The deadly effects of tobacco addiction.Tobacco is one of the most heavily used addictive products in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. , according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the National Institute on Drug Abuse The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is a United States federal-government research institute whose mission is to "lead the Nation in bringing the power of science to bear on drug abuse and addiction. (NIDA NIDA National Institute on Drug Abuse NIDA National Institute of Dramatic Arts (Australia) NIDA Northern Ireland Development Agency (UK) NIDA Northern Ireland Dairy Association ). In 2004, 70.3 million people used tobacco at least once in the month before being interviewed. That is more than 25 percent of the U.S. population 12 and older. Nicotine is the main ingredient in tobacco that causes addiction. Research shows that nicotine activates the parts of the brain that control feelings of pleasure. Nicotine works fast. Drug levels peak within 10 seconds of inhalation. (Cigar and pipe smokers and smokeless tobacco smokeless tobacco, n chewing tobacco (leaves) or tobacco powder (snuff) that allows the nicotine to be absorbed through the mucous membrane of the oral cavity or digestive tract. It is related to a high risk of oral cancer. users absorb nicotine more slowly.) Within a few minutes, the effects of nicotine disappear. To keep feeling good, a smoker takes another puff or lights another cigarette. Smoking harms every, organ in the body. Cigarette smoking accounts for about one-third of all cancer deaths, including those from lung cancer lung cancer, cancer that originates in the tissues of the lungs. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States in both men and women. Like other cancers, lung cancer occurs after repeated insults to the genetic material of the cell. . In fact, cigarette smoking has been linked to about 90 percent of all lung cancer cases. Research shows that smoking increases the risk of heart disease. Smokers harm others as well as themselves through secondhand smoke sec·ond·hand smoke n. Cigarette, cigar, or pipe smoke that is inhaled unintentionally by nonsmokers and may be injurious to their health if inhaled regularly over a long period. Also called passive smoke. . Secondhand Smoke: A Real Danger Cigarette smoke contains thousands of dangerous chemicals that are unhealthy for both smokers and nonsmokers. Secondhand smoke refers to the smoke from the burning end of a cigarette and the smoke exhaled by smokers. More than 126 million Americans are regularly exposed to secondhand smoke at home, at work, and in enclosed public spaces. The Deadly Effects * Secondhand smoke can cause heart disease and lung cancer in nonsmoking non·smok·ing adj. 1. Not engaging in the smoking of tobacco: nonsmoking passengers. 2. Designated or reserved for nonsmokers: the nonsmoking section of a restaurant. adults. Breathing secondhand smoke for even a short time increases risk for those diseases. * Children and infants are especially vulnerable to the poisons in secondhand smoke. Almost 3 million children in the United States under the age of six breathe secondhand smoke at home at least four days per week. * Secondhand smoke is a known cause of sudden infant death syndrome sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) or crib death, sudden, unexpected, and unexplained death of an apparently healthy infant under one year of age (usually between two weeks and eight months old). (SIDS SIDS sudden infant death syndrome. SIDS abbr. sudden infant death syndrome SIDS, n See syndrome, sudden infant death. ), respiratory problems, ear infections, and asthma attacks in infants and children. * Secondhand smoke in the home environment can slow the lung growth of exposed children. Older children whose parents smoke get bronchitis and pneumonia more often than the children of nonsmokers. * Wheezing Wheezing Definition Wheezing is a high-pitched whistling sound associated with labored breathing. Description Wheezing occurs when a child or adult tries to breathe deeply through air passages that are narrowed or filled with mucus as a and coughing are also more common in children who breathe secondhand smoke. Protecting Yourself and Others The only way to fully protect yourself and loved ones loved ones npl → seres mpl queridos loved ones npl → proches mpl et amis chers loved ones love npl from the dangerous chemicals in secondhand smoke is through 100 percent smoke-free environments. Opening a window; sitting in a separate area; or using ventilation, air conditioning air conditioning, mechanical process for controlling the humidity, temperature, cleanliness, and circulation of air in buildings and rooms. Indoor air is conditioned and regulated to maintain the temperature-humidity ratio that is most comfortable and healthful. , or a fan cannot eliminate secondhand smoke exposure. If you are a smoker, the single best way to protect your family is to quit smoking. Teens and Tobacco The Facts According to the Monitoring the Future Monitoring the Future is an annual survey given to 50,000 8th, 10th and 12th graders in the United States to determine drug use trends and patterns. The survey started in 1975, with 12th graders. It was expanded in 1991 to include 8th and 10th graders as well. Survey for 2005, cigarette smoking among students is at the lowest levels in the history of the survey. Since 1975 the survey has measured drug, alcohol, cigarette use, and related attitudes among students in 8th, 10th, and 12th grades nationwide. This steady decrease in use corresponds to a continuous increase in the number of teens who believe there are "great" health risks from cigarette smoking. While this is good news, research suggests that teens who do use tobacco are more likely than adults to become addicted. Even occasional smoking can result in tobacco addiction in some teens. In animal research, investigators have shown adolescents to be more susceptible to the effects of nicotine than adults. (For more about teen health dangers, see Latest Research on the next page.) Addiction: A chronic disease characterized by compulsive drug seeking and abuse and by long-lasting chemical and molecular changes in the brain. Cigarette Smoking Affects Enzyme Levels Throughout the Body These PET (position emission tomography) scans show the concentration of an important enzyme, MAO MAO - An early symbolic mathematics system. [A. Rom, Celest Mech 1:309-319 (1969)]. B, in the internal organs of a smoker and a nonsmoker. MAO B plays a role in nerve cell nerve cell n. 1. See neuron. 