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no smoking

Page history last edited by Dr_Ahmed Abulaziz Nouman 14 years, 10 months ago

معا من أجل يمن خالي من التدخين 

 

 لا للتدخين معا لعالم جديد بدون تدخين

 

تمكنت مؤسستنا من تقديم المساعدة للعديد من الشباب في التخلص من عادة التدخين 

كما أننا في خذه الحملة التي أطلنا عليها 

اليمن في المرتبة الأوى  للخلاص من التدخين

الحملة الوطنية للخلاص من التدخين 

يمن بلا تدخين

واجب مقدس و وطني على كل الشباب اليمني المشاركة فيه

 هناك العديد منهم يترددون على المؤسسة لهذا العمل الوطني المقدس الذي يجد في الشباب اليمني والطلاب متنفس كبير 

 

للحفاظ على صحتهم وكذل للخروج من هذه الأفة التي تؤرقهم 

 

 

 أطفالنا أولا وأخيراً

 

الكثير من المرضى الذين ترددون علينا وبعد اقلاعهم عن التدخين يرددون بأنهم أصبحوا يشعرون بقدرة جنسية عالية أكبر وأكثر من قبل

وانهم لا يحتاجون للمنشطات الجنسية ولم يعودون لاستعمالها

مرحبا بكم

واهلا و سهلا

بامكان الجميع التواصل معنا

You know how important your heart is, so it's no wonder people worry when they hear someone has heart problems.

Heart disease, also called cardiovascular (say: kar-dee-oh-vas-kyoo-lur) disease, mainly affects older people and means that there are problems with the heart and blood vessels.

You might know someone who has cardiovascular disease because 61 million Americans have some form of it. This disease includes a variety of problems, including high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, hardening of the arteries, chest pain, heart attacks, and strokes.

What Is Heart Disease?

The heart is the center of the cardiovascular system. Through the body's blood vessels, the heart pumps blood to all of the body's cells. The blood carries oxygen, which the cells need. Cardiovascular disease is a group of problems that occur when the heart and blood vessels aren't working the way they should.

Here are some of the problems that go along with cardiovascular disease:

*       Arteriosclerosis (say: ar-teer-ee-oh-skluh-row-sus). Also called hardening of the arteries, arteriosclerosis means the arteries become thickened and are no longer as flexible.

*       Atherosclerosis (say: ah-thuh-row-skluh-row-sus). People with atherosclerosis have a buildup of cholesterol and fat that makes their arteries narrower so less blood can flow through. Those deposits are called plaque.

*       Angina (say: an-jy-nuh). People with angina feel a pain in the chest that means the heart isn't getting enough blood.

*       Heart attack. This is when a blood clot or other blockage cuts blood flow to a part of the heart.

*       Stroke. when part of the brain doesn't get enough blood due to a clot or a burst blood vessel.

How Do You Get Heart Disease?

Heart disease isn't contagious — you can't catch it like you can the flu or a cold. Instead, there are certain things that increase a person's chances of getting cardiovascular disease. Doctors call these things risk factors.

Some of these risk factors a person can't do anything about, like being older and having other people in the family who have had the same problems. But people do have control over some risk factors — smoking, having high blood pressure, being overweight, and not exercising can increase the risk of getting cardiovascular disease.

What Are the Signs of Heart Disease?

Many people do not realize they have cardiovascular disease until they have chest pain, a heart attack, or stroke. These kinds of problems often need immediate attention and the person may need to go to the emergency department of a hospital.

If it's not an emergency and a doctor suspects the person could have cardiovascular disease, the doctor can do some tests to find out more about how the heart and blood vessels are working. These tests include:

*       Electrocardiogram (say: eh-lek-tro-kar-dee-uh-gram). This test records the heart's electrical activity. A doctor puts the patient on a monitor and watches the machine to see the heart beat and determine if it's normal.

*       Echocardiogram (say: eh-ko-kar-dee-uh-gram). This test uses sound waves to diagnose heart problems. These waves are bounced off the parts of the heart, creating a picture of the heart that is displayed on a monitor.

