Roommates and Second Hand Smoke

          Even though you don’t smoke, your friends and roommates might. This leaves you with the opportunity to be exposed to second hand smoke, which is proven to have chemicals that cause cancer! These chemicals can be found both in mainstream smoke (the smoke that a smoker exhales) as well as sidestream smoke (smoke that floats from a burning cigarette).

         The truth is that unless you have a home that is 100% smoke free you will in fact be exposed to second hand smoke. Even if you roommate only smokes in their room or by an open window or door, the smoke is still able to spread throughout the house. This is because the smoke is able to travel through doors, plumbing, windows, heating systems AND electrical outlets! Surprising, I know!

         There are both short and long term effects of second hand smoke that will affect you and pets as well.  Short-term effects can include dizziness, nausea, headaches and even more frequent colds! This could lead to slowing academic and fitness activities! In the long run you can increase risks for heart disease, respiratory disease, lung cancer and breast cancer!

         So, how do you talk to a roommate about smoking? It is best to negotiate house rules prior to moving in. These rules can include rules regarding cleaning, guests, drugs and 100% smoke free rule! These rules should include no indoor smoking, smoking outdoors 10m away from doorways (smoke can travel through doors after all!) and ensuring guests follow the same rules. You could maybe even discuss with your landlord about making a 100% smoke free policy for the entire building. Some landlords will already have this in place!

         Want more information? Come check out our booth - we have a pamphlet about how smoke travels through the home! Look at our facebook page for times and locations of our booth J

References

Leave the Pack Behind – Smoke and Multi-Unit Dwellings

http://www.ltpb.org/tob_muds.php

 Banning Smoking in outdoor Spaces: Realistic or Ridiculous?

            Ever since smoking was found to be harmful and to cause cancer, policy makers have been working hand in hand with health care professionals and researchers to create healthier spaces for Canadians. A few years ago, it was banning smoking indoors at public places, such as bars and restaurants. There was little argument from the public for this policy – as most could agree smoking indoors at bars was unfair to the health of non-smoking patrons.

            However, a recent recommendation by Middlesex-London Public Health Unit to ban smoking in the outdoor areas of bars and restaurants has restaurant owners up in arms. The public health unit maintains that adding this policy is a necessary next step to keeping the public safe, as many patios can be quite confined even though they are “outside”. On the other hand, many restaurant owners feel that this policy would be too much – that there is already a huge amount of restrictions on smokers and that this one is going too far. Although smokers are the minority in the population, many bar and restaurant owners in the area are concerned that this new policy will drive customers away.

            The idea of banning smoking in these outdoor spaces even has policy makers themselves in conflict. One councillor in the area does not support the idea, as he says that adults can choose if they want to be on a patio where people are smoking and they are exposed to second hand smoke. The public health unit however maintains the necessity of this policy coming into place, and they are not the only Ontario community to bring forth the idea. 

Across Ontario, this potential policy has been popping up in the news – so what do YOU think UW? Is banning smoking in outdoor spaces at bars & restaurants reasonable or ridiculous?

Reference: http://www.londoncommunitynews.com/2011/11/patio-smoking-ban-recommendation-lights-debate/

Electronic cigarettes

A harm reduction strategy for tobacco control? 

          First of all, to give you a clue, an electronic cigarette is a battery-powered device that provides inhaled doses of nicotine vaporized solution. The vapor can also provides a flavor and physical sensation similar to that of inhaled tobacco smoke, although there is no tobacco, combustion or smoke present. They use a rechargeable lithium ion battery.

           It was invented by a Chinese pharmacist Hon Lik in 2003. The company he worked for, Golden Dragon Holdings, changed its name to Ruyan (meaning "to resemble smoking") and started exporting its products in 2005-2006.

