According to the criteria of the World Health Organization, in order for a person to be diagnosed with a "tobacco use disorder", individuals must have been smoking regularly for at least one month and have other symptoms.
The most common tobacco products are cigarettes, rolled-up cut tobacco products, pipes, cigars, hookah tobacco products, snuff and chewing tobacco.
What is Tobacco Withdrawal?
The original substance of tobacco is a dark liquid and this poisonous liquid is called nicotine. Nicotine has a strong addictive effect. When not taken for 90-120 minutes, withdrawal symptoms begin to appear. These symptoms can be felt at their highest level on the first day of quitting tobacco; however, withdrawal symptoms decrease and disappear over time.
There may be some situations that can be challenging for a person during the quitting process, such as coping with withdrawal symptoms and coping with cravings. You can make this process easier for yourself by getting expert support.
Withdrawal symptoms include;
- Getting angry or irritated easily
- Dizziness
- Increased appetite
- Muscle contractions
- Drop in blood pressure
- Symptoms such as insomnia may be included.
- Depressed mood
- Symptoms such as intense nicotine cravings may be included.
What is Passive Smoking or Exposure to Secondhand Tobacco Smoke?
Tobacco can cause serious health problems and consequences not only for users but also for non-users. The toxins (poison) and other substances that can cause cancer in tobacco products are released into the air from a burning cigarette, creating a toxic environment for those near the smoker. For this reason, the situation of those who are exposed to tobacco despite not using tobacco is also of great importance. This situation is considered as passive smoking or exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke. Second-hand tobacco smoke is the smoke that fills closed spaces when tobacco products such as cigarettes and hookahs are used. Inhaling this smoke is called passive smoking.
According to the World Health Organization's 2020 statement; exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke causes much more critical consequences, especially at an early age. Approximately half of the world's child population breathes air polluted by tobacco smoke, and this causes serious health problems.
The dangers of passive smoking are as follows:
- The smoke emitted from a burning cigarette contains 4,000 chemicals and toxins, 50 of which are carcinogenic.
- We can say that a cigarette burns in about 12 minutes, but a smoker only inhales the cigarette for 30 seconds. The rest of the smoke is inhaled by those around him.
- Cigarette smoke that spreads into the environment is more harmful than smoked. Because the temperature is higher when a cigarette is smoked; however, the smoke that spreads into the environment spreads from a lower temperature.
- Cigarette smoke released into the environment contains 3 times more nicotine, 70 percent more tar and 2.5 times more carbon monoxide than a normally smoked cigarette.
- Children exposed to secondhand smoke also have a higher risk of respiratory problems such as asthma, bronchitis, colds, middle ear problems and reduced lung function.
- Yanan bir sigaranın üçte ikisi havaya gitmektedir.
When we fight against smoking, we protect not only our own health but also the health of our loved ones. We can give our children and young people a clean world where they can breathe healthily.
What are the Health Problems Caused by Tobacco Addiction?
Tobacco use is effective in the formation of the following diseases:
- Types of cancer (lung, stomach, skin, cervix, etc.)
- Cardiovascular diseases
- Diabetes
- Respiratory diseases
- Stomach diseases such as gastritis and ulcers
- Tooth and gum diseases
- Gebelikte erken doğum, düşük doğum, çocukta gelişim bozuklukları, sütün kesilmesi
Tobacco use is a critical problem in terms of public health and increases the overall disease risk and burden in society. According to the World Health Organization's 2019 European Tobacco Use Trends Report; smoking increases the risk of premature death. The same report reports tobacco use as one of the leading causes of premature death in the world and states that it affects approximately 18 percent of all deaths.
If your child smokes
- Children can model themselves on their parents. Being a positive role model as a parent will increase the effectiveness of the support you provide to your child during the quitting process.
- If you catch your child smoking, you can simply take the pack away without causing harm; remind them of the house or school rules about not smoking.
- It is important that you give the same reaction every time you catch them smoking, in order to give a consistent message and to make your boundaries clear.
- Another point to be especially careful about is that you also follow the rules and that children do not see you smoking.
- You can talk about the effects of smoking without using advice language and ensure that your child learns the correct information.
What are the Effects of Tobacco Use on Children and Adolescents?
There is no doubt that tobacco use is seen as a problem that concerns the whole society. On the other hand, it leaves more permanent effects on children and adolescents in the developmental age. When we evaluate the effects in these periods, we can say the following:
- Childhood and adolescence are a kind of testing period in which many unhealthy behaviors, including tobacco consumption and illegal drug use, may emerge.
