Ask Your Pharmacist – ‘The Benefits of Smoking’
A CAPSULAR MOMENT
The “Benefits” of Smoking
By David Bodunde, Rph
“I don’t like being told what to do. As a smoker, I’m being told what I can and can’t do all the time-by people I don’t even know! I’m an adult. I have the right to make choices about what I do and don’t want to do. I don’t smoke because I think it’s good for me!”
“I am a smoker. I like to smoke. It helps me relax. Takes the stress away, and helps me think straight. It’s part of my daily routine. Truth is, I am addicted to smoking-have been for years, but what the heck, lots of people are.”
These are excerpts from a booklet entitled “For smokers who don’t want to quit” published by the Canadian Cancer Society.
Smoking is the most important cause of preventable illness, disability, and premature death in Canada. Over half of all people who smoke will die as a result of their smoking after a reduced quality of life and most of them before their 70th birthday. The life-expectancy of a person who smokes is eight years less than that of someone who does not smoke. A brief summary of the harmful effects of smoking are discussed below.
Effects of Tobacco on Oral health
Bad breath and tooth stains
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Increased incidence of oral cancer
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Increased incidence, severity, and prognosis of gum disease
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Increased incidence of black hairy tongue
Effects of Tobacco on the Heart and Circulation
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The risk of death due to coronary heart disease is 70% higher in a smoker than in a non-smoker
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The risk of sudden death due to heart disease is two to four times higher or a person who smokes relative to a non-smoker.
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Passive smoking (second hand smoking) is associated with about a 30 % increase in risk of coronary artery disease, compared with an 80% increase in active smokers.
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People who smoke are approximately 1.5 times more likely to suffer a stroke than those who do not smoke.
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Women on oral contraceptives who smoke have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease than those who do not smoke
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77% of women and 81% of men aged 35 to 39 years who experience non-fatal heart attacks are smokers
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People who smoke are also at significantly increased risk for congestive heart failure compared with non-smokers.
Cancers
It is estimated that smoking is responsible for 30% of all cancer deaths. There is sufficient evidence to conclude that smoking significantly and independently increases risk of the following types of cancer:
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Bladder and kidney cancers
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Cervical cancer
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Endometrial cancer
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Oesophageal cancer
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Lung cancer
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Ovarian cancer
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Pancreatic cancer
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Stomach cancer
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Breast cancer
Reproductive and fertility issues
There is evidence to infer the following:
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A relationship between smoking and reduced fertility in women
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A relationship between smoking in pregnancy and preterm delivery, fetal growth restriction and low birth weight
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Increased risk for erectile dysfunction in men who smoke as well as poor semen volume, sperm density and sperm defects
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A causal relationship between maternal active smoking and sudden infant death syndrome, ectopic pregnancy and spontaneous abortion.
Diabetes
Results of the Insulin Resistance Atherosclerosis Study, suggests that current smokers have more than double the risk for type 2 diabetes than non-smokers. Also Blood glucose control is more difficult for smokers who already have diabetes.
Respiratory Consequences of Smoking
· There is evidence to show a relationship between smoking and asthma related symptoms (e.g., wheezing) in childhood and adolescence.
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Cigarette smoking during childhood and adolescence produces health problems among young people which include severe respiratory illnesses.
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Approximately y 80% of deaths due to COPD are directly related to smoking
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COPD represents the fourth leading cause of death in Canada behind cardiovascular disease, cancer, and cerebrovascular disease
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The rate of death due to COPD has increased over the past 30 to 40 years by more than 160%
To speak with Pharmacist David Bodunde, Rph in person, visit him at the Manitouwadge Pharmacy in the Hallmark Square or call 826-3888 during regular business hours.
MEDICAL DISCLAIMER The opinions expressed on OntarioNewsNorth.com and by David Bodunde,Rph are published for educational and informational purposes only, and are not intended as a diagnosis, treatment or as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis and treatment. Please consult a local physician or other health care professional for your specific health care and/or medical needs or concerns.
Neither OntarioNewsNorth.com nor David Bodunde,Rph endorse or recommend any commercial products, medical treatments, pharmaceuticals, brand names, processes, or services, or the use of any trade, firm, or corporation name is for the information and education of the viewing public, and the mention of any of the above on OntarioNewsNorth.com does not constitute an endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by OntarioNewsNorth.com or David Bodunde, Rph.
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