5 Health Benefits of Smoking

1. Smoking lowers risk of knee-replacement surgery

While smokers might go broke buying a pack of cigarettes, they can at least save money by
avoiding knee-replacement surgery. Surprising results from a new study have revealed that
men who smoke had less risk of undergoing total joint replacement surgery than those who
never smoked.

The study, from the University of Adelaide in Australia, appears in the July issue of the journal
Arthritis & Rheumatism. What could be the connection? Knee-replacement surgery was more
common among joggers and the obese; smokers rarely jog, and they are less likely to
be morbidly obese.
After controlling for age, weight and exercise, the researchers were at a loss to explain the
apparent, albeit slight protective effects of smoking for osteoporosis. It could be that the
nicotine in tobacco helps prevent cartilage and joint deterioration.

2. Smoking lowers risk of Parkinson's disease

Numerous studies have identified the uncanny inverse relationship between smoking and
Parkinson's disease. Long-term smokers are somehow protected against Parkinson's, and it's
not because smokers die of other things earlier. [10 Easy Paths to Self-Destruction]
The most recent, well-conducted study was published in a March 2010 issue of the journal
Neurology. Far from determining a cause for the protective effect, these researchers found that
the number of years spent smoking, more so than the number of cigarettes smoked daily,
mattered more for a stronger protective effect.

Harvard researchers were among the first to provide convincing evidence that smokers were
less likely to develop Parkinson's. In a study published in Neurology in March 2007, these
researchers found the protective effect wanes after smokers quit. And they concluded, in their
special scientific way, that they didn't have a clue as to why.

3. Smoking lowers risk of obesity

Smoking — and, in particular, the nicotine in tobacco smoke — is an appetite suppressant. This
has been known for centuries, dating back to indigenous cultures in America in the pre-
Columbus era. Tobacco companies caught on by the 1920s and began targeting women with
the lure that smoking would make them thinner.

A study published in the July 2011 issue of the journal Physiology & Behavior, in fact, is one of
many stating that the inevitable weight gain upon quitting smoking is a major barrier in getting
people to stop, second only to addiction.

The relationship between smoking and weight control is complex: Nicotine itself acts as both a
stimulant and appetite suppressant; and the act of smoking triggers behavior modification that
prompts smokers to snack less. Smoking also might make food less tasty for some smokers,
further curbing appetite. As an appetite suppressant, nicotine appears to act on a part of the
brain called the hypothalamus, at least in mice, as revealed in a study by Yale researchers
published in the June 10, 2011, issue of the journal Science.
No respectable doctor would recommend smoking for weight control, given the toxic baggage
accompanying cigarettes. This recent Yale study, however, does offer an inkling of hope for a
safe diet drug to help obese people control their appetites
 4. Smoking lowers risk of death after some heart attacks
Compared with non-smokers, smokers who have had heart attacks seem to have lower
mortality rates and more favorable responses to two kinds of therapy to remove plaque from
their arteries: fibrinolytic therapy, which is basically medication; and angioplasty, which
removes the plaque by inserting balloons or stents into the arteries.

There's a catch, though. The reason why smokers have heart attacks is that smoke scars the
arteries, allowing fat and plaque to build up in the first place. So, one theory as to why smokers
do better than non-smokers after such therapies is that they are younger, experiencing their
first heart attack approximately 10 years before the non-smoker.
A study published in an August 2005 issue of the American Heart Journal, however, states that
age alone is not enough to fully explain the survival differences and that "the smoker's paradox
is alive and well." No alternative theories have been put forth since.

5. Smoking helps the heart drug clopidogrel work better

A study by Korean researchers in the October 2010 issue of the journal Thrombosis Research
builds upon work by Harvard researchers published in 2009 that demonstrates the benefit of
smoking at least 10 cigarettes a day. It seems that something in cigarette smoke activates
certain proteins called cytochromes, which convert clopidogrel into a more active state.

Again, no respectable doctor is encouraging patients to start smoking to get the most out of
clopidogrel. But this and the other four "benefits" of smoking reveal how tobacco — perhaps
not unlike other potentially toxic plants — might contain certain chemicals of real therapeutic
value.

Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking

Cigarette smoking harms nearly every organ of the body, causes many diseases, and reduces
the health of smokers in general.

Quitting smoking lowers your risk for smoking-related diseases and can add years to your life.

