Tobacco Abuse

Common Tools to Help Quit Smoking

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Tobacco Abuse on February 6th, 2010

Any smoker can understand how hard it is to say no to a cigarette once it’s accessible. Trying to quit smoking may be the most challenging activity that any smoker can undertake.

Quitting is tough; ask any smoker you know. It takes a lot of resolve and patience to be continually free from tobacco addiction. To help with the battle, there are options available in the market that helps with the withdrawal process. These common tools below are widely available:

nicotine patchNicotine Patches

A nicotine patch is a transdermal or skin patch that is attached to the skin. Upon contact, it releases an amount of nicotine to the body. It provides a safer and healthier alternative source of nicotine, which would help with a smoker’s urges.

Nicotine Gum

Nicotine gum delivers nicotine to the body as the user chews it like any normal gum. The gum is then “parked” at the mouth in a span of 30 minutes for full effect. Chewing gum has been a very good way to fight a smoker’s urges. Chewing nicotine gum has proven to be an effective way to ward off the desire for a cigarette.

Herbal Tobacco

Herbal tobacco is a combination of assorted herbs that consists of basic herbal smoke and extracts from grapes, liquorice, cinnamon and other herbs. Although the user still needs to light it up and smoke it, herbal tobacco is nicotine free and safe to use. It tastes a lot different from the original tobacco cigarette, but it provides a very similar experience that helps with a smoker’s psychological dependence on cigarettes.

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4 Reasons Why Teens Must NOT Smoke

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Raising Healthy Kids, Tobacco Abuse on February 2nd, 2010

A lot of teens get into smoking thinking that most others do. This is completely inaccurate. Majority of the youth do not smoke, and so if we base being ‘cool’ or not on how prevalent the habit is, avoiding smoking is actually the ‘cool’ thing to do.

There are several reasons why any teen should not smoke, not even try to. Studies have already established that even the first puff of smoke can already trigger a series of damaging reactions in the body. Here are some of the reasons you should stay away from smoking:

no smoking1.  Unhealthy skin. Smoking restricts blood vessels, thereby preventing the transport of oxygen and nutrients to the skin. This results to pale and unhealthy skin.  A study has also established a link between increased risk of developing psoriasis, a type of skin disease, and smoking.

2. Lower physical stamina and increased risk of injury. Carbon monoxide not only robs your skin but also your muscles, brain and other body tissues of oxygen. This makes your heart, lungs and the rest of the body work harder. Smokers usually find a hard time competing with non-smoking peers because of rapid heartbeat, decreased circulation and shortness of breath.

3. Bad breath and body odor. Most smokers develop a condition called halitosis, or persistent bad breath. Also, the smell of cigarette and its smoke tends to stay on one’s hair, clothes and skin.

4. Smoking kills. Lung cancer is one of the top preventable cancers in the world. Not smoking significantly decreases risk of lung cancer. Aside from lung cancer, smoking also causes several other serious diseases like heart attack, stroke, emphysema, pregnancy complications, and other cancers.

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Health Effects of Teenage Smoking

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Drug Abuse Prevention, Raising Healthy Kids, Tobacco Abuse on January 15th, 2010

It is common for teenagers to explore many things and be eternally curious.  While this type of behavior is perfectly normal, smoking is one of the most dangerous paths they can take.  The social effects alone can be damaging, but the more serious risks a teenage smoker faces are those related to health.

smoking teensMany studies have been conducted on teenage smoking and results have been the least promising.  Heart disease is one of the more serious risks due to teenage body’s continued exposure to nicotine.  This is because the gases produced tend to weaken the heart muscle and cause plaque buildups in the arteries.  Respiratory disease is another, asthma and pneumonia being the most commonly reported.   Smoking in teens also increases the risk of stunted bone growth which means teen smokers might grow up to be shorter adults than their nonsmoking friends.

Other common effects of teenage smoking include infertility both for girls and boys, dry skin and a weakening of the immune system. Because of their young age, kids’ antibodies are fairly underdeveloped and are, thus, very sensitive to hazardous elements such as nicotine.  This becomes a problem when these antibodies remain immature even as the person ages, causing reduced capability to ward off infections. The individual then ends up falling ill more frequently and sometimes more seriously than others.

Halitosis or bad breath might be one of the more taken for granted risks but experts regard it with importance as it may escalate into an oral cancer symptom. While there are no conclusive studies proving this link, it is not necessary to wait.