          Nicotine solutions are sometimes referred to as "e-liquid" or "e-juice", with hundreds of different flavors available, including regular tobacco and menthol, fruit , chocolate, vanilla, caramel, coffee, and cola. Also different nicotine solution concentrations are available, to let the user decide the amount of nicotine to be taken in. Concentrations range from Zero Nicotine, low and mid-range doses (6–8 mg/ml and 10–14 mg/ml respectively), to high and extra-high doses (16–18 mg/ml and 24–36 mg/ml respectively).


            The solutions consist of nicotine dissolved in propylene glycol (PG) and/or vegetable glycerin (VG). Both PG and VG are common food additives. PG has been used as a water-based chemical additive in asthma inhalers and nebulizers since the 1950s, with no serious side effects known. Seems like a good idea to help people quit smoking. So why don't we see them being sold in stores in Canada?

          Health Canada hasn't approved the electronic cigarettes for use until they have completed their studies to evaluate their safety. They are concerned they may cause nicotine poisoning or addiction. "Although these electronic smoking products may be marketed as a safer alternative to conventional tobacco products and, in some cases, as an aid to quitting smoking, electronic smoking products may pose risks such as nicotine poisoning and addiction," Health Canada said. 

          A study done by the U .S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Division have identified several problems with the e-cigarettes:

·        Diethylene glycol (poisonous) was detected in one of the cartridges.

·        Tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs) were detected in all of the cartridges from one brand and two of the cartridges from the other brand.

·        Actual nicotine levels did not always correspond to the amount of nicotine the cartridges purported to contain

·        The analysis found traces of nicotine in some cartridges that claimed to be nicotine-free

·        Inconsistent amounts of nicotine delivered when drawing on the device

          In New Hampshire a group of students, joining with a group called “Breathe New Hampshire” petitioned the state government to ban the sale of electronic cigarettes to minors. While sale of electronic cigarettes to minors remains legal, some worry that electronic cigarettes will serve as a gateway to smoking cigarettes, especially with flavours such a chocolate. One teen involved in the legal proceedings claims that her peers will see electronic cigarettes as similar to “having a new cell phone. It’s cool. It’s electronic.”

          However there are many organizations such as the American Association of Public Health Physicians which support the use of e-cigarettes. In their petition to the FDA, they stated: "We have generated these petitions because reclassification of E-cigarettes to tobacco products could open the door to a new harm reduction component to current tobacco control programming. That new component, in turn, could rapidly and substantially reduce tobacco-related illness and death without increasing the numbers of teens initiating nicotine use"

          Numerous studies point out the potential of harm reduction in using e-cigs. They generally say that an e-cigarette produces less harm than the 4000 chemicals and 40 known carcinogens in tobacco smoke A recent study led by Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) researchers reports that electronic cigarettes are a promising tool to help smokers quit, producing six-month abstinence rates nearly double those for traditional nicotine replacement products. 


          Many countries including the UK, Netherlands, and China allow the sale of e-cigs, and even allow their use indoors in pubs. So is Electronic cigarettes good or bad? You decide!


http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110208171442.htm
http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2009/03/27/electronic-smoking.html

Light cigarettes vs. regular cigarettes

          Our society has become so health conscious these days. We are constantly concerned with what we are putting in our bodies. Marketers use the words ‘light’, ‘low fat’ to sell a product, as individuals feel as if they are eating healthier.

           The same goes for cigarettes. For decades now, cigarette makers have markets so-called light cigarettes – which contain less nicotine than regular smokes –with the implication that they are less harmful, however a study at UCLA shows, that they deliver nearly as much nicotine to the brain. 

What is a light cigarette?

     Tobacco manufacturers have been redesigning cigarettes since the 1950s. Certain redesigned cigarettes with the following features were marketed as “light” cigarettes:

           ◦    Cellulose acetate filters (to trap tar).

           ◦    Highly porous cigarette paper (to allow toxic chemicals to escape).

            ◦    Ventilation holes in the filter tip (to dilute smoke with air).

Different blends of tobacco.

          Light cigarettes have nicotine levels of 0.6 to 1 milligrams, while regular cigarettes contain between 1.2 and 1.4 milligrams.