*       Stress test. For this test, the person exercises while the doctor checks the electrocardiogram machine to see how the heart muscle reacts.

*       Catheterization (say: kah-thuh-tuh-ruh-zay-shun). This test uses a long, thin tube that is inserted into the patient's body to inject a special dye. It can locate narrowed areas in arteries due to plaque buildup and find other problems.

*       Carotid (say: kuh-rah-tid) artery scan. This test uses sound waves to check for blockages in the carotid artery, a large blood vessel in the neck that supplies blood to the brain.

Surgeries

If the doctor finds that a patient has cardiovascular disease, he or she will talk with the patient about how stopping smoking, losing weight, eating a healthy diet, and getting exercise can help. The person also may need to take medicine, have surgery, or both.

There are different surgeries for the heart and blood vessels. These include:

*       Angioplasty (say: an-jee-uh-plas-tee). This opens a blocked vessel by using a balloon-like device at an artery's narrowest point. The doctor may also insert a stent, which is a tiny, stainless steel tube that props the vessel open and makes sure it stays clear.

*       Atherectomy (say: ah-thuh-rek-tuh-mee). This involves cutting the plaque out of an artery, so blood can flow freely.

*       Bypass surgery. This involves taking part of an artery or vein from another part of the body (like the arm or leg) and using it to channel blood around a blocked area in an artery.

*       Pacemakers. A pacemaker is a small electronic device that's put inside the body to regulate the heartbeat.

*       Valve replacement. If a heart valve is damaged or isn't working, a surgeon can replace it.

*       Carotid endarterectomy (say: en-dar-tuh-rek-tuh-me). During this procedure, a surgeon removes plaque deposits from the carotid artery to prevent a stroke.

If someone you know is getting one of these operations, you might feel worried. The good news is that these surgeries can help prevent heart attacks, strokes, and other problems. The amount of time the person will need to spend in the hospital will vary, depending on the operation and the person's health. The person may be tired and worn out after the surgery, but you can help by making a "Get Well" card and paying a visit.

Can Kids Get Heart Disease?

Kids usually don't have any symptoms of heart and blood vessel problems. But by starting heart-healthy habits right now, kids can reduce the chance they will ever need to worry about cardiovascular disease.

So what should you do? Don't smoke, for one. And be sure to eat healthy, exercise, and maintain a healthy weight. Your heart and blood vessels will thank you later!

Reviewed by: Steven Dowshen, MD

Date reviewed: February 2007

 

 

نعم للأوكسجين  لالالالالالالالالالالالا للتدخين

source of this http://www.smokefree.gov/index.asp

Online Guide to Quitting

 

 

Preparing to Quit

MEDICATION GUIDE

The Medication Guide was created to provide you with a general understanding of the current medications used by smokers who are trying to quit. Please note that this guide may not describe every product available. All of these medicines have been shown to be useful for helping smokers quit. There is no one best medicine for all smokers. Always read the instructions on the package carefully and talk with your doctor or pharmacist if you have questions. Dosing information provided in descriptions of these products is intended only to illustrate typical use of these medications. Individual dosing for prescription medications must be determined by a physician. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or have a severe medical problem, talk with your doctor before starting any new medication.

 

Name of Product

(Click on name for more information)

