TOBACCO

Tobacco actually comes from a plant (Nicotiana Tabacum). The golden bright leaves are dried out, bits of stalk & other various flavours and colours are blended along with burley tobacco (which contains a higher content of nicotine) and then the raw materials are sent to cigarette factories for packing.

Tobacco comes in various forms: cigarettes, cigars, loose tobacco for roll ups & pipes, snuff (loose powdered tobacco for sniffing) or chewing tobacco.

 WHAT'S IN A CIGARETTE?

Cigarettes contain over 4000 chemicals, some of which include:

• Nicotine - from the chopped up moist leaves of the plant. Nicotine is also used as a pesticide.

• Tar - same as the stuff used to tar the road

• Carbon Monoxide - stuff that comes out of car exhaust pipes

• Arsenic - Rat / Ant Poison

• Ammonia - Used as a bleach / toilet cleaner

• Formaldehyde - used to embalm dead bodies and to preserve body parts

• Acetone - Nail Polish Remover

• Hydrogen Cyanide

• DDT - used as an insecticide

60 of these 4000 chemicals are carcinogenic (cancer causing). 

What is nicotine – is it addictive?

Nicotine is a stimulant drug which is present in the moist leaves of the plant. When these leaves are burnt, they evaporate and attach to the particles of smoke which are inhaled into the lungs, then passed through the bloodstream to the brain – Nicotine reaches the brain in less than 10 seconds.

Because of its stimulant effect, nicotine (when smoked) increases your blood pressure & pulse. When cigarettes are first inhaled they can make some people lightheaded, dizzy and quite sick.

Although nicotine is a ‘safe’ drug - it’s the other chemicals & tars which cause all of the damage in the body. Some research actually states nicotine as being as addictive as heroin – heroin users may disagree – they may claim nicotine is far more addictive!

Nicotine is a highly addictive drug both psychologically &

physically addictive – you have the actual ritual or habit of

smoking, but can actually feel ill if you don’t get a cigarette.

Each ‘hit’ of nicotine from a cigarette lasts about 40 minutes to an hour, before it wears off and you want more.

Because nicotine is so highly addictive, if you smoke every day for as little as 2 weeks, like it or not you will become addicted.

Risks and effects:

There are many serious & fatal diseases caused by smoking; below are just a few

• Various cancers, including Oral, Lungs, Kidney, Bladder & Stomach

• Chronic Bronchitis & Emphysema

• Coughing, Shortness of breath

• Coronary Heart Disease leading to Heart Attacks & Strokes

• Fertility problems  

• Circulation problems – can lead to Gangrene

• Risks of fires around the house

• Passive Smoking risks to others

• Costs - it's an expensive habit

Thinking of quitting?

Think about why you smoke & why you want to stop – everyone has different reasons for quitting – health reasons, cost, sick of smoking etc. 

If you have tried to quit in the past and failed, think back – were you fully prepared? Were you in the right frame of mind? Did you speak to anyone for help or support? Stay positive – you can do it !!! 

You don’t have to rely on willpower alone – there are treatments available on prescription, over the counter in pharmacies and even in supermarkets.

Your GP can prescribe Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) (or you can buy it over the counter in chemist's and supermarkets) and research has shown that if you use NRT together with support - 1:1 or in groups you can double your chances of quitting.

What is NRT?

As the name suggests it is Nicotine Replacement – as mentioned above, nicotine levels fall in the bloodstream and withdrawal symptoms start – cravings, headaches, and inability to concentrate. Depending on your choice of NRT, withdrawal is lowered; therefore helping you manage your cravings.

NRT comes in different forms, not just patches; there is Chewing Gum, Lozenges Nasal Spray, Microtabs and an Inhalator device which looks like a plastic cigarette. These products all work in different ways:

• Patches – a sticky patch (like a plaster) worn on the upper body  – you get either 16 hours or 24 hours of nicotine. The type of patch you choose will depend on how many cigarettes you would normally smoke.

• Nasal Spray – a nicotine nasal spray used twice a day for heavy smokers. 

• Microtabs, Lozenges & Chewing Gum – used in the mouth ‘ when required’ for nicotine cravings

• Inhalator – White plastic tube which holds a cartridge of nicotine. Used when required to manage cravings. Helpful to people who miss something to do with their hands.

• There is also medication available from the GP only called  'Zyban' , which are not Nicotine Replacement, but are used to help people to stop smoking (as with all medication there may be side effects).

Stopping smoking is very much about changing your behaviour too and being aware of your triggers or situations when you smoke, but which you may not be aware you are doing. A good idea here is to keep a smoking diary, even just for a few days to note down when you had a cigarette and what you were doing at that moment.

• The best advice we can give you is to take it one day at a time
• Think about your triggers – cup of tea & a cigarette?  Sit down in the car & light up? How can you avoid these situations?
• Cravings only last about 3 minutes and this gets shorter the longer you give up.
• Keep yourself busy for the first few weeks.
• Keep healthy snacks handy for when those cravings creep up.
• Go for long walks or join a gym with all your cash you have saved.
• Have a goal - what are you going to do with all your saved cash? Maybe you have more energy and time that you could put into a new hobby?
• Drink plenty of fruit juice or water and make sure you get your vitamins!
• Avoid alcohol – especially if you like a pint / glass of wine with your cigarette just for the first few weeks or until you're ready.
• If someone you live with is still smoking, ask them not to smoke around you or not to leave their cigarettes lying round the house.

For more information on stopping smoking:

·        Contact us here at DASH - 615622

·        NHS Smoking Helpline - 0800 169 0 169

·        Quitline – 0800 00 22 00

·        www.givingupsmoking.co.uk

·        www.ash.org.uk

What are the benefits of giving up:

·        Healthier lungs, heart & blood

·        Breathe easier – not breathless

·        Fitter – not exhausted when exercising

·        Fresher breath

·        Better sense of smell and taste

·        Tar free teeth & fingers

·        More cash