          Cigarettes with less nicotine than regular cigarettes, such as 'light' cigarettes, still occupy most brain nicotine receptors. Thus, low-nicotine cigarettes function almost the same as regular cigarettes in terms of brain nicotine-receptor occupancy.

          In an earlier study, researchers determined that smoking a regular, non-light cigarette resulted in the occupancy of 88 percent of these nicotine receptors. However, that study did not determine whether inhaling nicotine or any of the thousands of other chemical found in cigarette smoke resulted in this receptor occupancy.

          Developed in the 1960s, lower-tar or specially filtered cigarettes grew in popularity and now represent 97 percent of all cigarette sales. Despite a widespread consumption of the so-called "safer" cigarettes, NCI found that lung cancer rates continued to rise steadily between the late 1960s and early 1990s. An overall decline in lung cancer rates since the 1990s can be attributed to the decrease in smoking prevalence, and not to changes in cigarette design, says the NCI. Results of studies conducted in the United Kingdom produced similar results.

          Smokers who switch to low-tar or low-nicotine cigarettes from regular cigarettes "compensate" for the lower nicotine level by inhaling more deeply; taking larger, more rapid, or more frequent puffs; or by increasing the number of cigarettes smoked per day," thus canceling any possible benefit from smoking "low-tar" cigarettes.

          In addition, NCI found that tobacco industry marketing strategies for "low-tar" cigarettes, intended to reassure smokers, tended to prevent them from quitting.

          Moreover, there is no such thing as a safe cigarette. The only guaranteed way to reduce the risk to your health, as well as the risk to others, is to stop smoking completely.

The Benefits of Supportive Friends

          Announcing a plan to quit smoking can be a difficult one to do. However, informing friends or family about your plan of action has been shown to increase the likelihood that one will be able to quit smoking successfully!

          Support from a family member or friend can be provided in a variety of ways. If you have a friend who smokes you could ask them to not smoke around you during your process of quitting or even get them to quit smoking with you!  Having a pal who is quitting alongside you can allow you to support one another mutually and to help each other out when you feel like things are getting difficult. Studies have shown how peer influence plays a key role in someone’s decision to stop smoking. Using the buddy system to change addictive behavior actually works! It has also been proven that someone who smokes will more likely stop if a spouse, friend, co-worker or sibling did – start the trend!

          Sometimes you may come across some friends who are not ready to take the step to quit smoking themselves. This could lead them to continue smoking in front of you after you’ve requested them not to or make fun of you for being a ‘quitter’. Quitting smoking can be a stressful time and requires help from supportive friends. Maybe consider avoiding those who aren’t encouraging your decision to quit or staying away from situations that they make difficult for you until you are over the initial hump in the quitting process.

          Whether it’s face-to-face support or even an encouraging email, friends and family can contribute greatly to your success! If you are interested in more support from someone whose job is to know a lot about quitting consider talking to a campus health profession, family physician, pharmacist or even call the smokers helpline (1-877-513-5333)!

Nicotine gum: $15

Nicotine lozenges:  $30

Friends to help you quit: priceless J

         

References:

Leave the Pack Behind, Ask A Friend For Support

Friends quit smoking? You probably will too - http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24759804/ns/health-addictions/t/friends-quit-smoking-you-probably-will-too/#.Tqg8dhySiH9

Smoking up… what’s the harm?

        Almost all young adults are aware of the consequences of smoking cigarettes on health.   However, the risks associated with smoking marijuana and the effects it has on social smoking of tobacco products are far less known. 

        Marijuana is an illegal tobacco alternative that

is used by some university students.  Like cigarettes, marijuana contains many chemicals – specifically, up to 400 different chemicals can be found in marijuana.

 

        Smoking a marijuana joint in comparison with smoking a tobacco cigarette:

•          Puts 5 times more carbon monoxide in your bloodstream
•          Puts 3 times more tar in smokers’ lungs

        In addition, smoking one joint is the equivalent to smoking 2.5-5 cigarettes with respect to decreased lung function and obstructing airflow!  The smoke from marijuana joint contains 50-70% higher levels of cancer causing chemicals!

