Smoking

kills
KRISHNARAJ V NAIIR
CHIEF HEALTH INSPECTOR
INDIAN RAILWAYS @2023/02
 Topics
1. Introduction

2. Causes of smoking

3. Effects of smoking

4. Preventive measures for smoking

5. Exercise & Photos

 1. Introduction
Smoking is a practice in which tobacco is burned and the smoke is inhaled.
This smoke which contains nicotine is then absorbed through the lungs. The
history of smoking can be dated to as early as 5000 BC, and has been
recorded in many different cultures across the world. Early smoking evolved
in association with religious ceremonies; as offerings to deities, in cleansing
divination or spiritual enlightenment. After the European exploration and
conquest of the Americans, the practice of smoking tobacco quickly spread
to the rest of the world. In Europe, it introduced a new type of social activity
and a form of drug intake which previously had been unknown.
Perception surrounding smoking has varied over time and from one place to
another; holy and sinful, sophisticated and deadly health hazard. Only
recently, and primarily in industrialized Western countries, has smoking
come to be viewed in a negative light. Today medical studies have proven
that smoking tobacco is among the leading causes of many diseases such
as lung cancer, heart attacks, and can also lead to birth defects. The well-
proven health hazards of smoking have caused many countries to institute
high taxes on tobacco products and anti-smoking campaigns are launched
every year in an attempt to curb tobacco smoking.
The most common method of smoking today is
through cigarettes. A cigarette is a product
consumed through smoking and manufactured
out of cured and finely cut tobacco leaves and
reconstituted tobacco, often combined with
other additives, then rolled or stuffed into a
paper-wrapped cylinder. The cigarette is ignited
at one end and allowed to smolder for the
purpose of inhalation of its smoke from the other
end, which is inserted in the mouth. They are
sometimes smoked with a cigarette holder.
Smoking and Tobacco-related diseases are
some of the biggest killers in the world today
and are cited as one of the biggest causes of
premature death in industrialized countries.
 2. Cause of Smoking
•Curiosity: The most common reason for
teenagers to start smoking is that they want
to satisfy their curiosity; that they wished to be
like others, or simply that they were given a
cigarette.
•Sense of Relaxation: Heavy smokers tend
to smoke more when they are under
pressure. Adults claim that smoking gives a
sense of relaxation, helps them to
concentrate and gives them relief when they
are anxious.
•Advertising: Advertising presents smoking
as glamorous, sophisticated and ‘macho’. It
appeals to the young people’s need to be
adventurous and independent. Hence, they
may easily pick smoking. However,
government has imposed restrictions on
cigarette ads, which may arouse teenagers to
smoke.
•Films and Serials: Films and Serials have
a considerable impact on teenagers to
smoke. A film/serial personality, who is
shown smoking, may have a great influence
on young audience. Young adults who want
to be like them may try to imitate them and
may start smoking.
•Parental Influence: Smoking by parents
also have an enormous influence on the
smoking behavior of their children; it
motivates the children to smoke. Children of
smokers, due to passive smoking, are
exposed to so much nicotine over the years
that it may set them up for a smoking habit
themselves.
•Peer pressure: Smoking may begin due to
peer pressure. Young adults may start
smoking in the company of their friends, who
have smoking habit. These young adults
smoke to be accepted by their group, or else
they may feel isolated.
Social Factors: Social factors play an
important role in forming a smoking habit.
These factors include:
• Social usage of cigarettes at parties
and other such gatherings: people as
specially youngsters have an habit of
smoking among their peers during parties
and function
• Cigarette accessibility:
Cigarettes are freely accessible freely so
much that even a child can buy it.
•Social approval:
People in society do not care about any
thing hence they don’t try to stop it.
 Effects of smoking
Tobacco use most commonly leads to
diseases affecting the heart and lungs,
with smoking being a major risk factor for
heart attacks, Chronic Obstructive
Pulmonary Disease (COPD), and cancer,
particularly lung cancer, cancers of the
larynx and mouth, and pancreatic cancer.
Overall life expectancy is also reduced in
regular smokers, with estimates ranging
from 2.5 to 10 years fewer than
nonsmokers. About half of male smokers
will die of illness due to smoking. The
association of smoking with lung cancer is
strongest, both in the public perception
and etiologically. People who have
smoked tobacco at some point have
about a one in ten chance of developing
lung cancer during their lifetime
Following are the few effects of smoking:

