SUMMARY HANDOUT – THE TAKE HOME MESSAGES
Arthur E. Pitchenik MD
How does smoking affect me right now as a teenager?
The Health Consequences of Smoking in Teen and Preteen Smokers Include:
1. Shortness of breath
2. Chronic cough and sputum production (also called chronic bronchitis)
3. Decreased growth, development and function of the lungs which leads to later chronic obstructive bronchitis and emphysema
4. Increased risk for asthma
5. Silent vascular damage which leads to later heart attacks and strokes
6. Precancerous DNA changes in lung cells which lead to later lung cancer
7. Severe nicotine addiction.
(Youths are uniquely susceptible to nicotine addiction. Because of nicotine
addiction, about three out of four teen smokers end up smoking into
adulthood and many become addicted for life.)
How does smoking affect me later on as an adult and what is my risk of dying from it?
Fifty percent of long-term smokers suffer and die prematurely directly because of smoking related diseases as seen in the Video. These diseases include:
1. Cancer of the mouth, throat and lung
2. Chronic Obstructive Bronchitis
3. Emphysema
4. Heart Attacks
5. Strokes
How harmful is breathing other peoples second hand smoke?
Breathing other peoples second hand smoke on an ongoing basis can cause most of the smoking related health consequences and diseases that are caused by direct smoking as listed above, including cancer, heart attacks and stroke.
How many teenagers are smokers?
Surveys show that the great majority of teenagers do not smoke and prefer to date non-smokers. The teen smoker is increasingly becoming the odd man out.
Are the Videos we saw available for viewing on YouTube?
Yes: (Also available on the URL below are Anti-smoking RAP and MTV style Techno Music Videos)
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-piObnN4eC5A93tZHVB9aG8H8rmMDJyR&feature=edit_ok
What is in Tobacco and Marijuana smoke that makes it harmful?
A B C
A. Shows a Clean Handkerchief
B. Shows Tar from the smoke of two cigarettes blown through the handkerchief
(Each brown spot is one blow of tobacco smoke through the handkerchief)
C. Tar from the smoke of two marijuana “joints” blown through a handkerchief
(Each brown spot is one blow of marijuana smoke through the handkerchief)
This is the TAR that contains hundreds of poisonous chemicals (70 of which are cancer producing) that cause all of the health consequences and all of the medical diseases listed above (including mouth, throat and lung cancer, chronic obstructive bronchitis, emphysema, heart attacks and strokes.) If this much tar is inhaled from smoking only two cigarettes or two marijuana “joints”, imagine how black your lungs get from inhaling the smoke from hundreds of cigarettes or “joints”.
What you don’t see is the NICOTINE in tobacco smoke that is so addictive, there is a HUGE risk that if you start to smoke, you won’t be able to stop even though you want to. Then your risk of suffering and dying prematurely from one or more of the smoking related diseases seen in the Video is 50%. (ONE CHANCE OUT OF TWO!)
TOBACCO IS THE ONLY LEGALLY AVAILABLE CONSUMER PRODUCT THAT KILLS EVERY OTHER PERSON WHEN USED ENTIRELY AS INTENDED.
IS THERE FREE HELP TO QUIT SMOKING?
YES, CALL 1-800- QUIT NOW