Section Links

• healthy choices
• nutrition
• physical activity
• healthy weight
• quitting addictions

Smoking

(see also nicotine dependence and addiction and quitting smoking)

 

• prevalence of smoking
• what is smoke?
• health effects of smoking

 

 

Prevalence of Smoking

 

The Canadian Tobacco Use Monitoring Survey has found that

• 19% of Canadians are current smokers
• smokers have an aveage of 15 cigarettes daily
• the highest prevalence is in ages 20-24

 

 

 

What is Smoke?

over 3400 constitutents, including 43 carcinogens

• Po 210
• As, Ni, Cd, Cr
• acetaldehyde
• phenol
• HCN
• CO
• nicotine

 

Particulate matter

• tar is the toal particulate matter - minus the water content
• 3x10⁹ particles/ml (PM10 particles)

 

Gas content

 

 

Health Effects of Smoking

Smoking is the single most preventable cause of premature illness and death.

 

There are at least 24 conditions linked to tobacco (ref).

The most common cause of smoking-related death is cardiovascular disease.

It also causes many cancers, including:

• lung
• bladder
• pancreatic
• oropharyngeal
• esophageal

Nicotine causes inflammation, atherosclerosis

• peptic ulcer disease
• COPD
• thromboangitis obliterans: ulceration of extremeties, severe, refractory pain ant rest

Smoking decreases risk of

• colitis
• endometrial cancer

 

Smoking in Pregnancy

Intrauterine growth restruction is the most well-established link

placenta previa and premature membrane rupture as well.

low birth weight is doubled.

preterm delivery

may be correlations with cleft palate

3x risk of SIDS

 

 

 

Second-hand Smoke in Children

 

Can cause otitis media

asthma