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Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of disease and death in the United States, accounting for over 400,000 premature deaths annually, which highlights the severe health risks associated with smoking and other forms of tobacco use.
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Secondhand smoke poses significant health hazards to nonsmokers, with nearly 50,000 non-smokers dying each year from diseases related to exposure, and it can worsen respiratory conditions such as asthma in both children and adults.
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The challenges of quitting smoking are considerable, but smokers can take positive steps towards cessation, including seeking support, utilizing nicotine replacement therapies, and developing a quit plan to enhance their chances of success.
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Marijuana contains approximately 400 chemicals, with THC being the main psychoactive component, and its use can lead to negative health effects such as compromised learning abilities, respiratory issues, and increased risk for mental health disorders.
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"Spice," a herbal mixture marketed as a synthetic alternative to marijuana, can lead to similar psychoactive effects but carries risks of severe side effects like rapid heart rate, confusion, and even the development of large lung tumors.
Learning Targets
After studying this lesson, I will be able to
explain how tobacco use is directly linked to respiratory and circulatory diseases, as well as a variety of other health-related problems.
describe the health hazards that nonsmokers face when in a smoke-filled environment
discuss the challenge of quitting smoking and positive steps that can be taken by smokers who want to quit.
explain the effects of marijuana and hashish on the body.
Tobacco Facts
Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of disease, disability, and death in the United States.
Cigarette smoking results in more than 400,000 premature deaths in the United States (1 in every 5
deaths). On average, adults who smoke die 14 years earlier than nonsmokers.
An additional 8.6 million people suffer with a serious illness caused by smoking.
There is an estimated 47 million smokers in the United States. (23% of adults and 30% of adolescents)
Average age of first tobacco use is 13 years of age. *People who haven’t smoked by age 21 are likely to
remain tobacco free
Each year, an estimated 126 million Americans are regularly exposed to secondhand (passive or
environmental) smoke and almost 50 thousand nonsmokers die from diseases caused by secondhand
smoke exposure. Secondhand smoke has been implicated in exacerbated episodes of asthma and
respiratory illnesses among children; and respiratory illness and distress, asthmatic and allergic
responses, and cardiovascular damage among adults.
Tobacco is the only organic source of nicotine.
Tobacco smoke contains over 4,000 different gases (nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide, and cyanide).
Tobacco contains more than 40 carcinogens.
Nicotine is an addictive CNS stimulant. When taken into the lungs it is transmitted to the brain in
seconds. It causes the heart to beat more rapidly and causes blood vessels to constrict resulting in
increased blood pressure and heart rate.
Dangers of Tobacco Use
Cigarette smoking accounts for about 1/3 of all cancers, including 90% of lung cancer cases.
Smokeless tobacco also increases the risk of cancer, especially oral cancers.
Cancers of the lungs, mouth, throat, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, uterus, cervix, kidney, bladder,
and some forms of leukemia can be attributed to tobacco use.
Tobacco use has also contributed to developing cardiovascular disease, such as heart attack, fatal heart
failure and stroke or pulmonary diseases including sinusitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, emphysema and
tracheitis. Reproductive complications can also develop including miscarriage, premature birth, birth
defects, low-weight babies, and developmental problems.
E-Cigs and Vaping
An electronic cigarette, or e-cig, is a handheld electronic device that stimulates the experience of
smoking a cigarette. It works by heating a liquid which generates an aerosol, or “vapor”, that is inhaled
by the user. Using e-cigarettes is commonly referred to as vaping.
There are many types of electronic cigarettes. The most popular among youths is the JUUL. It looks like
a USB drive. Due to different designs, e-cigs are sometimes hard to recognize.
31% of teen e-cig users started smoking cigarettes within 6 months
What is in Vapor?
Toluene – Commonly used paint thinner. It is highly toxic and can cause headaches, nausea, and
breathing difficulties
Formaldehyde – Commonly used to preserve dead bodies. It causes cancer and can lead to lung
damage. It can also cause skin and digestive system damage.
Benzene – a widely used industrial chemical found in crude oil and is a major part of gasoline. It can
lower bone marrow, and affect blood cell levels.
Acrolein – used as an herbicide to control weeds and algae. It is a toxic irritant to skin, eyes, and nasal
passages.
Acetone – commonly used in nail polish remover and can depress the central nervous system.
