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World No Tobacco Day - Don’t smoke your life away!

Article written by Germaine Guzman.

World No Tobacco Day is observed around the world every year on May 31. It draws global attention to the widespread prevalence of tobacco use and to its negative health effects. The day aims to reduce the 5.4 million yearly deaths from tobacco related health problems.5 The theme of World No Tobacco Day 2009 is “Tobacco Health Warnings”, with an emphasis on the picture warnings that have been shown to be particularly effective at making people aware of the health risks of tobacco use and convincing them to quit.

Let’s take a look at the Stats...
  • There are more than one billion smokers in the world!6
  • Globally, the use of tobacco products is increasing, although it is decreasing in high-income countries.6
  • More than 80% of the world’s smokers live in low- and middle-income countries.6
  • Tobacco use kills 5.4 million people a year- an average of one person every six seconds- and accounts for one in 10 adult deaths worldwide.6
  • It is a risk factor for six of the eight leading cause of deaths in the world.6

But what exactly is Tobacco?

Nicotine is the addictive drug in tobacco smoke that causes smokers to continue smoking. Along with nicotine, smokers also inhale about 4,000 other chemicals in cigarette smoke. These compounds are chemically active and trigger profound and damaging changes in the body.2

The most damaging compounds in tobacco smoke include:

  1. Tar2
  2. Carbon Monoxide2
  3. Hydrogen Cyanide2
  4. Free Radicals2
  5. Metals2
  6. Radioactive Compounds2

At least 60 of the chemicals in tobacco smoke are known to cause cancers. Smoking can cause cancer of the lung, throat, mouth, nose, voice box, oesophagus, pancreas, stomach, kidney, bladder, ureter, cervix and bone marrow (myeloid leukemia).4 A lifetime smoker is also at a high risk of developing a range of potentially lethal diseases such as lung disease (emphysema), Coronary artery disease (heart disease), ulcers of the digestive system, Osteoporosis and poor blood circulation.2, 4

So how does Tobacco smoke increase cancer risk?

The deadly cocktail of chemicals found in tobacco can contribute to genetic mutations that cause the uncontrolled growth of human cells that may lead to tumours and cancer in various parts of the body. One of these substances, Benzo(a)pyrene, has been found to damage the all-important P53 gene. This gene plays a vital role in maintaining the body’s health by preventing uncontrolled cell multiplication.1

Tips on burning that habit!
  • Decide on a quit date and stick to it.3
  • Ring your Quitline. Professional telephone advisors will provide advice, encouragement and support to help smokers quit.3
  • Inform your family and friends of your intention to stop smoking and ask for their support.3
  • Think about previous attempts to quit and what went wrong. Plan how to avoid the same pitfalls this time round.3
  • Decide on your strategy. For example, do you intend to go cold turkey, use nicotine replacement therapy or attend group courses?3
  • Write a list of all the reasons why you want to stop smoking and refer to the list whenever you feel tempted to light up a cigarette.3
  • Throw away all cigarettes, lighters and ashtrays in your home and car. If your partner smokes, suggest they stop too or only smoke outside the house away from you.3
  • Reduce possible weight gain by eating more fruit, vegetables, and wholegrain cereals and consume less fat and alcohol. Participate in exercises you enjoy such as walking or swimming.3
  • Treat yourself with the money you have saved. Your efforts deserve to be rewarded!3
  • If you do have a cigarette, it’s not the end of the world. A slip-up is a setback, not a defeat.3

Remember, it's never too late to quit smoking and there are many benefits to be gained no matter what age you are when you give up. So the sooner you quit, the better!

References

  1. Cancer Council New South Wales, February 2009. Smoking and Cancer [Online]. Available at http://www.cancercouncil.com.au/editorial.asp?pageid=372 [Accessed 26th May 2009].
  2. Quit – Better Health Channel, May 2007. Smoking- Effects on your Body [Online]. Available at http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/BHCV2/BHCARTICLES.NSF/pages/Smoking_effects_on_your_body?OpenDocument [Accessed 26th May 2009].
  3. Quit – Better Health Channel, January 2009. Smoking- Quitting Tips [Online]. Available at http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Quit_smoking_tips [Accessed 27th May 2009].
  4. Quit – Better Health Channel, May 2007. Smoking Tobacco is Deadly [Online]. Available at http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcArticles.nsf/pages/Smoking_tobacco_is_deadly?OpenDocument [Accessed 26th May 2009].
  5. Wikipedia – The Free Encyclopedia, May 2009. World No Tobacco Day [Online]. Available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_No_Tobacco_Day [Accessed 26th May 2009].
  6. World Health Organization, 2009. Tobacco Key Facts [Online]. Available at http://www.who.int/topics/tobacco/facts/en/index.html [Accessed 26th May 2009].

 

 


Last updated 17 June 2009