Lindale ISD Wellness Tips
Lindale ISD Student Health Advisory Council-Nov/Dec 2018
Nicotine & Addiction
You may think that you can use tobacco without becoming addicted. But the truth is, most teens who use tobacco will get hooked. Three out of four teens who smoke cigarettes in high school will still be smoking as adults.
What Is Nicotine?
Nicotine is the chemical found in tobacco products that is responsible for addiction. When you use tobacco, nicotine is quickly absorbed into your body and goes directly to your brain. Nicotine activates areas of the brain that make you feel satisfied and happy. Whether you smoke, vape, or dip, the nicotine you are putting in your body is dangerously addictive and can be harmful to your developing brain.
Why Is Nicotine Dangerous?
Nicotine can lead to addiction, which puts you at risk of becoming a lifelong smoker and exposing you to the many harmful chemicals in tobacco. These chemicals cause cancer and harm almost every organ in your body. Teens are especially sensitive to nicotine’s addictive effects because their brains are still developing. This makes it easier to get hooked. Using nicotine during your teen years can also rewire your brain to become more easily addicted to other drugs.
Nicotine can have other long-lasting effects on your brain development, making it harder for you to concentrate, learn, and control your impulses.
Electronic Cigarettes (E-cigarettes) and our Youth
Many teens are vaping with e-cigarettes called Juuls. The amount of nicotine in one Juul is equivalent to 20 cigarettes.
Lab tests reveal popular e-cigarette liquids contain harmful chemicals
....There's no way vapers would know; founders of the year-old Foghorn company said they didn't realize it. The only way to determine whether the juice, or e-liquid, includes toxic chemicals would be to test it — which the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel did.
There are no requirements that manufacturers test their e-liquids, nor are there any standards to meet. What testing is done is driven largely by the desire of e-liquid makers to market the safety of their products.
But the Journal Sentinel's testing led to yet another discovery: The method typically used to analyze e-liquids for the industry is not sensitive enough to detect levels that could be harmful. As a result, e-liquid makers across the country claim their formulas are diacetyl free when sometimes they are not.
"We're at a point where these are not regulated by anyone," said Michael Felberbaum, a spokesman for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. "It's a 'Buyer Beware' market."....
Health Effects of Secondhand Smoke
Since the 1964 Surgeon General’s Report, 2.5 million adults who were nonsmokers died because they breathed secondhand smoke.
There is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke.
- Secondhand smoke causes numerous health problems in infants and children, including more frequent and severe asthma attacks, respiratory infections, ear infections, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
- Smoking during pregnancy results in more than 1,000 infant deaths annually.
- Some of the health conditions caused by secondhand smoke in adults include coronary heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer.
Long-term Health Effects of Smoking
Secondhand smoke exposure contributes to approximately 41,000 deaths among nonsmoking adults and 400 deaths in infants each year. Secondhand smoke causes stroke, lung cancer, and coronary heart disease in adults. Children who are exposed to secondhand smoke are at increased risk for sudden infant death syndrome, acute respiratory infections, middle ear disease, more severe asthma, respiratory symptoms, and slowed lung growth.
How to Help Kids Dodge Cigarettes, Vaping, and Stay Smoke-Free
Whether or not you smoke cigarettes or support legalizing marijuana, you probably don't want your kids lighting up. But the rise of e-cigs, vaporizers like the Juul, and decriminalized pot may make your standard anti-smoking arguments -- "it causes cancer," "it's illegal" -- feel a little shaky. Add in celebrities posting pictures of themselves smoking various substances, and you might wonder: Is it possible to raise drug-free, smoke-free kids in the era of Smoking 2.0? Yes, but it helps to have a little ammunition.
If you're feeling outspent, out-messaged, and out-cooled, take heart. There are plenty of ways to fight back. Here's how to help your kids resist the marketing of traditional cigarettes, vaporizers, e-cigs, and pot.
Full article available Here
Tools to help quit smoking/vaping
Text Message Programs
Smokefree Teen has free text message programs that give you 24/7 tips, advice, and encouragement to help you become—and stay—tobacco free. These programs look just like a text conversation you’d have with a friend.
- Try SmokefreeTXT to quit smoking.
- Try DipfreeTXT to quit smokeless tobacco.
- Choose Practice Quit to give quitting a try for a few days.
- Build your quitting skills with Daily Challenges.
quitSTART App
The free quitSTART app is made for teens and can help you quit smoking. It gives you customized tips, inspiration, and challenges so you can quit for good.
LiveHelp
Try the National Cancer Institute’s LiveHelp online chat. You will be connected with a trained specialist who can answer your questions and give you information about quitting smoking.
LiveHelp is available Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Eastern time. LiveHelp also is available in Spanish.
Quitlines
- 877-44U-QUIT (877-448-7848)
The National Cancer Institute’s trained counselors provide information and support for quitting in English and Spanish. Call Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Eastern time. - 800-QUIT-NOW (800-784-8669)
All states have quitlines with counselors who are trained specifically to help smokers quit. Call this number to connect directly to your state’s quitline. Hours of operation and services vary from state to state.
Quit Tips
The sooner you quit, the better. Here are some things that can make a big impact on your quit journey:
- Asking for help isn’t weak, it’s a smart move! If you feel comfortable, talk to friends or adults you trust about wanting to quit. Getting support from important people in your life can make a big difference.
- It’s normal for people to slip up when they’re trying to quit. If you slip, don’t think of it as a failure. It just means you might want to try quitting in a different way.
- Being prepared increases your chances of quitting successfully. Make a plan, stick to it, and keep trying to quit until you get it down.
Lindale ISD
Website: www.lindaleeagles.org
Location: 505 Pierce Street, Lindale, TX, USA
Phone: 903-881-4001