- Children and adolescents who use tobacco are more likely to become regular tobacco users in adulthood.
- Smoking tobacco during childhood and adolescence increases the risk of diseases such as asthma in the short term and cardiovascular, respiratory and cancer in the long term.
(Health at a Glance: Europe 2020 Report)
Do you know?
- Tobacco use negatively affects the psychological, physical and social life of the individual and increases the risk of premature death.
- The smoke from tobacco use also has serious consequences for non-users. Second-hand tobacco smoke can cause heart disease, cancer and other chronic diseases.
- Cigarette companies make $700 billion each year.
- Every year, 7 million people in the world die due to smoking.
- Every day, 19,100 people in the world die from diseases caused by smoking.
- A person who smokes about half a pack of cigarettes a day sends 300 hits of nicotine to his brain every day.
- While 83,100 people die every year in Turkey due to smoking-related causes, 252 thousand children and 14.5 million adults use tobacco products.
Electronic Cigarettes Are As Harmful To Your Health As Other Tobacco Products
In recent years, new generation tobacco products have been included in the fight against the harms of tobacco and tobacco products. These products are called Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) according to the World Health Organization's 2019 statement. The most common types are e-cigarettes , vape or vape pens , e-hookahs , e-pipes and e-cigars . Electronic cigarettes contain liquid nicotine and other chemicals that can be toxic to people's health.
Although these products are promoted by the tobacco industry as harmless products that can be used to quit smoking, the World Health Organization reported in its 2020 statement that these products are as harmful to health as tobacco products. Children and adolescents are especially at great risk in terms of the use of these products. Since the development of the brain continues until the mid-20s, the use of these products at an early age negatively affects the development of the brain. It is also known that e-cigarette use increases the risk of heart disease and lung diseases. Since these devices can harm the growing fetus, they also pose significant risks for pregnant women who use them. Those who inhale these chemicals are affected by the smoke, just like those exposed to cigarette smoke, and become passive smokers. It has been shown that passive smoking increases the risk of developing fatal diseases such as heart disease, lung and bladder cancer, asthma attacks, childhood respiratory diseases, sudden infant deaths and lung failure. In addition to these, e-cigarettes carry many risks such as leakage in their cartridges, accidental ingestion of nicotine after changing the cartridge, and the possibility of unintentional high-dose nicotine intake; It also causes explosions, burns and injuries.
It is Never Too Late to Quit Tobacco Products!
Immediately after quitting smoking, if a person is not exposed to any smoke, their body immediately begins to repair itself. Their pulse rate and blood pressure return to normal, and the likelihood of developing coronary artery disease decreases.
- If you quit in your 30s, your life expectancy increases by 10 years.
- If you quit in your 40s, your life expectancy increases by 9 years.
- 50’lerinizde bırakırsanız beklenen yaşam süreniz 6 yıl artar.
- If you quit in your 60s, your life expectancy increases by 3 years.
Some Positive Changes Occur in Your Body After You Quit Smoking
After quitting smoking, many positive changes occur in the body. These changes can be listed as follows:
From your last cigarette;
- After 20 minutes, your heart rate and blood pressure drop.
- After 12 hours, the carbon monoxide level in your blood returns to normal.
- Over a period of 2 weeks to 3 months, your blood circulation will improve and your lung functions will improve.
- Over a period of 1 to 9 months , your cough and shortness of breath will decrease.
- After 1 year, your risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker.
- After 5 years, your risk of stroke is reduced to that of someone who has not smoked for 5 to 15 years.
- 10 yıl sonra, akciğer kanserinden ölme riskiniz, sigara içenlerinkinin yaklaşık yarısı kadar olur.
- Your risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney and pancreas decreases.
- After 15 years, your risk of coronary heart disease drops to that of a non-smoker. (World Health Organization, 2020)
10 Steps to Quit Smoking
- Set your quit date.
- Remove all cigarettes, lighters, matches and ashtrays from your surroundings.
- Set small goals.
- Find things to keep yourself occupied.
- Brush your teeth and shower often.
- Pay attention to your diet, drink plenty of water.
- Stay away from factors that will trigger your desire to smoke.
- Curb your urge to smoke by chewing gum or drinking herbal tea.
- Get some fresh air, move around.
- If you feel like smoking, take 10 deep breaths.
