MUST CIRCULATE - CIGARETTE

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My Near and Dear Please read below very carefully all about Cigarette and SMOKING. Please send to as many as possible for circulation. Let us help our brotherhood to come out of this hazard of health. Brother KBKM. ________ Protect your health and the health of those around you from the most common harmful effects of smoking: chronic bronchitis, emphysema, cancer … With its premises located in Geneva, TABAC Stop Center offers a simple and natural method to stop you smoking. Within just one hour and with a year’s free follow-up, the TABAC Stop Center method enables you to give up tobacco consumption without stress and without weight gain, thereby allowing you to give your body and your health that feeling of well-being that you deserve. To find out what type of smoker you are, do an online test by clicking on “What type of smoker

are you?” and click on the other headings on our site. --------------------------- Tabacco and your health If we start smoking as adolescents, we already get hooked with the very first cigarette. Why?Anti-smoking campaigns accuse the cigarette manufacturers of using additives to make smokers even more addicted to nicotine. So how can you break away from this tobacco obsession? Using our stunning new “Soft Laser” programme, TABAC Stop Center is committed to weaning you off tobacco. There is one control centre at the base of our brain, known as the hypothalamus, which is solely responsible for our addictions and acts as a genuine memoriser of our desires. Its capacities to record information allow it to rapidly determine those of our habits that are associated with well-being. Addiction results from the fact that, when we smoke, the nicotine passes into the bloodstream and causes the endorphin rate to increase. Endorphin (the “feel-good” hormone) is

a natural substance secreted by the hypothalamus. When we smoke, the endorphin rate in the body rises to a high level. But less than one hour after that cigarette has been finished, the rate goes down again! In smokers, the natural endorphin-producing process is virtually suppressed, as the nicotine carries out the work of the endorphins. ---------- NicotineNicotine is a powerful insecticide and poisonous for the nervous systems. Furthermore, there is enough (50 mg) in four cigarettes to kill a man in just a few minutes if it were injected directly into the bloodstream. Indeed, fatalities have occurred with children after they had swallowed cigarettes or cigarette butts.When diluted in smoke, nicotine reaches the brain in just seven seconds, it stimulates the brain cells and then blocks the

nervous impulse. This is where addiction to tobacco arises. Nicotine also causes accelerated heart rate, but at the same time it leads to contracting and hardening of the arteries: the heart pumps more but receives less blood. The result is twice as many coronary attacks. Nicotine thus also increases the consumption of lipids (which is why it has a weight-loss effect) and induces temporary hyperglycaemia (hence the appetite suppressing effect). Carbon monoxide (CO)This is the asphyxiating gas produced by cars, which makes up 1.5% of exhaust fumes. But smokers inhaling cigarette smoke breathe in 3.2% carbon monoxide – and directly from the source.Oxygen is mostly transported in blood by haemoglobin. When we smoke, however, the carbon monoxide attaches itself to the haemoglobin 203 times more quickly than oxygen does, thereby displacing the oxygen; this in turn asphyxiates the organism. This causes the following

cardiovascular complaints: narrowing of the arteries, blood clots, arteritis, gangrene, heart attack, etc. . . . but also a loss of reflexes and visual and mental problems. It takes between six and 24 hours for the carbon monoxide to leave the blood system. Irritants These substances paralyse and then destroy the cilia of the bronchial tubes, responsible for filtering and cleaning the lungs. They slow down respiratory output and irritate the mucus membranes, causing coughs, infections and chronic bronchitis.TarsAs the cilia are blocked (see paragraph above), the tars in the cigarette smoke are deposited and collect on the walls of the respiratory tract and the lungs, and cause them to turn black. So, just because a smoker is not coughing, it doesn’t mean that he or she is healthy! And this fact merely serves to pour water on one of the most common and poorest

excuses given by smokers. The carcinogenic action of the tars is well known: they are responsible for 95% of lung cancers. It takes two days at least after cessation of smoking for the cilia to start functioning properly again, albeit only gradually. By smoking one packet of cigarettes every day, a smoker is pouring a cupful of these tars into his or her lungs every year (225 grams on average)!----------Chemistry of Tobacco Smoke No less than 4000 irritating, suffocating, dissolving, inflammable, toxic, poisonous, carcinogenic gases and substances and even radioactive compounds (nickel, polonium, plutonium, etc.) have been identified in tobacco smoke. Some of these are listed hereafter: Benzopyrene, dibenzopyrene, benzene, isoprene, toluene (hydorcarbons); naphthylamines; nickel, polonium, plutonium,

arsenic, cadmium (metallic constituents); carbon dioxide, methane, ammonia, nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, hydrogen sulphide (gases); methyl alcohol, éthanol, glycerol or glycerine, glycol (alcohols and esters); acetaldehyde, acrolein, acetone (aldehydes and ketones); cyanhydric or prussic acid, carboxyl derivatives (acids); chrysene, pyrrolidine, nicoteine, nicotinine, nicoteline, nornicotine, nitrosamines (alkaloids or bases); cresol (phenols), etc. ------------- Obliteration of the arteries – known as arteritis – is a complaint that particularly afflicts smokers.Even in individuals who have never smoked, the first puff of a cigarette causes an action on the blood vessels: the nicotine contained in tobacco contracts the blood vessels, thereby reducing the blood circulation After a certain time, the arteries narrow and then become clogged up, resulting in gangrene, which necessitates the amputation of a limb. Fortunately, “it has been proven that giving up smoking stems the development of the illness, which does, however, resume in a brutal fashion if the patient starts smoking again.”* *Dr Delbecque, Secretary of the Regional Cardiology Foundation in Dunkerque, during a debate in Lille, reported in La Voix du Nord on 5 November 1976. ------ More than 50 people die in France every day from heart attacks caused by smoking. Smoking is directly responsible for half of the cases of myocardial infarction, i.e. 25,000 per year in France. Nicotine speeds up the heart rate by 10 to 20 beats per minute (more than 20,000 extra beats in a day), and it takes several days without smoking for the heart to return to its normal rate. The oxygen in the bloodstream is replaced by carbon monoxide, thereby increasing the risk that blood clots will form.

Nicotine also causes lesions that contribute to hardening and narrowing of the arteries. This is known as arteriosclerosis. "The arteries fur up like radiator pipes and become clogged up."* So while we smoke, the heart beats more. At the same time, the arteries narrow, the blood supply to the heart is reduced and the oxygen supply decreases. This means more effort and less air. Until the day when the heart is finally stifled. And that means a heart attack, which can be fatal if the artery that supplies the heart (the coronary artery) is blocked too much. "Daily hospital practice shows that it is not uncommon in a patient under 40 suffering from myocardial infarction for there to be just one

single risk factor responsible for the heart disease, namely smoking".**And finally emphysema appears: The walls of the pulmonary alveoli harden and burst one by one. And these pulmonary alveoli never grow again. The result is slow asphyxia, ending in death if the subject even catches flu or another minor infection. *Dr Delbecque, secretary of the regional cardiology foundation in Dunkerque, during a debate in Lille, reported in La Voix du Nord on 5 November 1976. **Professor Jean Philippe Metzger, cardiologist at the Hôpital Necker in Paris.---------- DiagnosisDiagnosis of bronchial cancer is much more difficult to bear than diagnosis of chronic bronchitis.When examining the symptoms, those for bronchial cancer have to take precedence over all other respiratory symptoms: thoracic pains, breathing difficulties, a stubborn cough, repeated infection problems and, of course, coughing up of blood – especially if these symptoms occur in a person who has smoked for more than 15 years, who has lost weight and is suffering from tiredness.A hair-raising experience...Each cigarette smoked slows down

the beating of the cilia, those minute hair-like projections just 0.01 mm in length which clean the lungs. After seven years of smoking, these cilia are either paralysed or permanently destroyed. This is where chronic bronchitis sets in. The smoker starts to cough regularly.After 15 to 20 years of exposure to tobacco smoke, the lungs – which were once a rosy pink colour – turn grey or black, and cell reproduction degenerates. And then there is cancer...The incidence of cancer is directly proportional to the number of cigarettes smoked.The fastest growing cancer threat!Lung cancer is the only form of cancer to have experienced such a rapid growth rate. This is primarily due to the increase in tobacco consumption, to the fact that women in France – especially young women – are smoking more and more, and also because people are starting to smoke at a younger age: 26% of the population over 12/14 years of age

have started smoking, and 58% of those above 15/16, according to the Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer in France [the national cancer research association]. It may take 10 to 15 years after smoking cessation for the risk of lung cancer to return to the same as that for a non-smoker.“It is quite rightly very alarming to know that, of every 100 bronchial cancers diagnosed, only eight of the patients will live another five years, despite all the treatment available.”**: Mutuelle Générale de l'Education Nationale [French health and accident insurance company]: Tobacco and tobacco addiction, study carried out by the national treatment and surgery centre in Sainte-Feyre.----------- The laryngologist answers your questionsBy Dr. Françoise Chagnon* Why is smoking harmful for the voice as well?Cigarette smoke doesn’t merely kill smokers themselves; it also destroys their voice. There is countless scientific research that links

smoking to cancer of the mouth, of the throat, of the lungs and of the oesophagus. The risk of contracting cancer of the larynx is twice as high in subjects who smoke more than 20 cigarettes a day. The risk becomes even greater when tobacco smoking is combined with alcohol consumption; these two substances act in synergy in a way. It isn’t the nicotine that causes the cancer, but rather the tar. Indeed, this mixture of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons contained in the smoke is a highly carcinogenic substance. The heat produced by the smoke in the throat is likewise very dangerous. Pipe smoking and cigar smoking can also cause cancer of the mouth and of the throat, and are therefore not harmless substitutes for cigarette smoking. Cigarette smoke causes an inflammation-like effect in the respiratory tract tissues: redness, swelling, increased mucus production, thickening of the mucus membranes. The particles of smoke and the heat from the inhaled smoke both seem to cause damage to the mucus membranes. It is interesting to note that non-filtered marijuana smoke causes even greater irritation to the throat and the trachea than tobacco smoke. A laryngologist can recognise a smoker just from the appearance of his nose and throat: nicotine stains on the nasal hairs, drying out of the throat, dryness and inflammation of the vocal cords, thick secretions. Singers who smoke have a rough and husky voice, and their high notes lack clarity. The vocal cords of female smokers can be affected by large blister-like polyps and by severe degeneration. Those people who suffer

from chronic inflammation linked to smoking often develop white plaques on the walls of the throat; this is known as leucoplakia, a precursory sign of cancer. Smoking reduces respiratory capacity. As the bronchial tubes contract, the quantity of air going in and out is reduced, and this in turn affects vocal emission. Organic upheaval inflicted on the respiratory tract cannot be corrected, even by the very best vocal technique – however impressive this technique may be. If pianissimo singing is to reach the back row of a concert hall, the sound emitted has to be clear and well projected; this is an almost impossible task for a smoker who is gasping for breath. Obviously, very few singers of classical music choose to smoke. However, certain rock and pop vocalists use smoking to create a vocal effect that fits in with their repertoire style. Similarly,

