Dear NU community,
Today we celebrate World No Tobacco Day . The day is celebrated to aware people of the health risks associated with tobacco use, which includes smoking and smokeless tobacco products. It encourages people to quit tobacco and governments, and organisations to take action against tobacco use.
Amid growing cases of cancer across the world, smoking causes 30% of all cancer-related deaths and makes up 80% of lung cancer deaths. It also increases the risk of more than 12 types of cancers in humans. But what else you have to know about tobacco:
- Tobacco is a plant grown for its leaves, which are dried and fermented before being put in tobacco products. Tobacco contains nicotine, the ingredient that can lead to addiction. People can smoke, chew, or sniff tobacco.
- Tobacco smoking can lead to lung cancer, chronic bronchitis, and emphysema. It increases the risk of heart disease, which can lead to stroke or heart attack. Smoking has also been linked to other cancers, leukemia, cataracts, and pneumonia.
- Smokeless tobacco increases the risk of cancer, especially mouth cancers.
- For many who use tobacco, brain changes brought on by continued nicotine exposure result in addiction.
- Both behavioral treatments and medication can help people quit smoking, but the combination of medication with counseling is more effective than either alone.
- Nicotine overdose is possible, though it usually occurs in young children who accidentally chew on nicotine gum or patches or swallow e-cigarette liquid.
What about e-cigarettes?
- E-cigarettes are known by many different names. They are sometimes called “e-cigs,” “e-hookahs,” “mods,” “vape pens,” “vapes,” “tank systems,” and “electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS).” Using an e-cigarette is sometimes called “vaping.”
- E-cigarettes produce an aerosol by heating a liquid that usually contains nicotine—the addictive drug in regular cigarettes, cigars, and other tobacco products—flavorings, and other chemicals that help to make the aerosol. Users inhale this aerosol into their lungs. Bystanders can also breathe in this aerosol when the user exhales into the air.
- E-cigarettes are not safe. Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, which has known health effects. Nicotine is highly addictive, toxic to developing fetuses and can harm adolescent and young adult brain development, which continues into the early to mid-20s. Besides nicotine, e-cigarette aerosol can contain substances that harm the body. This includes cancer-causing chemicals and tiny particles that reach deep into lungs.
1. It’s never too late to quit smoking. Quitting smoking now improves your health and reduces your risk of heart disease, cancer, lung disease, and other smoking-related illnesses.
2. Smoking affects not only the person who smokes but other individuals. Secondhand smoke is disastrous to the health of nonsmoking bystanders.
3. It is prohibited to smoke in public places including educational institutions. Smoking is only allowed in designated smoking areas. Smoking in prohibited places is a subject to penalty according to the law.
Sincerely yours,
University Healthcare Department