicotine is also responsible for reducing blood flow to your feet and hands, causing peripheral vascular disease which over time may lead to the need for amputation.
* Carbon Monoxide, the same chemical found in car exhaust, causes damage to the lungs. It increases stress on the heart by depriving the body of oxygen.
* Tar is made up of a number of chemicals, including several carcinogens (cancer-causing agents).
The Health Effects of Tobacco Smoke
The chemicals in cigarette smoke can increase your risk of developing a number of diseases, including cancer. In Australia, around 19,000 smokers die each year from diseases caused by their smoking. One in two smokers will die of a smoking related disease.
Lung cancer in a smoker
Some of the health risks of cigarette smoking include:
* Lung cancer: tobacco smoke is the largest single cause of lung cancer. Tobacco smoking is responsible for 90% of lung cancers in Australian males and 65% of lung cancers in Australian women.
* Other cancers: tobacco smoke is known to increase the risk of developing cancers of the lips, mouth, tongue, throat, voicebox, oesophagus (gullet), bladder, pancreas, liver, cervix, vulva, penis and anus. Cigarette smoking has also been linked to cancers of the stomach, kidney and some leukaemias (cancers of the blood).
* Other lung diseases, including emphysema and pneumonia
* Coronary heart disease
* Peripheral vascular disease (diseases of the arteries and veins of the limbs)
* Male impotence, reduced fertility
* In women: premature menopause, irregular or painful periods
* Effects on the bones and joints: osteoporosis, arthritis
* Effects on the eyes: macular degeneration
* Effects on the skin: wrinkles, signs of ageing, wound infections, hair loss
In addition to these personal health effects, cigarette smoking is a health risk to others around you.
* Women who smoke during pregnancy have an increased risk of miscarriage, premature birth, and of delivering a low birthweight baby
* Children who are exposed to tobacco smoke have increased risk of respiratory infections, middle ear infections, meningococcal infection, asthma attacks, and SIDS (cot death)
* Adults exposed to environmental tobacco smoke are at increased risk of developing lung cancer and heart disease.
However, despite numerous public health campaigns, tobacco smoking remains a significant problem in Australia: one in five Australians aged 14 or over smoke on a daily or weekly basis.
The Benefits of Quitting
Many people who smoke are not aware of how quickly these adverse health effects of smoking can be reversed if they quit. In fact, it can take only days to notice a positive difference.
* 5 days after quitting: you may notice an improvement in taste and smell
* 6 weeks after quitting: the increased risk of post-surgical wound infection due to smoking is dramatically reduced
* 2 months after quitting: blood flow to your hands and feet improves
* 3 months after quitting: lung function and exercise tolerance begin to improve as the lungs recover
* 12 months after quitting: the increased risk of heart disease associated with smoking is reduced by half
* 10 years after quitting: the increased risk of lung cancer associated with smoking is less than half of that of someone who has continued to smoke
* 15 years after quitting: the overall rate of death from all causes becomes the same for ex-smokers and people who have never smoked.
For women who are planning a pregnancy, quitting smoking before becoming pregnant or during the first few months of pregnancy means there is no extra risk of having a low birthweight baby compared to a non-smoker.
Other good reasons to quit smoking
Cigarette smoking affects more than just your health and the health of those around you. The financial impact can be huge: a pack-a-day smoker may spend as much as $2500 per year on cigarettes. Smoking also makes it more difficult to get fit, and reduces the benefits of exercise.
Quitting smoking is a truly positive step to take. Accepting the challenge to quit, and succeeding, will give you a boost in confidence which can carry over to all areas of your life.
Simple Strategies to Help You Quit
There are many resources available to help you quit.
Planning to quit and getting ready to quit is the first step.
* Your doctor or health practitioner can be very helpful. They will be able to help you get in touch with organisations that can support you, such as Quitline, and give you advice about quitting products such as nicotine gums and patches.
* Before you quit, think about and write down your reasons for quitting. This can help you keep focussed. Think about where, when and why you currently smoke, and make plans to deal with these situations in the future.
* It may also help to quit with someone else - a friend, partner, or someone you work with can help keep you on track.
* Set a 'quit date' for two weeks in the future, and stick to it. This allows you some time to plan strategies for quitting, and get any help and advice you might need.
Some people quit 'cold turkey' - that is, stopping all cigarettes suddenly. Others prefer to reduce their cigarette use over a two-week period before stopping completely. Many smokers find that using nicotine replacement therapies or drugs such as buproprion (see below) very helpful in reducing withdrawal symptoms.
Nicotine Replacement Therapies (NRT)
Nicotine replacement therapies, such as nicotine gums, patches or inhalers, help to control the withdrawal symptoms associated with quitting while avoiding the harmful effects of tobacco smoke. They are usually recommended for use for an 8-week period after the 'quit date'.
Nicotine patches, gums and inhalers are all equally effective at assisting smokers to quit. Overall, people who quit using some kind of NRT are twice as likely to be successful at 5-12 months as those who use nothing.
The different types of nicotine replacement therapy each have advantages and disadvantages. Speak to your health practitioner about which is most appropriate for you.
Nicotine replacement therapies may not be appropriate for all people: patients who have recently had a heart attack, stroke, or who have unstable angina may not be able to use NRT. Speak to your health practitioner if you have any concerns.
Other drug therapies
Buproprion is a non-nicotine drug that works in the brain to reduce withdrawal symptoms associated with quitting smoking. Like nicotine replacement therapies, it doubles the rate of successful quit attempts at 6 months. Buproprion is only available on prescription and must be used with supervision.
Nortriptyline is an antidepressant drug which has been shown to help smokers quit. It has several side effects, including sedation and dizziness, which mean it is not the first-choice drug for smoking cessation.
For more information on tobacco, cancer, and quitting smoking, visit Quit.org.au:
This site is dedicated to helping individuals quit and stay off tobacco. It provides support not only for the person trying to quit but also for family and friends.
Smoking Cost Calculator
This information will be collected for educational purposes, however it will remain anonymous.
Reference
1. 'Department of Health and Ageing fact sheet: How smoking harms your health' [online]. Department of Health and Ageing. Available at URL: http://www.health.gov.au/internet/wcms/publishing.nsf/Content/health-pubhlth-strateg-drugs-tobacco-resources.htm (last accessed 1/4/07)
2. 'Guidelines for preventative activities in general practice (6th edition)' [online]. Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. 2005. Available at URL: http://www.racgp.org.au/Content/NavigationMenu/ClinicalResources/RACGP Guidelines/TheRedBook/2005Redbook_6th_ed.pdf (last accessed 1/4/07)
3. Ministerial Council on Drug Strategy. 'National Tobacco Strategy' [online]. Department of Health and Ageing. 2005. Available at URL: http://www.health.gov.au/internet/wcms/publishing.nsf/Content/phd-pub-tobacco-tobccstrat2-cnt.htm (last accessed 1/4/07)
4. QuitWA. 'TheQuitBook' [online]. Department of Health Western Australia. Available at URL: http://www.quitwa.com/QuitResources/QuitPublications/ (last accessed 1/4/07)
5. 'Smoking cessation guidelines for Australian general practice' [online]. Quitnow. 2004. Available at URL: http://www.quitnow.info.au/internet/quitnow/publishing.nsf/Content/health_ professionals-lp (last accessed: 1/4/07)
6. The Cancer Council Australia. 'Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Prevention, Diagnosis and Management of Lung Cancer' [online]. National Health and Medical Research Council. 2004. Available at URL: http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/publications (last accessed 1/4/07)