Prescription or Over-the-Counter
Description of Product
First Line Medications: Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT)
Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) helps individuals quit smoking by reducing the craving sensations associated with withdrawal from the nicotine in tobacco. NRT products provide controlled amounts of nicotine. Individuals reduce their use of NRT products over time, allowing their bodies to gradually adjust to increasingly lower nicotine levels.
Nicotine Patches Over-the-Counter The nicotine patch is placed on the skin and supplies a small and steady amount of nicotine into the body. Nicotine patches contain varied concentrations of nicotine (21mg, 14mg, or 7mg, for example) and the user reduces the dose over time.
Nicotine Gum Over-the-Counter Nicotine gum is chewed to release nicotine that is absorbed through tissue inside the mouth. The user chews the gum until it produces a tingling feeling, then the gum is placed (parked) between the cheek and gum tissue. Nicotine gums have varied concentrations of nicotine (typically 2mg or 4mg) to allow the user to reduce the amount of nicotine in their system.
Nicotine Lozenges Over-the-Counter Nicotine Lozenges look like hard candy and are placed in your mouth to dissolve slowly. The Nicotine lozenge (typically 2mg or 4mg dose of nicotine) releases nicotine as it slowly dissolves in the mouth.
Nicotine Inhaler Prescription Only A nicotine inhaler consists of a cartridge attached to a mouthpiece. Inhaling through the mouthpiece delivers a specific amount of nicotine to the user.
Nicotine Nasal Spray Prescription Only Nicotine nasal spray is a pump bottle containing nicotine that is inserted into the nose and sprayed. Nicotine nasal spray can be used for fast craving control, especially for heavy smokers.
First Line Medications: Other
Bupropion Prescription Only Bupropion, also known as Zyban, helps to reduce nicotine withdrawal symptoms and the urge to smoke. Bupropion can be used safely with nicotine replacement products.
Varenicline Prescription Only Varenicline, also known as Chantix, is a prescription medication that eases nicotine withdrawal symptoms and blocks the effects of nicotine from cigarettes if the user resumes smoking.
Second Line Medications
Nortriptyline Prescription Only Nortriptyline, also known as Aventyl, is generally prescribed to treat depression; however nortriptyline has been prescribed to assist with smoking cessation when the first line medications do not work. The use of nortriptyline for smoking cessation has not yet been approved by the FDA.
Clonidine Prescription Only Clonidine, also known as Catapres, is generally prescribed to treat high blood pressure; however clonidine may reduce tobacco withdrawal symptoms when first line medications do not work. The use of clonidine for smoking cessation has not yet been approved by the FDA.

 

References: Information provided on the Medication Guide and Fact Sheets was obtained from a variety of sources, such as product information guides; manufacturers' Web sites, medical Web sites, and articles in the medical literature, including Corelli, R.L. & Hudman, K.S. (2006) Pharmacologic interventions for smoking cessation, Crit Care Nurs Clin N Am, 18, 39-51.

 

 

 

Online Guide to Quitting

Preparing to Quit

Medicines That Help With Withdrawal

When you quit smoking, you may feel strange at first. You may feel dull, tense, and not yourself. These are signs that your body is getting used to life without nicotine. It usually only lasts a few weeks.

Many people just can't handle how they feel after they quit. They start smoking again to feel better. Maybe this has happened to you. Most people slip up in the first week after quitting. This is when feelings of withdrawal are strongest.

There are medicines that can help with feelings of withdrawal:

  • Nicotine gum
  • Nicotine inhaler
  • Nicotine lozenge
  • Nicotine nasal spray
  • Nicotine patch
  • Bupropion SR pills
  • Varenicline pills

Using these medicines can double your chances of quitting for good. Ask your doctor for advice. But remember: Medicine alone can't do all the work. It can help with cravings and withdrawal, but quitting will still be hard at times.

Here is more information about the different medicines. Also see the Medication Guide.

Nicotine Gum, Patch, Inhaler, Spray, and Lozenge (NRT)

Nicotine gum, patches, inhalers, sprays, and lozenges are called nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). That's because they take the place of nicotine from cigarettes. NRT can help with withdrawal and lessen your urge to smoke. Also see Myths about NRT (PDF).

You need a prescription to buy the inhaler and nasal spray. But you can buy nicotine gum, nicotine patches, and nicotine lozenges on your own.

Other Medicines

Bupropion SR is a medicine that has no nicotine. You need a prescription to get these pills. They seem to help with withdrawal and lessen the urge to smoke.

Some people have side effects when using bupropion SR pills. The side effects include dry mouth and not being able to sleep.

