SMOKING

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Vic Health

quit.org.au

The World Health Organization (WHO) called on international food and drug regulators to bring cigarettes and tobacco industry products under the same ambit of rules that govern the sales and promotion of other nicotine delivery devices.

"A cigarette is a euphemism for a cleverly crafted product that delivers just the right amount of nicotine to keep its user addicted for life before killing the person," WHO Director General Dr Gro Harlem Brundtland told a key meeting of international drug regulators in Berlin. WHO said the product should be judged for what it is, not what it is made out to be by the tobacco industry.

''The tobacco companies will inevitably tell you they are selling a simple agricultural product – chopped up tobacco leaves rolled into a paper tube. This is categorically untrue. Cigarettes are one of the most highly engineered consumer products available…the problem is the product itself,'' Dr. Brundtland told the Ninth International Conference of Drug Regulatory Authorities (ICDRA).

Tobacco smoking is the single largest cause of preventable death in Australia. In 1998, smoking caused around 4,750 deaths in Victoria. In 1998, tobacco killed 90 Victorians every week, about 13 per day. If we compare this to other causes of death in the same year, on average:

• Illicit drugs killed five Victorians every week
• Road accidents killed eight Victorians every week
• Alcohol killed 16 Victorians every week.

One in two lifetime smokers die from their habitTobacco causes more illness and death than any other drug. In 1998, in Australia, more than 19,000 people died from diseases caused by smoking. (almost 5 million worldwide each year). This is about 82 per cent of all drug-caused deaths. One in two lifetime smokers will die from their habit, half of these in middle age. In 2001, 25 per cent of men and 21 per cent of women aged 18 years and over smoked.

Click here for the Health Effects of Smoking PosterPDF file

(Warning; the graphic content of this poster may disturb some persons) A deadly cocktail of chemicals

• Tobacco smoke contains more than 4000 chemicals, including:
• Tar (a mixture of chemicals)
• Nicotine (an addictive substance)
• Carbon monoxide (found in car exhaust fumes)
• Ammonia (found in floor cleaner)
• Arsenic (found in rat poison).

At least 60 of the chemicals in tobacco smoke are known to cause cancer. Smoking causes cancer of the lung, throat, mouth, bladder and kidneys. Tobacco smoke also contributes to a number of other cancers and causes heart disease, stroke and emphysema. Cigarette smoking is addictive Nicotine, which occurs naturally in tobacco plants, is the drug that makes smokers want to keep on smoking. Research has shown that like heroin, nicotine is addictive. This means that when people start smoking regularly, they usually become dependent on smoking. After a while, the body is used to working with nicotine and feels a need for a regular dose. Withdrawal symptoms show the body is recoveringSmokers continue to smoke in order to avoid withdrawal symptoms, which can be very unpleasant. Withdrawal can bring about physical and emotional changes, which may include:

• Cravings
• Irritability, frustration, depression and/or anxiety
• Restlessness
• Difficulty concentrating
• Changed sleeping patterns
• Increase in appetite and weight gain
• Coughing.

These are all signs that the body is recovering and getting used to living without nicotine. On average, most symptoms are gone within two to four weeks. Most smokers want to quitResearch shows that most smokers have tried to quit. They are aware of the health problems caused by smoking for themselves and the people around them. Smokers also realise they spend a lot of money on cigarettes. It is important for a smoker to decide they want to quit and be confident they will succeed. The next step is to plan the best way to do it. A smoker might find it useful to think about why and when they smoke and then work out ways to tackle the urge to smoke. Type of help availableThere is help for smokers who want to quit. Some things that help people quit include:

• Counselling
• Education and information
• Nicotine patches, gum, inhaler, lozenges and tablets
• Bupropion (Zyban) - a prescription medicine.

Most smokers try a few times before they quitMost smokers try several times before they manage to quit for good. To have a cigarette does not have to mean failure. A person can learn from a setback and go on to succeed the next time. Where to get help

• Your doctor
• Your chemist
• Quitline Tel. 131 848

Things to remember

• Tobacco smoking is the single largest cause of preventable death in Australia
• Nicotine is a naturally occurring drug in tobacco that makes cigarette smoking addictive
• Many smokers try several times before they manage to quit for good.

Passive smoking

Passive smoking means breathing in other people's tobacco smoke. A smoker's exhaled smoke is called exhaled mainstream smoke. The smoke drifting from their lit cigarette is called side stream smoke. The combination of mainstream and side stream smoke is called environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). Most of the smoke that hangs in a room is side stream smoke, which contains higher levels of carcinogenic compounds than mainstream smoke. ETS is a common indoor pollutant. The fact that Australians spend about 90 per cent of their time indoors (on average) makes ETS a serious health hazard for both smokers and non-smokers. Children are particularly at risk of adverse health effects from passive smoking.

Exposure to passive smoking remains a serious health issue for the Victorian community and for hospitality staff. Passive smoking results in 19,000 hospital bed days in Victoria each year.

Smoking causes:

• Emphysema
• Heart disease
• High Blood Pressure
• Lung cancer
• Turberculosis
• Throat and mouth cancer
• Sudden infant death syndrome
• Low birth weight babies
• Many other diseases and illnesses.