certain female blues or soul singers believe that smoking helps them to produce a deeper voice that suits their style of music. But this choice means that there is a price to pay as well. Indeed, emphysema, bronchitis, repeated throat infections and even cancer have brought an early and tragic end to many a vocal career. The damage caused to the vocal cords can even last after the person has given up smoking and may in some cases be irreversible. Minor swelling can take six to nine months to reduce, while more serious inflammatory lesions may sometimes require surgical intervention. Smoking is one of the major causes of resistant nodules, which are prevented from healing by constant irritation of the throat. Even surgery does not provide the guarantee of a cure or the guarantee that the voice will be recovered. Singers who ply their trade in smoky nightclubs can also suffer the same effects. When it is impossible to avoid these situations, non-smoking singers can compensate by drinking a lot of water and by breathing in fresh air between each performance that they give. In conclusion, then, those singers who take a pride in their art will be well rewarded if they take great care of their vocal equipment, namely their throat and their vocal cords. Indeed, if appropriate care is taken, the gift of the human singing voice can last a lifetime. *Françoise P. Chagnon is the director of the Voice Laboratory of Montreal General

Hospital._____ Obliteration of the arteries – known as arteritis – is a complaint that particularly afflicts smokers.Even in individuals who have never smoked, the first puff of a cigarette causes an action on the blood vessels: the nicotine contained in tobacco contracts the blood vessels, thereby reducing the blood

circulation After a certain time, the arteries narrow and then become clogged up, resulting in gangrene, which necessitates the amputation of a limb. Fortunately, “it has been proven that giving up smoking stems the development of the illness, which does, however, resume in a brutal fashion if the patient starts smoking again.”* *Dr Delbecque, Secretary of the Regional Cardiology Foundation in Dunkerque, during a debate in Lille, reported in La Voix du Nord on 5 November 1976. ----- 1. How many cigarettes do you smoke each day? > 25 16-25 <16 2. What is the nicotine content in your cigarettes (in mg)? >1,5

0,8 >0,8 3. Do you inhale the smoke? Always Sometimes Never 4. How long after waking up do you smoke your first cigarette of the day? - 30mn +30mn 5. Which cigarette do you find the most essential? The first one of the day Another one 6. Do you find it

difficult not to smoke in places where smoking is banned? Yes No 7. Do you smoke even if illness forces you to stay in bed? Yes No points = Result: If you score0-4 points: you have a low addiction level.5-6 points: you have a moderate addiction level.7-8 points: you have a high addiction level.9-11 points:

you have a very high addiction level. Why do you smoke? When answering the questions in this test, you will understand some of the reasons why you smoke.Your responses to the questions will enable you to choose the best method to wean yourself off the habit.Here are a few statements used by smokers to describe what smoking brings to them.Which of these apply best to your own situation? Tick one box for each statement. Important :Please reply to all the questions A* O* S* R* N*A*=Always O*=Ofen S*=Sometimes

R*=rarely N*=Never A. I smoke when I feel a drop in energy. A O S R N B. Holding a cigarette in my hand is all part of the pleasure of smoking. A O S R N C. Smoking is both pleasant and relaxing. A O S R N D. I light up a cigarette when I’m angry. A O S R N E. I can’t bear being without a cigarette. A O S R N F. I just smoke automatically without even being aware of doing so. A O S R N G. I smoke to stimulate myself. A O S R N I. I enjoy smoking. A O S R N J. When something annoys me or bothers me, I light up a cigarette. A O S R N K. When I’m not smoking, I’m very aware of the fact. A O S R N

L. Sometimes I find myself lighting up a cigarette when I’ve still got one alight in the ashtray. A O S R N M. I smoke to feel good. A O S R N N. Watching the smoke that I breathe out is part of the pleasure of smoking for me. A O S R N O. I have more of an urge to smoke when I feel good and relaxed. A O S R N P. When I’m down in the dumps or want to forget my troubles, I light up a cigarette. A O S R N Q. I really want to smoke a cigarette when I haven’t smoked for a long time. A O S R N R. I sometimes have a cigarette in my mouth and don’t remember to light it. A O S R N A*=Always O*=Ofen S*=Sometimes R*=rarely N*=Never TOTALS A + G + M = Stimulation B + I + N = Keeping your hands occupied C + I + O = Increasing your feeling of well-being D + J + P = Reduction of negative sensations E + K + Q = Psychological dependence F + L + R = Habit A score of 11 or above is high and indicates that this factor represents an important source of satisfaction for you, which you will have to take into account in your endeavours to give up. Any score less than 7 is considered as low. Stimulation – your score: If your score is high, you are one of those smokers who use cigarettes as a means of giving yourself stimulation. It helps to keep you alert, to muster your energy and to go further. If you try to give up smoking, you will have to choose a healthy