This medicine isn't right for:

  • Pregnant women
  • People who have seizures
  • People with eating disorders
  • Heavy drinkers

Ask your doctor, dentist, or pharmacist if this medicine is right for you. Make sure to use it the right way if your doctor prescribes it.

Varenicline is also a medicine that has no nicotine. You need a prescription to get these pills. This drug may help those who wish to quit by easing their withdrawal symptoms and by blocking the effects of nicotine from cigarettes if they resume smoking. The side effects include stomach complaints such as nausea and vivid dreams.

There have been rare reports of mood swings, depression and suicidal thoughts. Your doctor will want to monitor this carefully. Please check the FDA website for updates about this medication: www.fda.gov.

This medicine isn't right for:

  • People with kidney problems
  • Women who are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding.

Ask your doctor, dentist, or pharmacist if this medicine is right for you. Make sure to use it the right way if your doctor prescribes it.

Thinking About Using NRT?

  • Ask your doctor, dentist, or pharmacist if nicotine gum, the patch, or some other kind of NRT is right for you. These medicines can cause side effects in some people. Some people should not use NRT without a doctor's help. Pregnant women are a good example.
  • Be patient. Using NRT correctly can take some getting used to. Follow the instructions and give it some time.
  • Don't mix tobacco and NRT. Having one or two cigarettes while you use the gum, patch, nasal spray, inhaler, or lozenge is not dangerous, but your goal is to quit smoking for good. Use NRT only when you are ready to stop smoking. If you do slip up and smoke a cigarette or two, don't give up on NRT. Keep trying.
  • Start out using enough medicine. Use the full amount of NRT in the instructions. Don't skip or forget to use your NRT after you first stop smoking.
  • Slowly use less and less medicine. But don't stop completely until you're ready. You can set up a schedule with your doctor or pharmacist.
  • Keep some of the medicine with you after you stop using it. This way you'll be ready for an emergency.
  • Wait a half hour after using the gum, lozenge, or inhaler before you eat or drink anything acidic. Acidic foods and drinks can keep nicotine gum and inhalers from working. Acidic foods and drinks include tomato sauce, tomatoes, oranges, lemons, grapefruit, coffee, soda, orange juice, and grapefruit juice.

Bottom line: Read the instructions that come with the medicine. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions.

 

Source: The information listed here was developed based on manufacturer's information and general guidelines from sources such as: Corelli, R.L. & Hudman, K.S. (2006) Pharmacologic interventions for smoking cessation, Crit Care Nurs Clin N Am, 18, 39-51.

 

Online Guide to Quitting

Preparing to Quit

Benefits of a Quit-smoking Program

You may want to try a quit-smoking program or support group to help you quit. These programs can work great if you're willing to commit to them.

How do quit-smoking programs and support groups work? They help smokers spot and cope with problems they have when trying to quit. The programs teach problem-solving and other coping skills. A quit-smoking program can help you quit for good by:

  • Helping you better understand why you smoke
  • Teaching you how to handle withdrawal and stress
  • Teaching you tips to help resist the urge to smoke

Preparing to Quit

Set a Quit Date

Pick a date within the next 2 weeks to quit. That gives you enough time to get ready. But it's not so long that you will lose your drive to quit.

Think about choosing a special day:

  • Your birthday or wedding anniversary
  • New Year's Day
  • Independence Day
  • World No Tobacco Day (May 31)
  • The Great American Smokeout (the third Thursday of each November)

If you smoke at work, quit on the weekend or during a day off. That way you'll already be cigarette-free when you return.

 

Tell Others your Plan to Quit

Quitting smoking is easier with the support of others. Tell your family, friends, and coworkers that you plan to quit. Tell them how they can help you.

Some people like to have friends ask how things are going. Others find it nosy. Tell the people you care about exactly how they can help. Here are some ideas:

  • Ask everyone to understand your change in mood. Remind them that this won't last long. (The worst will be over within two weeks.) Tell them this: "The longer I go without cigarettes, the sooner I'll be my old self."

     

  • Does someone close to you smoke? Ask them to quit with you, or at least not to smoke around you.