2. The body of a neuron without its axon and dendrites. communication and in the regulation of blood pressure. The nonsmoker's scan shows normal enzyme levels. (Red is the highest concentration.) The smoker's organs show lower concentrations of MAO B; in some organs, the enzyme is virtually absent. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Overcoming Tobacco Addiction Quitting Has Immediate Health Benefits Within 24 hours of quitting, blood pressure goes down and chances of heart attack decrease. Long-term benefits of quitting include lower risk of stroke, lung and other cancers, and coronary heart disease coronary heart disease: see coronary artery disease. coronary heart disease or ischemic heart disease Progressive reduction of blood supply to the heart muscle due to narrowing or blocking of a coronary artery (see atherosclerosis). . Treating Withdrawal from Nicotine * Nicotine withdrawal symptoms include irritability, craving, cognitive and attention deficits, sleep disturbances, and increased appetite increased appetite Hyperphagia, polyphagia . * To reduce the symptoms, nicotine replacements--gum, patches, sprays, and inhalers--are used. Another medication works on other areas of the brain to control craving. * Newer medications under study act on nicotine receptors directly. Studies show that medications have better long-term success when combined with behavioral treatment. More Information * smoking.drugabuse.gov * teens.drugabuse.gov * cdc.gov/tobacco * smokefree.gov * 1-800-QUITNOW LATEST Research Addiction is a developmental disorder developmental disorder Psychiatry An impairment in normal development of language, motor, cognitive and/or motor skills, generally recognized before age 18 which is expected to continue indefinitely and constitutes a substantial impairment Etiology Mental that begins in adolescence, and sometimes as early as childhood. Recent advances have provided more insight into why teens put themselves at risk for addiction through risk-taking and thrill-seeking behaviors. These behaviors are likely due to the fact that the part of the brain responsible for judgment, decision making, and control of emotional responses--the prefrontal prefrontal /pre·fron·tal/ (-fron´t'l) situated in the anterior part of the frontal lobe or region. pre·fron·tal adj. 1. cortex--is the last area of the brain to mature. But there may be other factors. Dr. James Belluzzi and colleagues have recently found that a chemical in tobacco smoke, acetaldehyde acetaldehyde (ăs'ĭtăl`dəhīd) or ethanal (ĕth`ənăl'), CH3CHO, colorless liquid aldehyde, sometimes simply called aldehyde. It melts at −123°C;, boils at 20. , may play a role in addicting adolescents to smoking. In the study, adolescent laboratory rats increased their intake of nicotine when it was combined with acetaldehyde. Adult rats did not. All the rats were placed in cages where they could poke their noses through holes and receive either nicotine, saline, acetaldehyde, or a mixture of acetaldehyde and nicotine. Over five days, with increasing frequency, the adolescent rats showed a preference for the acetaldehyde-nicotine combination. The adult rats did not show any preference. "Our results show that acetaldehyde, at the same relative concentration found in cigarette smoke, dramatically increases the reinforcing properties of nicotine," says Dr. Beliuzzi. "Furthermore, the effect is age-related, with adolescent animals far more sensitive than adults." In This Installment * What causes tobacco addiction * Why secondhand smoke is harmful to nonsmokers * The latest research on tobacco addiction and teens Assessment Tools Use the Activity Reproducible on the back of this page as an Assessment Quiz to determine what your students have learned about tobacco addiction and secondhand smoke. More Information For access to more information for teens on tobacco addiction research, visit www.teens.drugabuse.gov. For information on tobacco abuse and addiction, go to www.smoking.drugabuse.gov. Find information on how to quit smoking at www.smokefree.gov. Lesson Plan & Reproducible Preparation: Before conducting the lesson, make two photocopies of the Student Activity" Reproducible for a pre- and post-lesson quiz. Lesson 1: Heads Up: What Do You Know About Tobacco Addiction and Secondhand Smoke? OBJECTIVE To test students' self-knowledge about tobacco addiction and secondhand smoke before and after reading the article RATIONAL SCIENCE EDUCATION STANDARDS Life Science: Science in Personal and Social Perspective WHAT YOU WILL DO * Ask students, What makes tobacco addictive? and What is secondhand smoke and why is it harmful? Give students time for discussion. * Distribute copies of the Student Activity Reproducible. Tell students to write their name on the paper and answer the questions. Explain that they. will answer the questions again after they read the article. * Next provide students with three questions to consider as thin read the article "The Deadly Effects of Tobacco Addiction" in their magazine. Why is tobacco addiction a problem for adolescent? What health problems are caused by smoking? What are the dangers of secondhand smoke? * After students read the article and discuss their answers, have them complete the Student Activity Reproducible again. When they have finished, reveal the correct answers. * Wrap up the lesson by asking students: How would you respond to a teen smoker who says, "I can quit whenever I want"? What would you say to someone you know who regularly smokes around children? STUDENT ACTIVITY REPRODUCIBLE Name -- Date -- |
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