        When put in comparison with a cigarette smoker, someone who smokes five joints a week would be taking in as many cancer causing chemicals as a cigarette smoker who smokes a pack a day!  Considering the severity of the consequences related to this mind-altering drug, you would think young adults would receive more information on the negative effects of smoking marijuana joint. 

        Marijuana is often used by individuals who also use tobacco products, and thus the two can be linked.  Avoidance of marijuana products when someone quits smoking cigarettes can also increase their odds of remaining smoke-free!

        What do you think about marijuana use and the similar health effects of smoking a joint and smoking a cigarette? Let us know, comment on our blog or Facebook wall!

Reference: Leave the Pack Behind, Marijuana and Tobacco Use Fact Sheet

Cigarette Smoking and Nicotine

       Cigarette smoking kills approximately 5 million people worldwide each year and is currently raising. Smoking is set to kill roughly 8.3 million people in the year 2030!

       Nicotine is the addictive quality in tobacco that causes people to reach for another cigarette. When you inhale tobacco smoke, the nicotine in the smoke moves quickly from your lungs into your bloodstream. Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) helps reduce nicotine withdrawal and craving by supplying your body with nicotine. It contains about one-third to one-half the amount of nicotine found in most cigarettes.

       People become dependent on the nicotine in cigarettes because it increases the levels of certain chemicals, such as dopamine and norepinephrine, in their brains. When people quit smoking, the levels of those chemicals drop, and their bodies react by having nicotine withdrawal symptoms such as grouchiness and hunger. Nicotine from medicines increases the levels of dopamine and norepinephrine just like nicotine from cigarettes does. Chemical levels in the brain are kept level so withdrawal symptoms are reduced.

       Nicotine replacement therapy is safe when used properly. Nicotine by itself is not nearly as harmful as smoking. Tars, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, ammonia and other toxic chemicals in tobacco cause harmful effects, not the nicotine. NRT doubles the chances of successful quitting compared to not using any aid (cold turkey).

__________________________________________________________________

Nicotine Patch

A nicotine patch can be used overnight (24 hours) or removed before going to bed for day use only (16 hours).

The patch is placed on the skin releasing a steady stream of nicotine into the bloodstream.

The patch is beneficial for those people who have early morning cravings.

Nicotine patches come in 3 doses: 7mg, 14mg, and 21mg. The starting dosage for a person vaires depending on their smoking history.

The patch can be used alone or in combination with the nicotine inhaler or nicotine chewing gum.

How to use the patch:

• Apply to clean dry area
• Rotate site every day
• Remove old patch before applying new one
• Do not use lotion, moisturizing soap on the area the patch is to be applied
• May need to clean area with alcohol wipe
• Touch only small corner of adhesive
• Rub patch after application – ensure all corners are stuck
• Wash hands in water after application –don’t use soap
• Discard old patch out of reach of children, animals – can still be harmful

Possible Side Effects:
Skin irritations may result at the site of the patch; it is important to rotate the site daily to avoid this.

The patch may cause sleep disturbances or vivid dreams when worn overnight. If this occurs, stop using        patch overnight and try managing night time cravings with the nicotine inhaler, or gum.

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Nicotine Inhaler

Nicotine inhalers are thin plastic canisters resembling cigarettes into which nicotine cartridges are inserted.

Inhalers provide the "hand to mouth" action similar to smoking cigarettes.

The inhaler can be used alone in combination with the patch or gum.

How to use the inhaler:

The inhaler is meant to be “puffed” similar to a cigar and not inhaled deeply into the lungs.

The inhaler can be used up to 20 minutes continuously or as needed.

Possible Side effects:
When using the inhaler, the person may notice a burning, warm or cool sensation. This is not dangerous.

Throat or mouth irritations are possible.

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Nicotine Gum

Nicotine Gum comes in 2 doses: 2 mg or 4mg.