When it comes to their health, some teenagers can be quite reckless.  Parents can explore devoting a few minutes of their time educating their children about the health hazards of smoking from an early age.  When reinforced by schools, there is a better chance of channeling these kids’ attention away from this habit that has claimed one too many lives.

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Teenage Smoking Is Not Cool!

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Raising Healthy Kids, Tobacco Abuse on January 13th, 2010

Peer pressure, low self-esteem and smoking by parents and relatives are some of the factors that encourage teenagers to engage in smoking.  Smoking can even start at pre-teens and has been seen as a way of being accepted and considered ‘cool’.

teen smokingStatistics show that there was a decline in the number of teenagers who smoke — implying that smoking may not be so cool anymore, if it ever was to begin with.  This may be due to the intensive campaign regarding the health effects of nicotine.  The most common consequences range from bad breath and low stamina to chronic diseases like lung and oral cancer. Other than cancer, smoking may cause cardiovascular, respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases like peptic ulcer. Osteoporosis is common to smokers than to non-smoking individuals.

Scientists who studied addiction to smoking learned that nicotine glued itself to a protein found on the surface of a brain nerve cell.  Other chemicals found in cigarettes and tobaccos are known carcinogens like benzene, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, tar and hydrogen cyanide which are known to be harmful to human health.

Smoking addiction can be prevented through proper education on the health risks of smoking. Parents need to teach teens how to say ‘no’ and also be a role model to children by not smoking. Parents also need to make sure their teenage kids do not have easy access to cigarettes.

It may be more difficult to deal with a teenager who has already started smoking. The best way to handle the situation is to help them quit the habit by introducing them to other worthwhile activities. Giving rewards may also be an excellent way of showing that their achievement is appreciated.

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Drug Abuse: A Serious Social Illness

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Alcohol Abuse, Drug Addiction, Prescription Drug Abuse, Steroid Abuse, Tobacco Abuse on December 26th, 2009

drug abuseIn modern society, desensitization is the name of the game. As long as media continues to advertise sex, violence, and drug use, more and more people will begin to think that these are acceptable modes of behavior. While it may be an extreme view to take, it cannot be denied the problems that society faces are grave, especially when talking about drug abuse. But here lies the trouble: since the process of desensitization has accelerated and intensified over the past decade because of the progression of media technology, how can we convince people, especially teenagers, to take this social ill called drug abuse seriously?

Perhaps the first thing to do in this situation is to continuously impress the fact that drug abuse is a serious social issue. Most of the time, we do not accept the realities that are right in front of us, and choose to believe that these things do not directly concern us. Quite the contrary — drug abuse not only has serious consequences on one’s body, but it also determines a person’s behavior within society. Those who are helplessly addicted to drugs find ways to obtain more of the substance, and this often results into their involvement in a life of harassment and/or crime.

Even if we are not directly involved in drug abuse, the process of attempting to eliminate it from our social system is a task that is of ultimate significance. Its social consequences are as severe as they come, and domestic violence and street crimes are just some of these.

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Drug Abuse and Irreversible Brain Damage

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Alcohol Abuse, Drug Addiction, Prescription Drug Abuse, Steroid Abuse, Tobacco Abuse on December 22nd, 2009

In our lives, it is a well-known and sometimes unaccepted fact that all things change. While the good parts in life may not last as much as we would like them to, be relieved that the opposite also applies: the bad things in life don’t last forever either. With this in mind, we must stand resilient against life’s challenges and find ways to move forward.

brainThis nugget of wisdom may be true, but in the context of brain damage caused by drug abuse, it’s a different story altogether. You may think that the process is reversible, but it is actually not. Most are probably thinking that our brain can just go back to the way it used to be if we have absolutely no contact with drugs for a prolonged period of time after a few episodes with drugs – just like getting some sleep to relieve yourself of fatigue or recovering from a dreadful hangover. Well, most are wrong.

If it were that easy, then it will be perfectly okay for everybody to do drugs and be heedless of the consequences of the act. However, our brain’s neurons do not restore themselves the way the rest of our body does. Anything that adversely affects our mental capacity and physical state is dangerous for our brain, and drugs are especially guilty in this case.

So before you even think about getting your fix or trying drugs for the first time, consider the long-term effects first. Is it really worth losing your mind over? Is it really worth wasting your life for?

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