Healthful Bites

In honor of the American Cancer Society’s Great America Smokeout (today!), let’s take a look at the latest research and initiatives related to the habit. Even if you’re not a smoker, it’s likely that you have some opinion about nicotine use and public regulation. Plus, it’s always good to have some statistics and facts in your back pocket to share with someone who may downplay the effects of a smoking habit!

I hope this doesn’t come across lecture-y—I just want to share some interesting information I’ve come across recently. Here we go!

(image from Son of the South)

First, some staggering figures (from the Global Smokefree Partnership):

• $378 billion: Tobacco industry sales worldwide
• 20.6: Percent of Americans who were smokers in 2008 according to the CDC (up from 19.8 percent in 2007). This was the first smoking rate increase in 15 years.
• 5.4 million: Number of deaths attributed to smoking in 2007
• 7 million: Number of deaths predicted to be caused by smoking each year by 2025
• $69,000: Revenues per tobacco death
• 20-30: Percent that second-hand smoke exposure increases lung cancer risk

But it’s not all doom and gloom…

• 36: Number of countries that have adopted smokefree laws since 2004 (eight countries already had such laws in place)
• Almost 1 billion: People protected by smokefree laws

As mentioned above, U.S. smoking rates have increased slightly this year for the first time in more than a decade. Experts cited in the report, published in the currentMorbidity and Mortality Report (CDC), believe that a decrease in funding for state tobacco control/tobacco cessation is a factor in this small rise.

Interestingly, Massachusetts just completed a tobacco addiction treatment intervention targeting low-income residents (generally those who most commonly smoke) on the state’s medical insurance for the poor program with amazing results. The stop-smoking initiative paid for counseling and medications—this resulted in fewer emergency room visits related to asthma and heart attacks. Insured low-income resident smoking rates went from 40.4 percent pre-intervention (1998) to 29.6 percent post-intervention (2008). Smoking rates for non-insured low-income adults and all adults declined as well, but at a much slower rate (two to five percent for the same time period). Impressive! 

Looks like this guy could use a memo about how good quitting could be for him! :)

(Photo from Gearfuse.com)

Many of you may not smoke regularly, but did you know that even a few puffs can cause irreversible health damage? Arteries stiffen in otherwise healthy young adults after smoking just one cigarette, Canadian researchers have found. Stiff arteries make the body less able to handle physical stressors (such as jogging or hiking up a flight of stairs), which in turn increases stroke and heart disease risk. Doctors involved in this study noted that the earlier one stops smoking, the less arterial damage occurs, although “full arterial recovery” will likely be impossible.

Nonetheless, being a quitter is a great thing: The American Cancer Society has some heartening information for current or past smokers (or those who love current/past smokers): the health benefits of quitting start just 20 minutes after you drop the cigarette! Here are some other gains that come after halting the habit:

• Coronary heart disease risk is half that of a current smoker after going smoke-free for 1 year
• Stroke risk of former smokers returns to the same level as nonsmokers 5-15 years after quitting
• Lung cancer deaths are about half as common in 10-year quitters

So certain states have increased taxes on cigarettes, placed restrictions on where lighting up can take place and started other initiatives, all in attempts to lower the amount of smokers or protect non-smokers from second-hand smoke.

What is going on where you live regarding tobacco legislation? Do you think that these changes have had a positive effect on the health of your community? In your opinion, should government play a role in this issue at all? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

(Cartoon from The Week)