What’s in a puff? A lot
Smoking your first cigarette can be a terrible experience – what with the burning in your throat, the bad taste in your mouth and the nausea in your gut. Still, it’s your last cigarette that may just represent the bigger challenge. However, there’s good news in the wake of that final smoke as your body begins to recover right away. 20 minutes after you quit, your heart rate will fall back to normal. By the time you spend five years or more smoke free, your risk of heart related problems simply falls off to the level of a non-smoker. So, whether you’re considering smoking, are a smoker or want to quit, this month’s column is for you. Prof.Shyam Fernando of the Faculty of Medicine in Colombo shares 7 things you need to know about cigarettes.
1: About 50% of people who smoke die from smoking related disease: Smoking is a fatal habit, and there’s no denying that. According to WHO estimates, 5.4 million premature deaths worldwide can be attributed to tobacco smoking. If current trends continue, 10 million smokers per year are anticipated to die by 2025. Smoking shaves years off your life – on average smokers die 8 years earlier than non-smokers. It’s also well known that smoking and cancer go hand in hand, with smoking tied to several types of cancer among them lung, bladder, and throat cancers, as well as breathing problems like emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Smoking can also contribute to heart and blood vessel problems, including heart attacks and strokes.
2:Over 5,000 chemicals, many of which are cancer-causing, go into your cigarette: Research has found that tobacco smoke is a toxic and carcinogenic mixture of more than 5,000 chemicals. While it’s addictive, nicotine itself may not cause cancer but the danger is there in the other ingredients that you inhale when you smoke. As your cigarette burns, the fumes released include carbon monoxide, tar, cyanide, benzene, and formaldehyde.
3:Inhaling smoke second-hand can be as bad as smoking yourself: Researchers have confirmed that second-hand smoking (also called involuntary or passive smoking) can kill. (Second hand smoking is the involuntary inhalation of cigarette smoke from smokers around you.) There’s no amount of exposure that is considered ‘safe’ as the more you breathe in, the more your health risks increase. Non-smokers increase their risk of developing lung cancer by 20% to 30% and heart disease by 25% to 30% when they are exposed to second-hand smoke.
4:Smoking can affect men and women differently:Smoking is dangerous regardless of whether you’re a man or a woman. Still women face risks that are unique to their sex. Female smokers are more at risk of developing cancers of the cervix and the uterus, while women who smoke and take birth control pills are advised against combining the two as it can lead to a markedly higher risk of stroke. Smoking affects men differently, and has been connected to fertility problems, low sperm counts as well as erectile dysfunction caused by damage to blood vessels – in fact smoking is the leading cause of male impotence, perhaps second only to diabetes. In both sexes, smoking accelerates the aging process and makes you look old prematurely.
5:Children are particularly vulnerable: Smoking during pregnancy affects your child’s health before, during, and after your baby is born. There is no ‘safe’ level of smoking when you’re pregnant. (In the context of second hand smoke, this applies to fathers too.) Each additional cigarette puts your child at risk as the poisons from the smoke you inhale go directly through your bloodstream and into your foetus. In the womb, this means a lower amount of oxygen available to you and your growing baby, accompanied by an increase in heart rate, greater risk of miscarriages, low birth weights, premature births and stillbirths as well as higher chances of the child developing lung problems. Once your child is born, second-hand smoke can be as lethal. Studies have found children exposed to second-hand smoke are more likely to develop respiratory infections such as pneumonia and bronchitis and that a significant percentage of children who visit the emergency room for severe asthma attacks live with smokers.
6:Cigarettes are unsafe but so is a hookah: For those smokers who prefer hookahs, it’s worth noting that they’re not safer–you’re still inhaling your fair share of chemicals. According to a 2012 WHO report, these too have been associated with lung cancer, respiratory illness, low birth weight, and periodontal disease. The water in the hookah does not filter out the toxic ingredients in the smoke and hookah users may actually get more of it, seeing that they may spend up to 60 minutes smoking continuously. To put it into context: a typical 1-hour-long hookah smoking session involves 200 puffs, while an average cigarette is 20 puffs.
7:E-cigarettes are still controversial: With e-cigarettes going on sale on various Sri Lankan websites, locals may be wondering if these are safer. How do they work? You begin by inhaling through a mouth piece and the air flow triggers a sensor that switches on a small, battery-powered heater. The heater vaporizes liquid nicotine and propylene glycol (PEG) – the latter creates something that feels a lot like cigarette smoke, which the user inhales and exhales. While e-cigarettes contain no tobacco products and rely on artificial nicotine, several countries are concerned about their use. There are no clinical studies of long-term side effects of these products, plus they may contribute to people smoking even more nicotine then they should and shouldn’t considered a way to wean oneself off cigarettes.
Parting is hard but a must
Quitting isn’t easy – but it’s worth it: As you withdraw from smoking, you may find yourself struggling with bouts of dizziness, irritation, and even strong headaches. Your weight may increase as your appetite returns. It will take a while before your body adjusts but you’ll find it useful if you clear away anything associated with smoking beginning with your ashtrays and lighters. Up your physical activities and keep your hands occupied – even if you’re just playing with a pen, it will help you fight the urge to pick up a cigarette instead.
Find substitutes – if you smoked at the end of the meal for instance, replace that ritual with a new one. For instance drink a cup of coffee or chew a stick of gum. If you smoked when you drank alcohol, see if you can find a bar that bans cigarettes or switch to non-alcoholic drinks till the habit is broken. Remember to drink lots of water to help flush out the toxins.
Some people take more than one attempt to quit – and it’s important to understand that it’s not all about how much willpower you have. Breaking free of your addiction will take planning, persistence and the support of your friends and family, so recruit them.