Smoking Cessation

Cigarette smoking/nicotine dependence is the most preventable cause of disease states and death.

• 417, 000 DEATHS each year due to cigarette smoking
• 35% related to cancer of the respiratory tract
• 50% related to cardiovascular disease
• 1/5 DEATHS related to heart disease
• 50,000 related to environmental tobacco smoke

Effects of Cigarette Smoking:

• Increased heart rate
• Increased blood pressure
• Increased risk for clot formation
• Increased damage to cells that line blood vessels

Environmemtal Tobacco Smoke:

• also known as passive smoke or second hand smoke
• contains >4,000 chemicals
• contains at least 40 known carcinogens
• risk of death is 30% greater in those exposed to smoke at home or at work
• causes 10 times as many cardiovascular deaths as lung cancer deaths
• children have more respiratory infections
• pregnant women have low birth weight babies

Low Tar / Low Nicotine:

• no evidence that it decreases risk of heart disease
• people usually smoke more cigarettes and inhale deeper due to the nicotine dependence

States Associated with Smoking:

ATHEROSCLEROSIS

• describes deposits of fat in the inner walls of arteries which causes narrowing of the vessel
• occurs more often in smokers than nonsmokers
• smokers who also have high cholesterol have significantly increased risk than either alone
• smokers more likely to have lower levels of good cholesterol "HDL"and higher levels of bad cholesterol "LDL"

ANGINA PECTORIS

• describes a lack of oxygen to heart muscle with exertion
• results in increased heart rate which means increased oxygen requirements

MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION/HEART ATTACK

• describes death of heart muscle
• the more cigarettes smoked the greater the risk of heart attack
• smokers with myocardial infarction have a decreased rate of survival

PERIPHERAL VASCULAR DISEASE

• describes a narrowing of blood vessels that carry blood to leg and arm muscles
• blockage of these vessels can result in damage or loss of the leg and/or arm
• surgical intervention more likely to be unsuccessful in smokers

CHRONIC LUNG DISEASE

• chronic bronchitis
• emphysema

Steps to Smoking Cessation: