Dr. Alan Cross

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last updated: 08/01

Heart Disease Information:
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Smoking & Health
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Heart Disease links:
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Teacher's Manual
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Link to:
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Immediate Negative Effects of Smoking
*Unattractive
*Bad breath
*Smelly clothes and hair
*Yellow teeth
*Coughing, burning eyes and nose

Did you know???
The tobacco industry spends $4 billion a year trying to convince people that smoking is glamorous and cool.  The industry needs to find new smokers to replace the one million smokers who die every year.  Smoking ads try to portray smokers as macho, popular, relaxed, beautiful, healthy.  Is someone with bad breath, stained teeth, and smelly clothes really macho and beautiful? 
 

Facts on smoking:
1.  Smokers have a greater risk of dying from
        *Stroke
        *Lung cancer
        *Coronary heart disease
        *Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
        *Other types of cancer (larynx, mouth, esophagus, bladder, 
          cervix, kidney, …)
2.  Effects of smoking
        *Nicotine makes the heart beat faster and work harder
        *Smoke contains carbon monoxide which binds to RBCs 
          displacing oxygen - makes the heart have to work harder to
          get oxygen to the body
        *Nicotine narrows the blood vessels - blood pressure 
          increases, heart works harder
        *Increased risk of heart attack
        *Smoking makes you short of breath - can affect 
          performance in sports
        *Smoking is the biggest risk factor for sudden cardiac death
        *Aggravates asthma
3.  Tobacco smoke contains 4000 chemicals.  Many are toxic and 43
     are known to cause cancer.
4.  Effects of secondhand smoke on nonsmokers
        *Coughing, burning eyes and nose; aggravates asthma
        *Kids exposed to secondhand smoke have twice as many 
          breathing problems, coughing, wheezing, ear infections, and 
         decreased lung function as kids with nonsmoking parents
        *Carcinogenic tobacco smoke remains in the area even after 
          the smoker has left
        *Secondhand smoke kills nonsmokers too!