Nicotine is absorbed via buccal mucosa and is absorbed into the bloodstream faster than the patch.

The gum can be used alone or in combination with the inhaler or patch to respond to immediate urges, similar to breakthrough pain medication.

Not recommended for those with dentures or throat, mouth, or jaw dysfunctions.

How to use the gum:

“Chew and Park” method:
• Bite the gum a few times slowly
• Then park it between your cheeks and gum
• Wait a minute while the nicotine is released
• Repeat bite

Possible side effects:
If chewed improperly stomach upset/aches and hiccups can result.

__________________________________________________________________

Nicotine Withdrawal

Nicotine Withdrawal

       Typically nicotine withdrawal can occur within a few hours of abstinence from nicotine, peak within a few days, and can last up to six months or longer. It is important to be able to identify nicotine withdrawal.

Immediate Onset
• Cravings to smoke
• Frustration
• Anger
• Anxiety
• Difficulty concentrating
• Restlessness

Later Onset (These symptoms tend to be more mild than immediate onset but can also last up to six months or longer)
• Nausea
• Diarrhea/constipation
• Shakiness
• Dizziness
• Appetite changes
• Fatigue
• Sleep disturbances
• Headaches
• Clumsiness

Myth: Smoking while on the patch increases the risk of a heart attack.

Fact: Use of NRT while smoking does not increase the smoker’s cardiovascular risk

References

http://www.inforesearchlab.com/smokingdeaths.chtml 

https://www.oma.org/HealthPromotion/Tobacco/Pages/default.aspx

http://www.quit-smoking-stop.com/harmful-chemicals-in-cigarettes.html

http://www.webmd.com/smoking-cessation/nicotine-replacement-therapy-for-quitting-tobacco

How can lighting up affect YOUR sex life?

     Many people start smoking with the intention of just doing it once in a while. Although to many individuals this may seem like an okay short-term idea but cigarettes contain nicotine, a highly addictive substance.

Nicotine, not only serves as an addictive substance, it is also a vasoconstrictor. This means that it tightens the blood vessels and restricts blood flow within the body. Nicotine is a vasoconstrictor, meaning it tightens blood vessels and restricts blood flow within the body. Over a long period of time, vasoconstrictors can cause permanent damage to arteries, which can result in numerous health care issues.  

     Since a man's erection depends on blood flow, researchers assumed smoking would affect erections. Studies have confirmed this time and again.

    Numerous research studies have proven that since penile erections solely depend on blood flow smoking is the primary contributor to impotence.  

     An insignificant amount of only two cigarettes could cause softer erections in male smokers. Results are supported by a review of all studies done on impotent men over the last two decades. The research depicted “40 percent of men affected by impotence were smokers, as opposed to 28 percent of the general male population. That is either a really amazing coincidence, or there is a relationship between smoking and male impotence.”

     It should be noted that most of these men were older, and smoking is considered just one cause of erectile dysfunction. Young smokers may not notice negative effects right away, but they could be setting themselves up for "failure" later on.

     So what does all this about impotence mean for women? During sexual arousal, the labia, clitoris, and vagina also swell up with blood, similar to a man's penis, enhancing sensation and excitement. If nicotine can restrict blood flow and cause erectile dysfunction in men, it may be reasonable to predict that blood flow is restricted in women as well, and may also have a negative effect on sensation.

Effects of smoking on female sexual health include:

•       Accelerated loss of female reproductive functioning

•       Many harmful substance founds in cigarettes may harm the ovaries

•       It causes early menopause.

•       Women who smoke tend to suffer abnormal menstrual patterns and discharge, and more pain over several days.

•       It increases the risk of spontaneous abortion and ectopic pregnancy.

•       Smoking causes mutations in ovum and effects reproductive capability.

•       Studies show that women who smoke or have smoked in the past may encounter difficulties getting pregnant with the chances of conceiving being decreased by up to 40% for each menstrual cycle.