     

  • Do you take any medicines? Tell your doctor and pharmacist you are quitting. Nicotine changes how some drugs work. You may need to change your prescriptions after you quit.

     

  • Get support from other people. You can try talking with others one-on-one or in a group. You can also get support on the phone. You can even try an Internet chat room. This kind of support helps smokers quit. The more support you get, the better. But even a little can help.

Anticipate and Plan for the Challenges You'll Face While Quitting

Expecting challenges is an important part of getting ready to quit.

Most people who go back to smoking do it within three months. Your first three months may be hard. You may be more tempted when you are stressed or feeling down. It's hard to be ready for these times before they happen. But it helps to know when you need a cigarette most.

Look over your Craving Journal (PDF). See when you may be tempted to smoke. Plan for how to deal with the urge before it hits.

You should also expect feelings of withdrawal. Withdrawal is the discomfort of giving up nicotine. It is your body's way of telling you it's learning to be smoke-free. These feelings will go away in time.

Documents in Portable Document Format (PDF) require the use of the free Adobe® Reader®.

 

 

Remove Cigarettes and Other Tobacco From Your Home, Car, and Work

Getting rid of things that remind you of smoking will also help you get ready to quit. Try these ideas:

  • Make things clean and fresh at work, in your car, and at home. Clean your drapes and clothes. Shampoo your car. Buy yourself flowers. You will enjoy their scent as your sense of smell returns.

     

  • Throw away all your cigarettes and matches. Give or throw away your lighters and ashtrays. Remember the ashtray and lighter in your car!

     

  • Have your dentist clean your teeth to get rid of smoking stains. See how great they look. Try to keep them that way.

     

  • Some smokers save one pack of cigarettes. They do it "just in case." Or they want to prove they have the willpower not to smoke. Don't! Saving one pack just makes it easier to start smoking again.

Don't use other forms of tobacco instead of cigarettes

Light or low-tar cigarettes are just as harmful as regular cigarettes. Smokeless tobacco, cigars, pipes, and herbal cigarettes also harm your health. For example, bidi cigarettes are just as bad as regular cigarettes. Clove cigarettes are even worse. They have more tar, nicotine, and deadly gases. All tobacco products have harmful chemicals and poisons.

 

 
 
 
 
ISTAPS: A Stepped Primary Care Smoking Cessation Intervention
This study is ongoing, but not recruiting participants.
First Received: August 1, 2005   Last Updated: December 11, 2008   History of Changes
Sponsors and Collaborators: Jordi Gol i Gurina Foundation
Preventive Services and Health Promotion Research Network (redIAPP) (G03/170)
 
Information provided by: Jordi Gol i Gurina Foundation
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00125905
  Purpose

Primary care centers can play a very important role in helping people to stop smoking. There is a large body of research on the effectiveness of specific interventions especially addressed to people who want to stop smoking. In addition to that, there are no studies with a large sample of individuals included that tested the complete range of interventions recommended nowadays for helping people in the different smoking cessation stages of change and with different degrees of physical and psychological dependence, especially including motivational interviewing in those not interested in cessation in the very next weeks. This study will test a complex intervention that at first classifies smokers in stages and after that treats every smoker according to what stage he/she is in at the moment, his/her degree of dependence and his/her own characteristics.

 

Condition Intervention
Smoking Cessation
 
Behavioral: Advice
Behavioral: Motivational Interviewing
Drug: Nicotine Gum and Patch
Drug: Bupropion
 

 

Study Type: Interventional
Study Design: Treatment, Randomized, Open Label, Active Control, Parallel Assignment, Efficacy Study
Official Title: Effectiveness of a Stepped Primary Care Smoking Cessation Intervention Based on an Evidence Based Clinical Practice Guideline (ISTAPS Project)
Further study details as provided by Jordi Gol i Gurina Foundation:
Primary Outcome Measures:
  • Self reported abstinence confirmed by an expired air carbon monoxide concentration of 10 parts per millions or less