Mortality:
Male and female smokers lose an average of 13.2
and 14.5 years of life, respectively.
According to the results of a 50 year study of 34,439
male British doctors, at least half of all lifelong
smokers die earlier as a result of smoking

Cancer:
The primary risks of tobacco usage include many
forms of cancer, particularly lung cancer, cancer of
the kidney, cancer of the larynx and head and neck,,
bladder, esophagus, pancreas, and stomach . There
is some evidence suggesting an increased risk of
myeloid leukemia, liver cancer, cervical cancer,
colorectal cancer after an extended latency,
childhood cancers and cancers of the gall bladder,
adrenal gland and small intestine.
The following are some of the most important
carcinogens in cigarettes responsible for
cancer:

•Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons.

•Acrolein

•Nitrosamines

•Radioactive carcinogens :In addition to

chemical, nonradioactive carcinogens,
tobacco and tobacco smoke contain small
amounts of lead-210 (210Pb) and polonium-
210 (210Po) both of which are radioactive
carcinogens. Researches estimated that a
carcinogenic radiation dose of 80-100 rads is
delivered the lung tissue of most smokers who
die of lung cancer.
Cardiovascular disease:
Inhalation of tobacco smoke causes
several immediate responses within the
heart and blood vessels. Within one
minute the heart rate begins to rise,
increasing by as much as 30 percent
during the first 10 minutes of smoking.
Carbon monoxide in tobacco smoke
exerts its negative effects by reducing
the blood’s ability to carry oxygen.
Smoking also increases the chance of
heart disease, stroke, atherosclerosis,
and peripheral vascular disease. Several
ingredients of tobacco lead to the
narrowing of blood vessels, increasing
the risk of a blockage, and thus a heart
attack or stroke. According to a study by
an international team of researchers,
people under 40 are five times more
likely to have a heart attack if they
smoke.
Infection:
Tobacco is also linked to
susceptibility to infectious diseases,
particularly in the lungs. Smoking
more than 20 cigarettes a day
increases the risk of tuberculosis by
two to four times. It is believed that
smoking increases the risk of these
and other pulmonary and respiratory
tract infections both through
structural damage and through
effects on the immune system. The
usage of tobacco also increases
rates of infection: common cold and
bronchitis, chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease, emphysema
and chronic bronchitis in particular.
Bronchitis
• Smoking also cause Chronic
bronchitis, bronchitis is nothing
but a chronic inflammatory
condition in the lungs that causes
the respiratory passages to be
swollen and irritated, increases
the mucus production and may
damage the lungs. The
symptoms are coughing and
breathlessness, which will get
worse over the years.

