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Tobacco Cessation - June 15, 2010 Newsletter

Tobacco Cessation

EHE Newsletter, Volume 10, Number 24
June 15, 2010

Tobacco use, especially smoking, is the leading preventable cause of death and disability in the United States. The majority of tobacco users are cigarette smokers, while smaller percentages of users smoke cigars or pipes or use "smokeless tobacco" (i.e., chewing tobacco). Diseases caused by tobacco include cancers of the bladder, cervix, kidney, pancreas, stomach, esophagus, larynx, lung, mouth and throat; chronic lung diseases; coronary heart and cardiovascular diseases; abdominal aortic aneurysm, acute myeloid leukemia, cataract, pneumonia and periodontitis.

An estimated 46 million Americans, or 20.6 percent of all adults (aged 18 years and older), currently smoke cigarettes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the adverse health effects of cigarette smoking account for an estimated 443,000 deaths — or nearly 1 out of every 5 deaths — each year in the U.S. Smoking harms nearly every organ in the body.

Smoking causes approximately:

  • 90 percent of all lung cancer deaths in men
  • 80 percent of all lung cancer deaths in women
  • 90 percent of deaths from chronic obstructive lung disease

Compared with nonsmokers, smokers are:

  • Two–to–four times more likely to develop coronary heart disease
  • Two–to–four times more likely to have a stroke
  • 23 times more likely to develop lung cancer (men)
  • 13 times more likely to develop lung cancer (women)
  • 12–to–13 times more likely to die of chronic obstructive lung diseases such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema

Smoking cessation provides immediate and long–term benefits for individuals by reducing the risk of diseases caused by smoking and improving general health. According to the U.S. Surgeon General, smoking cessation represents the single most important step that smokers can take to enhance the length and quality of their lives. Many individuals, however, find quitting extremely difficult.

Why is Quitting Difficult?

Most smokers use tobacco regularly because they are addicted to nicotine, a component of tobacco. Nicotine is delivered to the brain through smoking, chewing or sniffing tobacco. It is easily absorbed through the lungs while smoking, and through the mouth or nose when using smokeless tobacco. From these entry points, nicotine quickly spreads throughout the body.

The cigarette is a very efficient drug–delivery system. When inhaling, a smoker receives nicotine to the brain very rapidly with every puff. A typical smoker takes 10 puffs on a lit cigarette over a period of five minutes. Therefore, an individual who smokes 1–1/2 packs (30 cigarettes) a day gets three hundred "hits" of nicotine to the brain each day. Nicotine has a euphoric effect which makes individuals feel good in the short run. As with all addictive drugs, however, the euphoric effect decreases over time and increasing doses are needed to obtain lesser feelings of well–being.

According to The American Cancer Society (ACS), approximately 70 percent of smokers say that they want to quit and about 40 percent try to quit each year. However, only four to seven percent actually succeed without help.

How to Quit

Before quitting all at once or "cold turkey," the U.S. Surgeon General suggests that individuals START by taking the following important steps:

  • Set a quit date. Pick a date within the next two weeks to quit.
  • Tell family, friends and co–workers that you plan to quit. Quitting is easier with the support of others.
  • Anticipate and plan for the challenges that quitting may entail. Be aware of the times and activities that trigger the urge for tobacco.
  • Remove cigarettes and other tobacco products from the home, car and workplace.
  • Talk to a healthcare professional about getting help to quit. He or she can suggest over–the–counter or prescription medications to help with withdrawal symptoms.

Additionally, there is a wide range of counseling services, self–help materials and medications available to help individuals stop using tobacco for good. It is important to remember that tobacco addiction is both psychological and physical. It is also individualized; there is no one way to quit that will work for everyone. For most individuals, the best way to quit will entail some combination of medication, change in personal habits and emotional support.

Health Benefits of Quitting

Profound changes in the body occur immediately when an individual stops using tobacco. Within 20 minutes of quitting, the body begins a series of changes that continues for years.

  • 20 minutes after quitting: Blood pressure decreases. Pulse rate drops. Body temperature of hands and feet increases.
  • After 8 hours: Carbon monoxide levels in the blood drop to normal. Oxygen levels in the blood increase to normal.
  • After 24 hours: The chance of a heart attack decreases.
  • After 48 hours: There is no nicotine left in the body. Nerve endings begin re–growth and the ability to smell and taste improves.
  • 2 weeks to 3 months after quitting: The worst of nicotine withdrawal symptoms subside. The risk of heart attack begins to drop and lung function begins to improve.
  • 1 to 9 months after quitting: Coughing and shortness of breath decrease.
  • 1 year after quitting: Excess risk of coronary heart disease decreases to half that of a smoker.
  • 5 to 15 years after quitting: Stroke risk is reduced to that of a nonsmoker.
  • 10 years after quitting: Lung cancer risk drops to as little as one–half that of a smoker. The risk of cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney and pancreas decreases. Risk of ulcers decreases.
  • 15 years after quitting: The risk of coronary heart disease becomes similar to that of a nonsmoker. The risk of death returns to nearly the level of an individual who has never smoked.

Individuals who stop using tobacco while they are young obtain the greatest health benefits from quitting, though it is never too late to quit and reap the health benefits of tobacco cessation. According to the National Cancer Institute, quitting at about age 30 reduces the chance of dying from smoking–related diseases by more than 90 percent. Individuals who quit at about age 50 reduce their risks of dying prematurely by 50 percent compared with those who continue to smoke. Additionally, individuals who quit at about age 60 or older live longer than those who continue to smoke.

Though it is never too late to quit, the earlier that an individual quits, the better. Work with your healthcare providers to determine the quitting plan that is best for you.

MEDICAL DISCLAIMER: The information is not intended to constitute medical advice and is not a substitute for consultation with a physician or other healthcare provider. Individuals with specific complaints should seek immediate consultation from their personal physicians.