Smoking Cessation Facts

摘要

Intervention will only be effective if there are systems in place to assess and follow-up patients who want to quit smoking .Smoking has been identified as one of the most significant causes of avoidable death and disease. Despite the increase in public knowledge, and the push for smoke exposure reduction, the prevalence of smoking continues to represent a threat to the health and well being of active and passive smokers alike. Programs that encourage smokers to quit have been described as effective tools in promoting health and reducing the burden of disease related to smokingThis brief review focuses on the forms of drug therapy that assist cessation, these treatments should be coordinated with the general and specific support and counselling strategies that are also of proven benefit. Introduction More intervention research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of other cessation methods such as acupuncture and hypnotherapy. Tobacco dependence meets the criteria of a drug dependence disorder.1 In most tobacco users, tolerance develops as well as a characteristic withdrawal syndrome and an inability to control future use.2 Tobacco dependence warrants medical treatment in the same way as any other dependence disorder or other chronic disease.Although many smokers succeed in quitting on their own, this is usually after several attempts. Over 90% of unaided quit attempts are not successful.2, 3 Use of appropriate pharmacotherapies could double or triple cessation rates. In India the tobacco is used in the form of patch, gutkha and cigars etc. What's bad about smoking The use of tobacco is associated with a myriad of problems. It is addicting and it fosters a physical and perhaps a psychological dependence. Milligram-for-milligram, nicotine (a major chemical in tobacco) is several times more addicting than heroin. It is associated with cancers of the lips, mouth, throat, larynx (voicebox), esophagus, lungs, stomach, pancreas, kidneys, bladder and uterine cervix. It damages lung and bronchial (airway) tissues directly as well as impairing their properties of self-cleansing and repair, thereby altering the dynamics and efficiency of breathing. It predisposes to atherosclerotic coronary and peripheral artery disease, angina (chest pains referable to the heart) and myocardial infarctions (heart attacks). It raises your blood pressure. It is a risk factor for osteoporosis (reduction in bone density). It can raise your susceptibility to developing peptic ulcers. If you are pregnant, it raises the risk of spontaneous abortion (miscarriage), preterm birth, low birth weight, and perinatal death. It is associated with premature aging (wrinkling) of the skin. It irritates your eyes and burns your throat and lungs. It confers an offensive odor to your hair, skin, breath, clothing and home furnishings. It stains your teeth and fingers. It can burn your skin, your clothing and your furniture. It is a fire hazard, especially when associated with drinking alcoholic beverages. It can reduce your tolerance for exercise and your overall general fitness. It is expensive. It is often offensive and potentially harmful to those around you; it can increase the incidence of asthma, pneumonia, and ear and upper respiratory infections in your nonsmoking spouse and children exposed to your smoke in the house. Some of these effects are immediate, and some are short-term, occurring in days to months. Still others are insidious in their onset and development, taking years of daily use, during which the damage is slow, yet continuous and inexorable. How the above can affect your trombone playing is obvious, especially as you develop reduced exercise tolerance and chronic obstructive lung diseases (measurable reduction in the efficiency of air exchange in the earlier stages, and chronic bronchitis and emphysema in the later stages of smoking). Neurobiology of smoking The great majority of regular smokers are dependent on cigarette smoking, and not simply addi