FACTS ABOUT TOBACCO ADDICTION, DISEASES, CANCER & DEATH

TOBACCO APPEARS TO BE AS OLD AS HUMAN CIVILIZATION. CULTIVATION OF THE TOBACCO PLANT PROBABLY DATES BACK 8000 YEARS. THE TWO SPECIES OF THE PLANT ARE NICOTIANA RUSTICA AND NICOTIANA TABACUM,
CONTENTS OF TOBACCO --
ADDICTION FACTOR----NICOTINE.
TOXIC AND CARCINOGENIC CHEMICALS.---TOBACCO-SPECIFIC NITROSAMINE, POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS, CARBON MONOXIDE, TAR.
CIGARETTES CONTAINS---- » 4,000 CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS, 200 KNOWN POISONS, 60 CANCER CAUSING AGENTS.
WHEN A SMOKER INHALES, THE NICOTINE REACHES THE BRAIN IN AROUND 8 SECONDS. REGULAR SMOKERS SAY IT HELPS THEM RELAX AND FEEL LESS HUNGRY.
NICOTINE –(ADDICTIVE CHEMICAL ) ---- SMOKERS CAN GET HOOKED VERY QUICKLY AND IT CAN TAKE YEARS AND A HUGE EFFORT TO KICK THE HABIT. NOT MANY PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO REMAIN OCCASIONAL SMOKERS.
GLOBALLY TOBACCO RELATED DEATHS —
DEATH OF 1 IN 10 ADULTS (ABOUT 5 MILLION DEATHS EACH YEAR) .
WITH 2.41 MILLION DEATHS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES . 2.43 (2.13.2.78) MILLION IN DEVELOPED COUNTRIES. 3.84 MILLION DEATHS WERE IN MEN.
THE LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH FROM SMOKING ----
• CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES (1.69 MILLION ),
• CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE (0.97 MILLION )
• LUNG CANCER (0.85 MILLION ).
• FIFTY PER CENT OF UNNECESSARY DEATHS DUE TO TOBACCO OCCUR IN MIDDLE AGE (35.69 YEARS),
• ROBBING AROUND 22 YEARS OF NORMAL LIFE EXPECTANCY.
• THE ATTRIBUTABLE MORTALITY IN MALES (13.3%) / FEMALES (3.8%).
• 12% FOR VASCULAR DISEASE.
• 66% FOR CANCER OF THE TRACHEA, BRONCHUS AND LUNG CANCERS
• 38% FOR CHRONIC RESPIRATORY DISEASE.
• PRESENTLY, MORE THAN 10 MILLION PEOPLE GLOBALLY ARE DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER EVERY YEAR. IT IS ESTIMATED THAT BY 2020, THERE WILL BE 15 MILLION.

CANCER CAUSES 6 MILLION DEATHS EVERY YEAR, OR 12% OF DEATHS WORLDWIDE.
• THE TOBACCO-RELATED CANCERS REPORTED BY THE POPULATION-BASED CANCER REGISTRIES OF BANGALORE, BARSHI (RURAL), BHOPAL, CHENNAI, DELHI AND MUMBAI CONSTITUTE 56.4% AND 44.9% OF CANCERS.
• IN MALES TOP FIVE OR SIX CANCERS ARE ALL TOBACCO-RELATED ---CANCERS: OF THE LUNG, ORAL CAVITY, LARYNX, OESOPHAGUS AND PHARYNX.
• IN WOMEN, THE LEADING CANCER SITES INCLUDE THOSE RELATED TO TOBACCO: CERVIX, ORAL CAVITY, OESOPHAGUS AND LUNG.
• OTHER CANCERS---CANCERS OF OESOPHAGUS, STOMACH, LIVER, PANCREAS, CANCERS OF LARYNX, NASOPHARYNX, NASAL CAVITY AND NASAL SINUSES, CANCERS OF URINARY BLADDER, KIDNEY , CANCERS OF CERVIX, AND MYELOID LEUKAEMIA.
SECOND HAND TOBACCO SMOKE HAS ALSO BEEN CONCLUSIVELY SHOWN TO BE CARCINOGENIC TO THE LUNGS.
• MORE THAN 55 LAKH PEOPLE WORLDWIDE DIE EACH YEAR FROM TOBACCO USE.NEARLY 8 LAKH INDIANS DIE FROM TOBACCO USE EVERY YEAR, WHICH IS MORE THAN THOSE KILLED BY AIDS, TUBERCULOSIS, AND MALARIA COMBINED. MORE THAN 2,200 INDIANS DIE EVERY DAY DUE TO TOBACCO USE.
• 40 OUT OF 100 CANCER CASES IN INDIA ARE TOBACCO-RELATED. NEARLY 95% OF ALL ORAL CANCERS OCCUR AMONG TOBACCO USERS.
• TOBACCO USE ALSO CAUSES STROKE, HEART ATTACK, LUNG DISEASE, BLINDNESS AND OTHER ILLNESSES.
• TOBACCO USERS FEEL TEN YEARS OLDER AND DIE TEN YEARS YOUNGER THAN PEOPLE WHO DO NOT USE TOBACCO.
• 50 OUT OF 100 TEENAGERS WHO SMOKE TODAY WILL EVENTUALLY DIE OF TOBACCO RELATED DISEASE UNLESS THEY QUIT.
WHEN YOUNG PEOPLE SMOKE OR CHEW TOBACCO THEY:
• EXPERIENCE LOSS OF STAMINA DURING AND AFTER EXERCISE.
• FACE DIFFICULTY IN BREATHING, RUNNING AND SPORTING ACTIVITIES.
• GET TIRED EASILY.
• YOU MAY BELIEVE SMOKING MAKES YOU LOOK TRENDY AND COOL, BUT YOU CAN BECOME IMPOTENT/INFERTILE.
• SMOKING AND TOBACCO USE CAUSES TEETH STAINS AND BAD BREATH.”
• SMOKING AND TOBACCO USE DRIES OUT YOUR SKIN AND HAIR. IT IS LIKELY TO CAUSE WRINKLES.” QUITTING MAKES YOU FEEL BETTER AND YOU START TASTING FOOD BETTER.



EFFECTS OF QUITTING TOBACCO----
2 HOURS AFTER QUITTING: NICOTINE IS OUT OF THE SYSTEM.

12 HOURS: CARBON MONOXIDE IS OUT OF THE SYSTEM AND LUNG FUNCTION BEGINS TO IMPROVE.

2 DAYS: SENSE OF SMELL IMPROVES; PHYSICAL ACTIVITY BECOMES EASIER AND MORE AIR GETS INTO THE LUNGS.
2 MONTHS: LUNGS WORK MORE EFFICIENTLY AND ARE ABLE TO REMOVE MUCOUS; BLOOD FLOW TO THE LIMBS IMPROVES.
12 MONTHS: RISK OF HEART DISEASE IS HALF THAT OF A CONTINUING SMOKER.

10 YEARS: RISK OF LUNG CANCER IS LESS THAN HALF THAT OF A CONTINUING SMOKER.

15 YEARS: RISK OF HEART ATTACK AND STROKE IS ALMOST THE SAME AS A PERSON WHO HAS NEVER SMOKED.

DR NITIN KHUNTETA