A Gateway to information on comprehensive school health (CSH) and health promoting schools (HPS)
Providing links to research, reports, how-to manuals, planning & assessment tools, lesson plans and student webquests

Understanding CSH

Applying CSH

Lesson Plans

Student Webquests

School Health Policies

Scans/Inventories/Trends

Home

Français

Feedback

Sponsors

About Us

Tobacco and Schools:
The Effects of Smoking on Health

(Taken from Health Canada web site www.GoSmokeFree.ca)

On individual smokers

Unless they quit, up to half of all smokers will die from their smoking, most of them before their 70th birthday and only after years of suffering a reduced quality of life.

The average smoker will die about 8 years earlier than a similar non-smoker. Life expectancy improves after a smoker quits.

There is strong scientific evidence that smoking is related to more than two dozen diseases and conditions. Fortunately, most of these start to reverse after a smoker quits smoking. Sometimes the benefits of quitting begin in a matter of hours.

 All smokers are at extra risk for

• Coronary heart disease (e.g., heart attacks)
• Peripheral vascular disease (circulatory problems)
• Aortic aneurysm
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol (LDL)
• Lung cancer
• Cancer of the mouth, throat and voice box
• Cancer of the pancreas
• Cancer of the kidney, and urinary bladder
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Chronic bronchitis
• Emphysema
• Pneumonia
• Influenza (the)
• The common cold
• Peptic ulcers
• Chronic bowel disease (Crohn's Disease)
• Tooth decay (cavities)
• Gum disease
• Osteoporosis
• Sleep problems (falling asleep inappropriately and/or frequent waking)
• Cataracts
• Thyroid disease (Grave's Disease)

Female smokers are at an extra risk for

• Cancer of the cervix (womb)
• Menstrual problems
• Fertility problems
• Spontaneous abortion (miscarriage)

Male smokers have an extra risk of

• Erectile dysfunction (impotence)
• Fertility problems (problems with sperm)

There is some scientific evidence that smoking may also be related to cancer of the large intestine and leukemia.

In addition to various diseases, smoking also causes the skin to wrinkle and create the appearance of premature aging. Smoking also reduces the sense of smell and taste.

 How harmful are cigars and pipes?

Cigar and pipe smokers experience the same types of health problems as cigarette smokers.

What about other types of tobacco?

Smoking isn't the only type of tobacco that causes health problems. Smokeless tobacco, including chewing tobacco and snuff, contain many of the same harmful and addictive substances as cigarettes, pipes and cigars. Smokeless tobacco is a major cause of cancer of the mouth and throat. It can also cause serious dental health problems including recession of the gums, tooth loss and discolouration of the teeth and gums.

Second-hand Smoke

Quick facts

• Children regularly exposed to second-hand smoke (SHS) are at least 50% more likely to suffer damage to their lungs and breathing problems such as asthma.
• In 2001, an estimated 800,000 children under the age of 12 were regularly exposed to SHS in the home from cigarettes, cigars or pipes.
• Exposure to SHS during childhood is associated with increased risk of developing asthma as an adult.
• If you are a non-smoker, exposure to SHS increases your risk of getting either lung cancer or heart disease by 20%.
• Second-hand smoke fosters the formation of blood clots that can lead to heart attacks and strokes.
• SHS raises the heart rate and damages the heart muscle.
• Passive smoking lowers the level of protective (“good”) HDL-cholesterol in the blood.

Administered by: Shannon & McCall Consulting Ltd.