Lung Cancer Awareness Month: Great Time to Quit Smoking and Reduce Secondhand Smoke

Lung Cancer Awareness Month: Great Time to Quit Smoking and Reduce Secondhand Smoke
Washington, DC -- Smoking and tobacco use are the leading cause of preventable death in the US. An estimated 438,000 people in the US die prematurely from smoking or secondhand smoke exposure, with an additional 8.6 million having a serious illness caused by smoking. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) encourages women who smoke to take advantage of available resources, pick a quit day, and start making steps toward kicking the habit.
Smoking shaves an average of 14.5 years off the lives of female smokers, yet nearly one in five women 18 and older still light up. "The damaging effects of smoking on women are extensive, well-documented, and can be observed from the cradle to the premature grave," said ACOG Fellow Sharon Phelan, MD, who helped develop ACOG's smoking cessation materials for health care providers. "Smoking is a harmful habit that negatively affects nearly every organ in the body. There's just no good reason not to quit."
Smoking is the primary cause of lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer death in women. Lung cancer deaths among women have increased by more than 600% since 1950. Smoking also significantly increases the risk of many other cancers in women, such as breast, oral, pharynx, larynx, esophageal, pancreatic, kidney, bladder, uterine, and cervical cancers.
Women who smoke are twice as likely to develop coronary heart disease and 10 times more likely to die from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease than nonsmokers. Smokers have a greater risk of emphysema, bronchitis, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, cataracts, lower bone density after menopause, and hip fracture than women who never smoked. It can also contribute to early menopause, gum disease, tooth loss, and premature skin aging.
Reproductive-age women who smoke may have trouble conceiving when ready to have a baby. Pregnant smokers—approximately 11% of pregnant women—are at high risk of delivering preterm or low-birth-weight infants or having babies with poor lung function, bronchitis, or asthma. The harmful chemicals in cigarette smoke are also passed to babies through breast milk. Women over age 35 who smoke and take birth control pills are at risk for developing lethal blood clots.
Smoking Effects on Infants and Children"Pregnant women should absolutely not smoke, and smoking should not be allowed in the home after a baby is born," Dr. Phelan noted. "Unfortunately, we know that infants and young children are more heavily exposed to secondhand smoke than adults, and parents, guardians, or other members of the household often smoke around them." Almost 60% of children ages 3-11 are exposed to secondhand smoke, making them vulnerable to a slew of health problems.
The infants of mothers who smoked during pregnancy and those who are exposed to secondhand smoke after birth are at especially high risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). The chemicals in smoke appear to affect infants' brains and interfere with their breathing. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that up to 300,000 children younger than 18 months old have lower respiratory tract infections because of smoke exposure. Secondhand smoke exposure can also cause acute respiratory infections, ear problems, and more frequent and severe asthma attacks in children.
Adolescent and Teen SmokersEach day in the US, approximately 4,000 young people between the ages of 12 and 17 take up smoking, and of those more than 1,100 will become daily smokers. Roughly 23% of female high school students and 9% of middle school girls smoke.
Young smokers are more likely to be of lower socioeconomic status, have parents or guardians who smoke, have easier access to cigarettes and other tobacco products, have a perception that tobacco use is normal, lack parental support or involvement, have low levels of academic achievement, have lower self-image or self-esteem, or have a hard time resisting or refusing to use tobacco. Adolescents and teens who use tobacco also are more likely to engage in higher-risk sexual activities and use alcohol or other drugs.
Secondhand Smoke Exposure in WomenPeople who smoke are not the only ones subject to the health consequences of smoking. "Friends, family, and even bystanders who are inadvertently exposed to secondhand smoke inhale many of the same carcinogens and toxins in cigarette smoke as smokers, putting them at unnecessary risk of smoking-related illness and death," Dr. Phelan added. According to the National Cancer Institute, exposure to secondhand smoke causes about 3,000 lung cancer deaths each year among nonsmokers and significantly increases their risk of heart disease.
In 2006, the US surgeon general's report on secondhand smoke concluded that the only way to fully protect nonsmokers is to eliminate smoking from indoor spaces. Approximately 66% of American households have established smoke-free home rules, which can significantly reduce secondhand smoke exposure in children and adults, help smokers quit, and reduce the risk of adolescents becoming smokers.
It's Time to Quit SmokingDespite all the bad news on smoking, the good news is that smokers who quit can stop or reverse most of the damage caused by smoking. "Soon after a woman stops smoking, her heart rate and blood pressure drop to healthier levels, and breathing, circulation, and sense of smell and taste may improve," Dr. Phelan said. "Heart attack risk decreases by 50% within the first year of quitting, and the risk of developing some cancers, heart disease, and other ailments falls to nearly that of a nonsmoker within the first few years."
Women who are considering quitting should talk to their doctor about methods that may help. "It takes most smokers several attempts to kick cigarettes for good. Going cold turkey can be extremely difficult because of nicotine withdrawal and cravings," Dr. Phelan said. "Physicians can suggest nicotine replacement products—patches, gums, nasal sprays, etc—to help with cravings. They can also prescribe medications such as bupropion or varenicline, which in combination with nicotine replacement, can double the chances of quitting." Pregnant smokers who want to quit should be sure to talk to their doctor about non medical interventions, such as counseling, and smoking cessation products that are safe to use during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
On November 20, the American Cancer Society (ACS) will sponsor the 32nd Annual Great American Smokeout. People who are considering quitting are urged to join with thousands of other Americans in making the Smokeout their quit day and get on the road to smoke-free living. ACS provides a number of resources to those trying to quit smoking, including the "Quitline" (800-ACS-2345), a free telephone-based counseling program, and the Great American Smokeout website, where users can develop their own personal plan to quit.

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