     

  • Point prevalence at the end of intervention, 1 and 2 years after the beginning of intervention

     

  • Continuous abstinence rate for 1 year

     

  • Change of stage in the smoking cessation process

     

 

Secondary Outcome Measures:
  • Health status measured by SF-36

     

Estimated Enrollment: 3012
Study Start Date: October 2003
Estimated Study Completion Date: July 2006
Detailed Description:

OBJECTIVES:

  • To evaluate the effectiveness of a stepped smoking cessation intervention based on a transtheoretical model of change that uses the pharmacological and no-pharmacological methods proposed by evidence based Clinical Practice Guidelines for smoking cessation from primary care centers.
  • To assess the health status change in relationship with the smoking cessation process.

DESIGN: Cluster randomized clinical trial

Unit of Randomization: Care basic unit (family physician or nurse that cares for the same group of patients). Intention to treat analysis.

PARTICIPANTS: 2911 smokers (ages 14-75 years) consulting for any reason to primary care centers

INTERVENTION: 6-month implementation of recommendations of a Clinical Practice Guideline that includes motivational consulting for smokers at the precontemplation - contemplation stage; brief intervention for smokers in preparation-action who do not want help; intensive intervention with pharmacotherapies for smokers in preparation-action who want help; and reinforcing intervention in the maintenance stage.

CONTROL: Usual care

MEASUREMENT: Self reported abstinence confirmed by an expired air carbon monoxide concentration of 10 parts per millions or less; Point prevalence at the end of intervention, 1 and 2 years after the beginning of intervention; Continuous abstinence rate for 1 year; Change of stage in the smoking cessation process; Health status measured by SF-36.

  Eligibility
Ages Eligible for Study:   14 Years to 75 Years
Genders Eligible for Study:   Both
Accepts Healthy Volunteers:   No
Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Smokers
  • Accept participation and follow-up by phone interviews for 2 years

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Terminal illness
  • Active addictive behaviours or important health problems
  Contacts and Locations
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00125905

 

Locations
Spain
Jordi Gol i Gurina Foundation-Primary Care Research Institute
Barcelona, Spain, 08007
Sponsors and Collaborators
Jordi Gol i Gurina Foundation
Preventive Services and Health Promotion Research Network (redIAPP) (G03/170)
Investigators
Principal Investigator: Carmen Cabezas-Peña, MD Jordi Gol I Gurina Foundation-ICS
  More Information

Additional Information:

No publications provided

Study ID Numbers: PI021471, PI021471, G03/170
Study First Received: August 1, 2005
Last Updated: December 11, 2008
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00125905     History of Changes
Health Authority: Spain: Ministry of Health

Keywords provided by Jordi Gol i Gurina Foundation:

Primary Care
Smoking Cessation
Stages of Change Model
Health Education
Clinical Practice guideline
 

Study placed in the following topic categories:

Nicotine polacrilex
Smoking
Nicotine
Bupropion
 

Additional relevant MeSH terms:

Habits
Smoking
 

ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on April 20, 2009

 

 

 

Smoking is one of the worst things kids or adults can do to their bodies. Yet every single day about 4,000 kids between the ages 12 and 17 start smoking. Most middle school students don't smoke — only about 1 in 10 does. And most high school students don't smoke either — about 1 in 4 does (that means 3 out of 4 don't).

But why do those who smoke ever begin?

There's more than just one simple answer. Some kids may start smoking just because they're curious. Others may like the idea of doing something dangerous — something grownups don't want them to do. Still others might know lots of people who smoke and they might think it's a way to act or look like an adult. Fortunately, fewer people are starting smoking than a few years ago.

Maybe that's because more and more people have learned that smoking and tobacco use can cause cancer and heart disease. But sometimes kids can't really think that far into the future to worry about an illness they might not get for many years.

So let's talk about the problems that might affect kids more quickly:

  • bad breath
  • yellow teeth
  • smelly clothes
  • more colds and coughs
  • difficulty keeping up with friends when playing sports
  • empty wallet — cigarettes and tobacco products are very expensive!