Smoking and Death

Cigarette smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States.1

 Cigarette smoking causes more than 480,000 deaths each year in the United States. This
is nearly one in five deaths.1,2,3
 Smoking causes more deaths each year than the following causes combined: 4
o Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
o Illegal drug use
o Alcohol use
o Motor vehicle injuries
o Firearm-related incidents

 More than 10 times as many U.S. citizens have died prematurely from cigarette smoking
than have died in all the wars fought by the United States.1
 Smoking causes about 90% (or 9 out of 10) of all lung cancer deaths.1,2 More women die
from lung cancer each year than from breast cancer.5
  Smoking causes about 80% (or 8 out of 10) of all deaths from chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease (COPD).1
 Cigarette smoking increases risk for death from all causes in men and women.1
 The risk of dying from cigarette smoking has increased over the last 50 years in the U.S. 1

Smoking and Increased Health Risks

Smokers are more likely than nonsmokers to develop heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer.1

 Estimates show smoking increases the risk:

o For coronary heart disease by 2 to 4 times1,6
o For stroke by 2 to 4 times1
o Of men developing lung cancer by 25 times1
o Of women developing lung cancer by 25.7 times1
 Smoking causes diminished overall health, increased absenteeism from work, and
increased health care utilization and cost.1

Smoking and Cardiovascular Disease

Smokers are at greater risk for diseases that affect the heart and blood vessels (cardiovascular
disease).1,2

 Smoking causes stroke and coronary heart disease, which are among the leading causes of
death in the United States.1,3
 Even people who smoke fewer than five cigarettes a day can have early signs of
cardiovascular disease.1
 Smoking damages blood vessels and can make them thicken and grow narrower. This
makes your heart beat faster and your blood pressure go up. Clots can also form. 1,2
 A stroke occurs when:
o A clot blocks the blood flow to part of your brain;
o A blood vessel in or around your brain bursts.1,2
 Blockages caused by smoking can also reduce blood flow to your legs and skin.1,2

Smoking and Respiratory Disease

Smoking can cause lung disease by damaging your airways and the small air sacs (alveoli) found
in your lungs.

 Lung diseases caused by smoking include COPD, which includes emphysema and chronic
bronchitis.1,2
 Cigarette smoking causes most cases of lung cancer.1,2
 If you have asthma, tobacco smoke can trigger an attack or make an attack worse.1,2
 Smokers are 12 to 13 times more likely to die from COPD than nonsmokers.1

Smoking and Cancer

Smoking can cause cancer almost anywhere in your body:1,2 (See figure above)

 Bladder
 Blood (acute myeloid leukemia)
 Cervix
 Colon and rectum (colorectal)
 Esophagus
  Kidney and ureter
 Larynx
 Liver
 Oropharynx (includes parts of the throat, tongue, soft palate, and the tonsils)
 Pancreas
 Stomach
 Trachea, bronchus, and lung

Smoking also increases the risk of dying from cancer and other diseases in cancer patients and
survivors.1

If nobody smoked, one of every three cancer deaths in the United States would not happen.1,2

Smoking and Other Health Risks

Smoking harms nearly every organ of the body and affects a person’s overall health. 1,2

 Smoking can make it harder for a woman to become pregnant. It can also affect her
baby’s health before and after birth. Smoking increases risks for:1,2,5
o Preterm (early) delivery
o Stillbirth (death of the baby before birth)
o Low birth weight
o Sudden infant death syndrome (known as SIDS or crib death)
o Ectopic pregnancy
o Orofacial clefts in infants

 Smoking can also affect men’s sperm, which can reduce fertility and also increase risks
for birth defects and miscarriage.2
 Smoking can affect bone health.1,5
o Women past childbearing years who smoke have weaker bones than women
who never smoked. They are also at greater risk for broken bones.
 Smoking affects the health of your teeth and gums and can cause tooth loss. 1
 Smoking can increase your risk for cataracts (clouding of the eye’s lens that makes it
hard for you to see). It can also cause age-related macular degeneration (AMD). AMD is
damage to a small spot near the center of the retina, the part of the eye needed for
central vision.1
 Smoking is a cause of type 2 diabetes mellitus and can make it harder to control. The
risk of developing diabetes is 30–40% higher for active smokers than nonsmokers.1,2
 Smoking causes general adverse effects on the body, including inflammation and
decreased immune function.1
 Smoking is a cause of rheumatoid arthritis.1

Quitting and Reduced Risks

 Quitting smoking cuts cardiovascular risks. Just 1 year after quitting smoking, your risk
for a heart attack drops sharply.2
 Within 2 to 5 years after quitting smoking, your risk for stroke may reduce to about that
of a nonsmoker’s.2
 If you quit smoking, your risks for cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, and bladder
drop by half within 5 years.2
 Ten years after you quit smoking, your risk for dying from lung cancer drops by half.
 Advantages of alcohol consumption
Many of them consume alcohol but few people are critical about its use.But some of them are
in dilemma about its use.