• The definition of chronic

bronchitis is chronic cough or
mucus reproduction for at least
three months in two successive
years when other causes have
been excluded.
Psychological effects
Smokers report a variety of physical and
psychological effects from smoking
tobacco. Those new to smoking may
experience nausea, dizziness, and rapid
heart beat. The unpleasant symptoms will
eventually vanish over time, with repeated
use, as the body builds a tolerance to the
chemicals in the cigarettes, such as
nicotine. The usage of tobacco also creates
cognitive dysfunction, which include:
increased risk of Alzheimer's disease and
decline in cognitive abilities, reduced
memory and cognitive abilities in
adolescent smokers, brain shrinkage
 4. Preventive Measures
for Smoking
The following are the preventive measures
for smoking:
•Modification in Cigarette: The harmful
effects of cigarette smoking might be
reduced by efficient filters, by using
modified tobaccos, or by leaving longer
cigarette stubs.
•Stubbing of Cigarette: The cigarette
smoke from the second half contains a
higher and steadily rising concentration of
potentially toxic substance then the smoke
of the first half-some means of persuading
cigarette smokers to stub out their
cigarettes before the second half is burnt
would almost certainly reduce the risk.
•Use of pipes and Cigars: Pipes and cigar
smokers have a lesser risk than cigarette
smokers of developing lung cancer,
bronchitis, and coronary heart disease. Hence,
cigarette smokers could be persuaded to
change to these safer forms of smoking
•Anti-Smoking Education: Anti-smoking
education by means of lectures, pamphlets,
posters, of video films must be introduced in
Schools and colleges. Mass media can play an
important role by highlighting the
disadvantages of smoking.
•Government Measures: Government should
take the following steps to curb the present
rising consumption of tobacco, especially
cigarettes:-
Public Education: Efforts should be devoted
to draw the attention of the public to the
hazards of smoking. Special attention should
be paid to effective education of school
children and young adults. The attention of
parents should continually be drawn to their
responsibility for discouraging their children
from smoking. Such public education may also
point out towards safer smoking habits for
those whose addiction is too strong to
overcome. An educational effective restrictions
on the sale of tobacco to children
Restriction an Ads: Economically powerful
industrialists and their distributors spend
heavily on enticing cigarette advertisements to
lure people to take to smoking. Strict legislation
should be introduced to control such
advertising in the interest of public health. The
Government of India has imposed restrictions
on cigarette advertisements. Also, the
government has passed a resolution on 2nd
October, 2005, that smoking in any form in
serials or films in ban.
Restriction on Smoking at Public
Places: The right to a smoke-free
environment is spreading in public places
and hence, a wider restriction on
smoking must be introduced in public
places. This would be desirable for non-
smokers. It might ultimately contribute
much to the discontinuance of smoking
due to social acceptance by others.
People who need to smoke can be
allowed to do so in special “smoking
zones”.
Taxes: An increase in taxes on tobacco
can act as one of the important
preventive measures for smoking.
Increase in taxes will result in increase in
cigarette prices. The increase in cigarette
Prices may reduce cigarette smoking.
Anti-Smoking Clinics: Anti-smoking clinics
can be introduced for individuals, who find
difficulty in overcoming smoking. Such
clinics help smokers to receive expert
advice and also the assistance of other
people who had succeeded in freeing
themselves form addiction to tobacco. Such
clinics use nicotine injections to provide
some satisfaction during the period of
withdrawal symptoms.

• Measures by None-government
Organizations (NGOs): Measures taken by
NGOs to prevent smoking are
Public awareness campaign.
Counseling, etc.
 Exercise
•Getting Ready to Quit
•Set a date for quitting. If possible, have a friend quit smoking with
you.
• Notice when and why you smoke. Try to find the things in your
daily life that you often do while smoking (such as drinking your
morning cup of coffee, etc).
•Change your smoking routines: Keep your cigarettes in a different
place. Smoke with your other hand. Don't do anything else when
smoking. Think about how you feel when you smoke.
•Smoke only in certain places, such as outdoors.
•When you want a cigarette, wait a few minutes. Try to think of
something to do instead of smoking; you might chew gum or drink a
glass of water.
• Buy one pack of cigarettes at a time. Switch to a brand of
cigarettes you don't like.
•Just before your stop date, get rid of all of your cigarettes, matches,
lighters and ashtrays.
On the Day You Quit
• Get support and encouragement.
• Learn how to handle stress and the urge to smoke. When you get that
urge to smoke (and you will), drink some water. Relax by taking a hot
bath, going for a walk, or breathing slowly and deeply. Think of changes in
your daily routine that will help you resist the urge to smoke. For example,
if you used to smoke when you drank coffee, drink hot tea instead. Think
about how your cigarette money helps support those hypocritical tobacco
companies whose income is derived at the expense of the health, wealth,
happiness, efficiency, and resources of the addicted smoker.
• Give yourself rewards for stopping smoking. For example, with the money
you save by not smoking, buy yourself something special.
• Get medication and use it correctly. Nicotine replacement products are
ways to take in nicotine without smoking. These products are like: gum,
patch, nasal spray, inhaler and lozenge. Using one of these roughly
doubles your chance of stopping smoking if you really want to stop.
Lung cancer
Larynx cancer
Esophagus cancer
Thank You for your time

KRISHNARAJ V NAIIR
CHIEF HEALTH INSPECTOR
INDIAN RAILWAYS @2023/02