Let's find out more about cigarettes and tobacco.

What Are Smoking and Smokeless Tobacco?

Tobacco (say: tuh-ba-ko) is a plant that can be smoked in cigarettes, pipes, or cigars. It's the same plant that's in smokeless tobacco, known as dip, chew, snuff, spit, or chewing tobacco. Smokeless tobacco is not lit or inhaled like tobacco in cigarettes, pipes, and cigars. Instead, smokeless tobacco is put between the lip and gum and sucked on inside the mouth.

Tobacco contains nicotine (say: nih-kuh-teen), a chemical that causes a tingly or pleasant feeling — but that feeling only lasts for a little while. Nicotine is also addictive (say: uh-dik-tiv). That means that if you start to use nicotine, your body and mind will become so used to it that you'll need to have it just to feel OK.

Anyone who starts smoking could become addicted to it. If you're addicted to something, it's very hard to stop doing it, even if you want to. Some kids get addicted right away. And adults are often addicted, which is why so many of them have a hard time quitting smoking.

Why Is It So Bad for You?

Cigarettes and smokeless tobacco kill hundreds of thousands of Americans every year. You know those rubber bracelets that were created to bring attention to different causes? The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids created a red one with the number 1,200 on it. Why 1,200? That's the number of people who die each day due to smoking.

The nicotine and other poisonous chemicals in tobacco cause lots of diseases, like heart problems and some kinds of cancer. If you smoke, you hurt your lungs and heart each time you light up. It also can make it more difficult for blood to move around in the body, so smokers may feel tired and cranky. The longer you smoke, the worse the damage becomes.

The Other Cost of Smoking

Using tobacco eats up a lot of money, too. A pack of cigarettes costs $4.50, on average. That means, even if you buy just one pack a week, you'll spend $234 in a year. Some people smoke a pack a day, which adds up to $1,642! That's a lot of CDs, computer games, and clothes you could buy instead.

What's It Like?

Usually, people don't like smoking or chewing tobacco at first. Your body is smart, and it knows when it's being poisoned. When people try smoking for the first time, they often cough a lot and feel pain or burning in their throat and lungs. This is your lungs' way of trying to protect you and tell you to keep them smoke free. Also, many people say that they feel sick to their stomachs or even throw up. If someone accidentally swallows chewing tobacco, they may be sick for hours. Yuck.

What if My Friend Smokes?

If you have friends who smoke or use tobacco, you can help them by encouraging them to quit. Here are some reasons you can mention:

  • It will hurt their health.
  • It will make their breath stinky.
  • It will turn their teeth yellow.
  • It will give them less endurance when running or playing sports.
  • It's expensive.
  • It's illegal to buy cigarettes when you're underage.

If you think it will help, you could print out articles like this one to give to a friend who smokes. He or she may be interested in learning more about the dangers of smoking. But people don't like to hear that they're doing something wrong, so your pal also could be a little angry. If that happens, don't push it too much. In time, your friend may realize you are right.

In the meantime, it could help to talk with a parent or a school counselor if you're worried about your friend. When your friend is ready, a grown-up can help him or her quit for good. If your friend decides to quit, lend your support. You might say it's time to kick some butts!

Reviewed by: Neil Izenberg, MD

Date reviewed: August 2007

Comments (1)

Dr_Ahmed Abulaziz Nouman said

at 9:48 pm on May 28, 2009

هل تدرك حجم الخسائر المادية التي تتعرض لها بلادنا من ذلك
والنتائج السلبية التي تنجم عن التدخين ما تتعرض له البلد من خسائر ناجمة عن الأمراض السرطانية والأمراض الخلقية التي تصيب المواليد الجدد في اليمن
متى يتخذ إجراء حاسم وتعاون من قبل الجميع لتفعيل
المعالجة السريرية لأمراض القلب من الأطفال
ومتى نجد أذان صاغية للتعاون في أنجاح
هذا الحلم

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