alternative: brisk walking and some exercise at those moments when you feel the strongest urge for a cigarette. Keeping your hands occupied – your score: It may be satisfying to play with an object, but there are plenty of other ways to keep your hands occupied without smoking a cigarette. Why not play with a pencil instead, doodle, or just fiddle with any other object? Increasing your feeling of well-being – your score: It isn’t easy to ascertain if you smoke to make yourself feel good, i.e. for the pleasure of smoking or to reduce negative sensations. Around two thirds of smokers have high or very scores in the column “relaxation-pleasure”. Half of them also come out high on the scale of “reduction of negative sensations”. Reduction of negative sensations – your score: Many smokers use cigarettes in situations where they feel stressed or uneasy; the cigarettes thus act as a sort of tranquilliser. But they don’t really provide any real help to a heavy smoker who is trying to compensate for serious personal problems. When such people decide to give up, they experience little difficulty in doing so, but may be tempted to start again if they go through a crisis period. Physical exercise or some sort of social activity can act as useful diversions, even during a tense period. Psychological dependence – your score: Smokers who have a high “psychological dependence” score find it most difficult to give up smoking. For them, the urge to light up the next cigarette

starts from the moment that they stub out the previous one. The method of stopping progressively is, therefore, ineffective. Habit – your score: Smokers in this category no longer really enjoy smoking. They are content just to light up a cigarette at regular intervals, without even being aware that they are doing so. They can find it easy to stop and not start again if they can manage to break the smoking gesture habit. Reducing progressively can be an effective method if the circumstances where the smoker lights up are altered. The smoker then becomes aware of each cigarette smoked. He then has to ask himself: “Do I really need this cigarette?” Smokers are surprised at the number of cigarettes that they don’t really want. Tobacco and the money that goes up in smoke Number of cigarettes per jour: : Average cost per cigarette = 25 Swiss centimes (approx. € 020) 1 Month : CHF 1 Year : CHF 2 Years : CHF 3 Years :

CHF 4 Years : CHF 5 Years : CHF ---- The endorphin count has to be increased in a natural way to a sufficient level so that the physical dependence on nicotine, i.e. the withdrawal symptoms, can be decreased. The body will produce natural endorphins (“feel-good” and comfort hormones) of its own accord, thanks to the LASER. The LASER is a cold laser therapy which doesn’t give off either heat or light, but which produces a concentrated beam of energy that is directed onto the points of the outer ear to be stimulated (nerve endings). When the smoker gives up the habit, he no longer has any nicotine in his system and therefore has to reactivate the natural production of endorphins. This

is where the LASER helps. The smoker can go without his dose of nicotine. The laser helps the body to get used to the idea of producing these famous endorphins again on its own, without the help of tobacco. This method is absolutely painless, and it has no contraindications or side effects. It can be used on a pregnant woman or someone who has suffered from coronary illness. Less than three days after the method has been used, there is no nicotine left in the bloodstream and the need to smoke has vanished. The TABAC Stop Center method comes with a written guarantee and free, one-year follow-up.

DO YOU REALLY WANT TO STOP SMOKING? Arrange an appointment with TABAC Stop Center Rue de Chêne-Bougeries 31CH-1224 Geneva - SwitzerlandPhone : +41 22 348 83 15Mobile phone : +41 76 325 49 19E-Mail: contact------ www.cam.org/~francis/info-tabac/cqct/industr.html http://tabac.stop.free.fr ---

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