People who prefer it believe that advantages of alcohol consumption are as below.

1. Relieves mental stress: It is believed to give relief from mental tension after daily
activities. Hence consumption provides relief from it.
2. Celebrate: This is quite common and most celebrations and parties include alcoholic
beverages to warm up the show.
3. Provide better sleep. Alcohol has a sedative effect and hence drinking alcohol promotes
sleepiness.
4. Increases in appetite. Alcohol raises blood flow to the stomach and gut and also a slight
irritant locally. This property rises hunger and thereby food consumption.
5. Keeps body warm in winter and cold conditions. It increases blood flow to the skin and
thus produces warmth.
6. Helps put on weight to those who want to. Alcohol provides a high amount of calories by
metabolism in the body and thereby adds to the fat content of the body. Advantageous to
those who are slim.
7. Helps neglect severe pain: During an injury or accident, alcohol intake can make the
person less sensitive to physical pain. Because those centers in brain which feel the pain are
sedated.

Benefits of alcohol:
Alcohol is a suitable solvent for many extraction procedures. Since it is an organic solvent, it is
suitable for extraction of plant constituents, drugs, nutrients, etc.
It is an excellent antiseptic, disinfectant and sterilizing agent. At 70% concentration, it is an
effective disinfectant to kill all the germs. Hence it is incorporated in most of the deodorants
and antiperspirants. It is also believed to reduce sweating.
It is a good preservative. Alcohol presence in any medical preparations is an excellent
preservative as seen in homeopathic drugs preparations. Drugs or medicinal preparations stay
safe for a long time.
Astringent: It precipitates and denatures surface proteins making tissues soft. In long-term
bedridden patients, it is used to harden bony surfaces of the back.
Cooling agent: Alcohol acts as a refrigerant by cooling the surface of the skin when applied.
When a pack immersed in alcohol is placed on the head, it produces a cooling sensation in
times of fever with high temperature.
Reduces pain: When alcohol is used to massage over a surface of painful muscle regions, it
relieves deep-seated pains.
 Disadvantages of alcohol consumption:

1. Loss of self-control: Alcohol drinking leads to loss of self control. In medical terms, alcohol is
a sedative,and in high doses the person loses self-control on the body and can lead to
accidents.
2. Damage to liver: Heavy consumption can damage the body organs and systems. Especially
liver, stomach, brain are affected. Since, alcohol is mostly metabolized in liver, it is the organ
which is impacted most. It may lead to fatty liver. Besides, it can also lead to cardiovascular
troubles and high Blood pressure. So, limiting drinking is needed to rescue the organs. Further,
having a protein-rich diet is necessary to rejuvenate the liver.
3. Nerve damage: It causes slow and progressive degeneration of nervous system. Alcohol is
chemically highly hydrophilic solvent. That is it can penetrate well into fat tissues like the brain.
At high concentrations, it can itself damage the neurons.
4. Leads to obesity. It can put on excess weight. This is due to low consumption
of carbohydrates taken in the form of food. Alcohol by itself can from energy molecule ATP and
provide calories to body. So other calorie generating food especially carbohydrates and fats are
not used up. This leads to accumulation and weight gain.
5. Addictive: It is an addictive and people are prone to it. Leading to a disturbance in the
healthy lifestyle. He will reach a stage where his daily routine does not happen without
drinking.
6. Sedation and death: Alcohol is a sedative, moderate drinking is not a risk. But on further
heavy consumption it can lead to coma and death.
Socially alcohol has much impact as there can be accidents due to drink and drive. Also, one can
lose his senses and misbehave causing trouble for others. Besides it, a costly drink so can put an
economic burden on low-income people.

Alcohol poisoning: Alcohol, when taken in large amounts, could be harmful and leads to
toxicity. Alcohol toxicity is of two types as

1. Acute alcohol poisoning

2. Chronic alcohol poisoning.
Acute alcohol poisoning: This occurs due to sudden intake of large amounts of alcohol. The
person may go into sedation, coma and even death. The best way to manage is to take him to
hospital. The person is given respiratory support and other measures to save the life.
Chronic alcohol intoxication: Here the intoxication occurs due to the long standing intake of
alcohol. Here the person might be addicted to alcohol, so he does not get the euphoria at
normal doses and may take large doses. This can lead to organ damages and death. Hence, he
has to be discouraged from consuming any amount of alcohol further.
 ADVANTAGES OF ILLEGAL DRUGS

 Help you relax

 Help with stress relief
 Act as an escape from all your current worries and issues
 Can make you a better dancer
 Let you savour entertainment mediums in a whole new way
 Make food taste a whole lot better
 Can increase confidence and self confidence
 Can increase motivation
 Can increase creativity
 Can increase your mood
 Can even change your perception on life

THE EFFECTS OF DRUG ABUSE ON HEALTH

Substance use disorders are associated with a wide range of short- and long-term health
effects. They can vary depending on the type of drug, how much and how often it’s taken and
the person’s general health. Overall, the effects of drug abuse and dependence can be far-
reaching. They can impact almost every organ in the human body.

