Health Blog

A healthy body and a sound mind

Why Smoking Is Bad For You At Any Age

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Smoking is bad for you, that’s no surprise. For years now you have been told this, there is even a warning on the side of the cigarette box with different warnings. Lung cancer is the leading cause of death in the U.S. Of those deaths, 87 percent of men get lung cancer from smoking and 70 percent of women do.

Teenage Smokers

Not all smokers are adults. Age restrictions on cigarettes don’t stop underage smokers from getting their hands on cigarettes. In fact, according to some statistics, 90 percent of smokers started before they turned 19.

Teenage girls smoking

If your teenager is smoking you’ll want to know the facts about why it is bad for them and what it could be doing to their body. While many teens are turning to e-cigarettes these day, these things are not addiction free, nor are they not potentially hazardous. Not enough information is out there about them yet to determine if they are all that much safer than smokes. [Read more…]

Time to Quit: Smoking Tied to Common Forms of Breast Cancer

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Several studies in the past decade and a half have looked at the link between smoking and breast cancer risk. Findings of a recent study suggest young women may be increasing their risk for developing a common type of cancer by smoking. The findings of the study revealed that women between the ages of 20 and 44 increased their chances of developing breast cancer by 60 percent if they smoked a pack of cigarettes a day for a decade.

The type of cancer developed by patients in the study was called estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. The senior author associated with the study, Dr. Christopher Li, suggested to news agency Reuters that associating cigarette smoking with breast cancer was important.

However, this study isn’t the first of its kind to come to find a link between breast cancer and cigarette smoking. [Read more…]

3 Reasons Why an E-Cigarette May Be For You

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As the real cigarettes are now strictly regulated worldwide and more places are being designated as non-smoking areas, those who love to puff smoke are left with little choice. Many have turned to the electronic cigarettes to satisfy their craving.

ecigarette

E-cigarettes are devices powered by a battery and provides nicotine vapor in an aerosol. They come in different flavors such as mint, vanilla, cookies and cream, milkshake, fruit and chocolate. As of 2013, an estimated 2.5 million people in the U.S. are e-cigarette smokers. Sales for this device have also risen from $20 million in 2008 to $500 million in 2012. In the U.K., reports said some 700,000 Britons were using e-cigs in 2012.

Many users have found the device to be a good alternative to the genuine cigarettes. They agree that it’s not only affordable but it also makes them feel like they’re still using the usual tobacco cigarette and can help them in their goal of eventually kicking their habit. [Read more…]

Effective Drug Rehabilitation Programs

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Drug addiction continues to be a major challenge for many countries around the world. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) revealed in its 2012 Monitoring the Future Survey that use of illegal drugs among teens went up in recent years while alcohol and cigarette use dropped.
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The survey which covered more than 45, 400 students in the 8th, 10th and 12th grades from 1992 to 2012 showed that marijuana use was on top and highest among the 12th graders. Other drugs used were powder cocaine, crack, methamphetamine and heroin. Prescription drugs commonly abused were Adderall, Vicodin, cold medicines and tranquilizers.

But while this alarming situation exists, there’s help on hand. Parents who are helpless in battling this issue with their children as well as adults having difficulty in overcoming this dangerous habit can seek help from drug rehabilitation centers. There are tens of thousands of them in place worldwide and are committed to reforming users regardless of age and gender.
[Read more…]

E-cigarettes: Are They Really Good for Quitters?

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There’s been much talk about these e-cigarettes which authorities say are good for smokers who want to kick their puffing habit for good. But amidst this hullabaloo, there’s concern particularly from the medical sector that these alternatives also pose health risks.

E-cigarettes or the electronic form are the trend today. They’re even used by Hollywood actors not only when shooting their scenes in front of the camera but as well as in real life.

Vaping is the term used for puffing this type of cigarette because it is actually just vapor that users are able to inhale while using it. The vapor emitted is from a solution containing propylene glycol that gets heated through the use of a battery.

What makes this product worth using is the fact that it does not contain tobacco. It is made from plastic and metal and comes in a disposable cartridge. Various flavors and nicotine levels are also available. Additionally, it does not stain the teeth like the usual cigarette.

Varied reactions have been given to this alternative cigarette. Some people who have tested it didn’t continue and returned to using the regular form while the others claimed to have gotten used to it and felt a big relief.

But the main issue still being debated by medical experts today is the lack of regulatory measures for these e-cigarettes. Concerns have also been raised as no clinical studies have yet been conducted to determine the effectiveness as well as adverse effects, if any, of this product to people who wish to quit their smoking habits.

So far, only one research done in 2011 has found that e-cigarettes may be able to help people stop smoking. The findings were published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Apart from the health risks, however, government officials and parents are also concerned about the effects these e-cigs will have on teens and even the younger ones.Being referred to as something electronic, they fear there’s a possibility that young people will be tempted to buy the product out of curiosity. They believe the word electronic alone is enough reason for many youth to try out a new product.

China was the first to introduce the e-cigarettes in 2003. It became available in the U.S. three years after and currently, some 2.5 million Americans are now using it. Most are using it to stay away from the regular and addictive cigarettes.

Photo via happyshoppinglife.com

About the guest author:
Beverly used to be a heavy smoker but now uses a particular UK e-cigarette brand as a move to eventually stop smoking. She has joined several anti-smoking campaigns including on certain sites as her way of helping spread the word about the ill effects of cigarette use.