Lead – used in car batteries and is highly toxic. It has been banned from many products. Lead poisoning
stunts growth, causes brain damage, and can lead to death
Liquid nicotine – Highly addictive and toxic
Side Effects of Vaping
Popcorn Lung – one chemical in some e-cig flavorings is a buttery-flavored one called diacetyl. It has
been linked to a serious lung disease called bronchiolitis obliterans, also known as popcorn lung.
Vapor’s Tongue – causes loss of taste, foods, drinks, even vapes will be flavorless. Vaper’s tongue also
causes gritty, numb, discoloration of the tongue.
2 nd Hand Vaping Isn’t Harmless!
Second hand vape is dangerous to everyone around.
At least 10 chemicals are released in 2 nd hand vapor that are toxic, or addictive.
The e-cig does not produce a vapor (gas) but rather a dense visible aerosol of liquid sub-micron
droplets, consisting of glycols, nicotine, and other chemicals, (some of which are carcinogenic).
Marijuana Facts
Marijuana is the most commonly abused illicit drug in the United States.
It is a dry, shredded, green and brown mix of flowers, stems, seeds, and leaves derived from the hemp
plant Cannabis sativa.
Marijuana is usually smoked as a cigarette (joint) or in a pipe. It is also smoked in blunts, which are
cigars that have been emptied of tobacco and refilled with a mixture of tobacco and marijuana. This
mode of delivery combines marijuana’s active ingredients with nicotine and other harmful chemicals. It
can also be brewed into tea or mixed in baked products.
Marijuana contains at least 400 different chemicals. The main active ingredient in marijuana is delta-9-
tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC for short. THC levels have steadily increased from 1% in 1974 to 7.5% in
2010. With Sinsimilla (a popular form of marijuana), the THC levels can be as high as 24%. Hashish
levels of THC may be 5-10 times higher than crude marijuana.
Marijuana is a mild hallucinogen, but also has some of alcohol’s depressant and disinhibiting
properties.
Marijuana may also be laced with other drugs like crack cocaine or PCP.
Marijuana as Medicine
There is no evidence that marijuana helps patients deal with pain, relieve symptoms of glaucoma, the
loss of appetite that accompanies AIDS, or nausea caused by chemotherapy better than approved
medications.
Dangers of Marijuana Use
Marijuana reduces learning ability. It limits the capacity to absorb and retain information; inability to
focus, sustain attention and organize data (as long as 24 hours after drug use); and can cause
irreversible loss of intellectual capacity.
Persistent use of marijuana will damage lungs and airways, and raise the risk of cancer.
o There is just as much exposure to carcinogens from smoking one marijuana joint as smoking
five tobacco cigarettes.
o Marijuana smoke contains 50-70 percent more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than tobacco smoke.
o Marijuana users usually inhale more deeply and hold their breath longer than tobacco smokers
do, which further increase the lungs exposure to carcinogenic smoke
Marijuana use also limits the immune system to fight infection and disease.
Marijuana affects hormones by delaying the onset of puberty. (“Peter Pan Drug”)
It reduces sperm production in males, and disrupts menstrual cycles and inhibits ovulation in females.
Some other dangers include:
o Increased heart rate and blood pressure
o Increased risk of heart disease and heart attacks
o Damage to the respiratory system
o Anxiety, panic attacks, paranoia and schizophrenia
o Hallucinations
o Psychological and physical dependency
Marijuana is also considered to be a gateway drug.
o Adolescents who use marijuana are 85 times more likely to use cocaine and other drugs
o 60% of youngsters who use marijuana before the age of 15 later go on to use other illicit drugs.
Spice Facts
“Spice” is used to describe a diverse family of herbal mixture marketed under many names including
K2, fake marijuana, Skunk, Moon Rocks, and others.
These products contain dried, shredded plant material and presumably chemical additives that are
responsible for their psychoactive (mind-altering) effects.
Some Spice products are sold as incense but resemble potpourri rather than popular, more familiar
incense products.
While Spice products are labeled “Not for Human Consumption” they are marketed to people who are
interested in herbal alternatives to marijuana.
Spice users report experiences similar to those produced by marijuana, and regular users may
experience withdrawal and addiction symptoms.
Spice Abuse
Spice is abused mainly by smoking. Sometimes Spice is mixed with marijuana or is prepared as an
herbal infusion (tea) for drinking.
A variety of mood and perceptual effects have been described by users.
It can also cause a rapid heart rate; vomiting; agitation, confusion, and hallucinations.
It can also cause large lung tumors.
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