Side effects of drug addiction may include:

 A weakened immune system, increasing the risk of illness and infection
 Heart conditions ranging from abnormal heart rates to heart attacks and collapsed veins and
blood vessel infections from injected drugs
 Nausea and abdominal pain, which can also lead to changes in appetite and weight loss
 Increased strain on the liver, which puts the person at risk of significant liver damage or liver
failure
 Seizures, stroke, mental confusion and brain damage
 Lung disease
 Problems with memory, attention and decision-making, which make daily living more difficult
 Global effects of drugs on the body, such as breast development in men and increases in
body temperature, which can lead to other health problems
The most severe health consequences of drug abuse is death. Deaths related to synthetic
opioids and heroin have seen the sharpest rise. In the past 12 months, 212,000 people aged
12 or older have used heroin for the first time. Every day, more than 90 Americans die after
overdosing on opioids.

EFFECTS OF DRUG ADDICTION ON THE BRAIN

All drugs–nicotine, cocaine, marijuana and others–affect the brain’s “reward” circuit, which is
part of the limbic system. This area of the brain affects instinct and mood. Drugs target this
system, which causes large amounts of dopamine—a brain chemical that helps regulate
emotions and feelings of pleasure—to flood the brain. This flood of dopamine is what causes a
“high.” It’s one of the main causes of drug addiction.
Although initial drug use may be voluntary, drugs can alter brain chemistry. This can actually
change how the brain performs and interfere with a person’s ability to make choices. It can lead
to intense cravings and compulsive drug use. Over time, this behavior can turn into a substance
dependency or drug and alcohol addiction.
Alcohol can have short- and long-term effects on the brain and disrupts the brain’s
communication pathways. These can influence mood, behavior and other cognitive function.
Brain damage may also occur through alcohol-induced nutrition deficiencies, alcohol-induced
seizures and liver disease. In pregnant women, alcohol exposure can impact the brains of
unborn babies, resulting in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.
It is reported that alcohol-induced brain problems can often be corrected with proper
treatment. Abstinence from alcohol for months or years can help partially repair thinking
abilities, like memory skills.

DRUG EFFECTS ON BEHAVIOR

Substance use disorders can lead to multiple behavioral problems, both in the short- and long-
term, which can include:

1 PARANOIA
2 AGGRESSIVENESS
3 HALLUCINATIONS
4 ADDICTION
5 IMPAIRED JUDGMENT
6 IMPULSIVENESS
7 LOSS OF SELF-CONTROL

These effects of drug abuse have serious consequences, like missed work, punishable offenses,
accidents and injuries. In fact, alcohol and drugs are partly to blame in an estimated 80
percent of offenses leading to jail time in the U.S. These incidents include domestic violence,
driving while intoxicated and offenses related to damaged property. Legal and illegal drugs
excluding alcohol are involved in about 16 percent of motor vehicle crashes. In the past year,
almost 12 million people drove under the influence of illicit drugs, and almost 4,000 fatally
injured drivers tested positive for drug involvement.

EFFECTS OF DRUG ABUSE ON UNBORN BABIES

Illicit drug use poses risks for pregnant women and their babies. Drugs may contain impurities
that can be harmful to an unborn baby. Pregnant women who use drugs may be more likely to
harm the fetus with risky behaviors and poor nutrition. Drug use can lead to premature birth or
low birth weight. It can also cause the baby to have withdrawal symptoms (sometimes in the
form of neonatal abstinence syndrome), birth defects or learning and behavioral problems later
in life.
An estimated 14 percent of adults with an illicit substance use disorder reported receiving
treatment in the past year. At Gateway Foundation, we offer treatment programs for all levels
of drug addiction. Give us a call at 877.352.9566 to find out how we can help.
 ADVANTAGES
AND
DISADVANTAGES
OF
TOBACCO,
ALCOHOL AND
DRUGS
SUBMITTED BY:
TRISTAN H. MIRADOR
GRADE 11 – COOKERY

SUBMITTED TO:
MR. LARY E. LIBOON