Health Science
Ch. 11 Toward a Tobacco-Free Society
Lecture Outline
Psychoactive Drugs and Changes in Brain Chemistry

Psychoactive drugs produce:

Consider the route of entry for different types of drugs
o
Ex. Oral drugs

The more quickly a drug reaches the brain:

Once in the brain, psychoactive drugs:
o
Ex. Dopamine is thought to play a role in reinforcement
o
Heroin, nicotine, alcohol, and amphetamines also affect dopamine levels
Who Uses Tobacco?


24% of ____________and 18% of ____________ smoke.

The more education a person has:
*Figure 11.1 Annual Mortality and Morbidity Among Smokers Attributable to Smoking
Why People Use Tobacco

A nicotine addiction
o Nicotine is a powerful psychoactive drug
 Many researchers:

Reaches the brain via:

Loss of control
o Tobacco users live according to a rigid cycle of need and gratification:

Tolerance and withdrawal
o Sudden abstinence from nicotine produces predictable withdrawal symptoms:

Social and Psychological Factors
o Secondary reinforcers:

Genetic Factors
o CYP2A6 :
o
DRD2 :
1
Health Science
Ch. 11 Toward a Tobacco-Free Society
Lecture Outline
Why Start in the First Place?



Average age to start
o
o


Health Hazards

Contains hundreds of damaging chemical substances
o Unfiltered cigarettes =


50,000 times more than in an equal volume of smoggy urban air
Condensed particles in the cigarette produce:
Carcinogens and Poisons in Tobacco Smoke
 43 chemicals are linked to development of cancer (carcinogen)
 Benzo(a)pyrene is a carcinogen Urethane Cocarcinogens (ex. formaldehyde)

 Poisonous substances
 Arsenic
 Hydrogen cyanide
 Carbon monoxide
 Contains:
 Displaces:
 Additives
 Humectants, sugars, bronchodilators, ammonia, things to make sidestream smoke less obvious
2
Health Science
Ch. 11 Toward a Tobacco-Free Society
Lecture Outline
“Light” and Low-Tar Cigarettes

Low-tar, low-nicotine, or filtered cigarettes
o
o
Users often:
o
o
As of June 2010, federal law prohibited the use of terms such as “light” and “mild”
Menthol Cigarettes

About 70% of African American smokers smoke menthol cigarettes
 These individuals:

Anesthetizing effect of menthol, means:
Immediate Effects of Smoking

Nicotine can either Excite or Tranquilize the Nervous System Depending on Dosage
o Constricts:
o
Stimulates :
o
In adults can increase:
o
Can act as:
o
Depresses:
The Long-Term Effects of Smoking

Cardiovascular Disease
o Coronary heart disease (CHD):
o
Atherosclerosis leading to:
The Long-Term Effects of Smoking

Lung cancer and other cancers
o The risk of developing lung cancer:
o
Research has linked smoking to cancers of the:
o
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
 Emphysema and Chronic bronchitis
3
Health Science
Ch. 11 Toward a Tobacco-Free Society
Lecture Outline
Additional Health, Cosmetic, and Economic Concerns
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Ulcers
Impotence
Reproductive health problems
Dental diseases
Diminished physical senses
Injuries
Cosmetic concerns
Economic costs
Cumulative Effects

People who smoke before 15 yrs. old and continue to smoke:

Smokers:

Both men and women:
Other Forms of Tobacco


Spit (smokeless) tobacco
o Contains at least 28 chemicals known to cause cancer
Cigars and pipes
o Users do not need to inhale in order to ingest nicotine:
o
Cigars contain more tobacco than cigarettes
The Effects of Smoking on the Nonsmoker

Environmental Tobacco smoke (ETS)
o Consists of:
o
Sidestream smoke:
o
EPA designated ETS as a class A carcinogen and Surgeon General has concluded that there is no safe level of
exposure to ETS.
ETS Effects
 Develop cough, headaches, nasal discomfort, eye irritation, breathlessness, and sinus problems
 Allergies will be exacerbated
 Causes 3,000 deaths due to lung cancer
4
Health Science
Ch. 11 Toward a Tobacco-Free Society
Lecture Outline
 Contributes to about 35,000 heart disease deaths each year
 Nonsmokers can be affected by effects of ETS hours after they leave a smoky environment
 Carbon monoxide lingers in bloodstream 5 hours later
Infants, Children, and ETS

Children exposed to ETS are more likely to have
o
o
o
o
o
Smoking and Pregnancy

Estimated 4600 infant deaths in the U.S.

Increased risk of:
What Can Be Done?



Action at many levels
o Local level
o State level
o Federal level
 FDA, EPA
International level
o WHO
Individual action
How A Tobacco User Can Quit


Think about and benefit from quitting smoking
Options for quitting
o “Cold-turkey”
o Changes to routines
o Over-the-counter prescription products
o Support from family and friends
o Smoking cessation programs
o Free telephone quitlines
o 1-800-QUITNOW
5