     It's hard to say whether your sex life will improve if you quit smoking, since there are many factors influencing your sex life beyond genital sensation. Of course, quitting smoking would also eliminate stained teeth, unhealthy skin, rapid accumulation of wrinkles on the face, and clothing, hair, and breath that smell of smoke. That might improve one's sex life. Decreasing your risk of cancer and heart disease — which tend to have negative effects on one's sex life — could be sexy in the long run.

     According to the American Lung Association, it takes the average smoker two to four attempts at quitting to successfully kick the habit, and the process usually isn't a pleasant one. Withdrawal symptoms can include headaches, sweating, intestinal pain, respiratory pain and congestion (as a result of the lungs clearing themselves out), irritability, mood swings, insomnia and, as you've seen all too clearly, depression. The good news is that there are millions of happy, healthy ex-smokers as living proof that those symptoms will eventually pass.

Is Shisha as Harmful as Smoking Cigarettes?

      

       A trend that is growing in popularity is that of shisha smoking.  This activity is increasing among young crowds as its accessibility is on the rise. Many people believe that smoking shisha is not nearly as harmful as smoking a cigarette and that it’s in fact a safer alternative.  However, many studies have debunked these misconceptions!

Shisha is a flavoured tobacco that is smoked out of a hookah, also referred to as a water-pipe. Just a single hookah smoking session, of about 45 – 60 minutes could be equal to smoking 40 to 400 cigarettes! Many believe that there is little to no risk as the shisha tobacco smoke passes through water prior to inhalation. Surprisingly, this smoke does in fact still have high levels of toxic compounds, such as carbon monoxide, heavy metals, as well as cancer-causing chemicals.

When further comparing to cigarette smoking, the carbon monoxide levels can be up to five times higher in one shisha smoking session than in a cigarette! And what is carbon monoxide? This is an odorless gas that can be toxic to humans in high quantities. You can come across carbon monoxide from various sources such as fumes from cars or even charcoal grills!

Despite being just a ‘social activity’, the hookah smoke actually contains nicotine. This addictive chemical may eventually lead to cigarette smoking in the future.

Another concerning issue with shisha smoking is the sharing of the water-pipe. This could increase the transmission of diseases like tuberculosis, hepatitis or herpes!

What do you think about this issue UW?  Feel free to comment and discuss on this blog or our facebook!

References:

Hooka/Shisha Information Page, Leave the Pack Behind, 2011

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8214097.stm

Social Smoking: A Weekend Habit or Growing Addiction?

Social Smoking: A Weekend Habit or Growing Addiction?

          Social smoking is something we see as students every day.  Almost everyone knows a friend who will feverishly deny being a “smoker” yet that Friday night they are outside having a cigarette.  As young adults, the idea of social smoking something that is appealing to us – it allows for social lubrication when faced with new peer groups and new environments.  And since you’re only smoking on Friday nights, it can’t be that harmful, right?

          That low risk perception is the outlook many young adults have when it comes to social smoking.  No one in University believes that they will be smoking regularly, or at all, once they go out into the world as adults.  However, research shows us that only half of these young adults social smokers will quit, and 25% of them will go on to become regular smokers.

          Another reason many young adults begin and continue to smoke socially is access.  You don’t have to go to the convenience store and buy a whole pack, it is much easier to get just one from a friend at a party.  This can lead one to believe they are in control of their smoking behaviour, but medical researcher Dr. DiFranza from the University of Massachusetts disagrees.  Even if you smoke once a week, DiFranza says, the craving for nicotine can be building up until the next time you are able to “borrow a smoke” from a friend.  For many social smokers, the time between smoking often escalates until they are a regular smoker.

          If you are a social smoker, or you know friends who are, we’d love to hear how you feel about social smoking.  Comment and discuss on this blog or our facebook!

References:

Preventing the Initiation & Escalation of Smoking, Leave the Pack Behind, 2011

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/fulfillment-any-age/201106/i-m-social-smoker-who-are-you-kidding-0