Smoking: A Health Risk

1. MiMi – Health Project WithImmigrantsforImmigrants InterculturalHealth in Germany Topic: Smoking: A HealthRisk Speaker: Chris EzehBA Mass CommunicationFounder/CEO & MD EuroAfricaCentral Network www.euroafricacentral.com

2. Smoking: A Health Risk 1. Introduction 2. Risks of Smoking 2A) Ingredients 2B) Tobacco Causes Cancer 2C) Tobacco Increases Risk of Diseases 2D) Tobacco harms family 3. Living without Smoking 4. Giving up Smoking

3. 1. Introduction • In Germany, approx. 30 % of all men 20 % of all women are regurarly smoking • Many people think that smoking is a bad habit • But consuming tobacco is a kind of addiction • Tobacco contains a drug that causes addiction: Nicotine!

4. 1. Introduction • While smoking, every drag transports nicotine to brain • After smoking, level of nicotine declines quickly • Soft withdrawal symptoms: nervousness, arousal, irritability

5. 1. Introduction Withdrawal symptoms are so soft that a smoker hardly notices them. He just gets the feeling that he is missing something when not smoking. In fact, he is in lack of nicotine! That desire disappears if smoking restarts ÞFeeling of relaxation Relaxation just endures until one’s level of nicotine declines and therefore a smoker is again in need of another dose of nicotine.

6. 1. Introduction A smoker may become aware of his addiction if he is buying cigarettes even at night or during strong thunderstorms. Feeling of panic when smoker is out of cigarettes. Bringing forward arguments concerned with health or financial matters is not causing a revise of a smoker’s opinion. Bringing forward arguments concerned with health or financial matters is not causing a revise of the smoker's opinion. Because the smoker is afraid of, that his life would be incomplete without smoking.

7. 2. Risks of Smoking 2A) Ingredients Tobacco contains more than 3000 different dangerous and partly high dangerous substances. Nicotine : • Affects brain. There it creates feelings of relaxation when withdrawal symptoms are vanishing • Is a physical stress factor: increased pulsation, breathing gets faster and flat • Is a dangerous poison

8. 2. Risks of Smoking 2A) Ingredients Tar:Also: condensate Dangerous, cancer-causing Tar accumulates in lungs, for heavy smokers up to one cup of tar per year = Smoker’s cough

9. 2. Risks of Smoking • Light-cigarettes: • May contain less nicotine and tar, but on the other hand the smokers´ drags are more frequently and deeper • Other cancer-causing substances are also contained in this kind of cigarettes • Inhalation of cancer-causing substances shortens the life of smokers up to 5-9 years Rule of thumb: One single cigarette costs five minutes of life!

10. 2. Risks of Smoking 2B) Tobacco is cancer-causing Smoking increases risk to come down with cancer diseases. • Approx. 25 to 30 percent of all cases of cancer worldwide are caused by smoking, 90 percent of a fatal cases are caused by lung cancer • Smoking also influences development of other kinds of cancer diseases (e.g. cancer of the throat, cancer of the mouth, gullet cancer) • Risk also increases by chewing/ snuffing tobacco

11. 2. Risks of Smoking 2C) Tobacco increases risk of illness: • Tobacco harms heart, cardiovascular system and breathing. • Risks: Heart attack, stroke • ´smoker's leg´: Tissues is not any longer supplied with blood and therefore degenerates • Problems with virgilis and erection are caused by disturbed blood flow • Reduced fertility • Dangerous clots of blood may develop in female smokers which are additively taking birth control pills

12. 2. Risks of Smoking 2D) Smoking harms family • Who smokes harms his own and others´ health • Smoke of cigarettes endangers everyone who is constantly inhalating (passive smokers) it Smoking parents endanger their children's health.

13. 2. Risks of Smoking Toddlers and babies which have to live with smokers are suffering more frequently from: • Asthma • Allergies • Bronchitis • Inflammations of the middle ear • Colds • Pneumonia

14. 2. Risks of Smoking Pregnant and breast feeding women and their partners should not be smoking by no means! Increased risk of tubal or abdominal pregnancy, abortions, preterm delivery, still births, crib deaths, impairments of baby in womb Parents should deal responsible with their (unborn) children’s health and stop smoking!

15. 3. Living without Smoking Smokers loose quality of life due to their addiction! • Veins and arteries are blocked by poison and therefore transport less oxygen to organs and muscles • Floppiness, tiredness • Sports and exercises are no fun anymore

16. 3. Living without Smoking Smokers loose quality of life due to their addiction! Smoking is expensive. It is expensive to get relieve of withdrawal symptoms It also causes: yellow teeth and fingers, stinky clothes, hairs and apartment.

17. 3. Living without Smoking Good reasons to quit: Smoking only eases nicotine-caused stress Cigarettes: • just relax oneself in stressful situations because withdrawal symptoms are disappearing. • Are not helpful against boredom. • are not increasing one’s concentration. Symptoms of withdrawal and bad brain-supply even decreases one’s concentration ability • are no energisers, contrarily they are causing lethargy

18. 4. To Give up Smoking Smokers do not smoke for entertainment but because their nicotine addiction forces them. Withdrawal symptoms are so rarely found that addiction takes place in head (psychological addiction). Most important: To come to the decision never to smoke again. And to stay true to it.

19. 4. To Give up Smoking Different methods of nicotine withdrawal : Day-to-day withdrawal. Getting rid of smoking utensils. Eventually avoiding situations in smoking was common. Chewing gums and band-aids may help against physical consequences of withdrawal by supplying nicotine to the body. • Disadvantage: Physical addiction keeps on • Follow instructions of package insert! • In no ways additivelysmoking is allowed (nicotine toxication)!

20. 4. To Give up Smoking Slowly decreasing one’s consumption rate of tobacco and finally discontinuing it. This methods needs high motivation. The desire for a cigarette is permanent, because one’s level of nicotine falls constantly and one’s resulting desire is never satisfied on time. At the worst case, smoking develops a constantly increasing top-ranked thought. Courses of withdrawal may help to change behaviour and attitudes concerned with smoking. Smokers receive advice on how to prevent to relapse. Many health insurances cover resulting costs partly.

21. Thank you for your attention