Tobacco use and lung cancer among Asian Americans
Jun 19, 2009
By Tobias Chapman
Smoking is bad for you. You read about it in the newspaper, hear it on the radio and see it on TV. The message is everywhere. Yet people continue to smoke. In 1982, the surgeon general stated that “Cigarette smoking is the major single cause of cancer mortality in the United States.” In 1998, the message was repeated, with smoking causing 87% of the lung cancer deaths in the United States. This is a depressing finding considering that tobacco use is an acquired behavior – something a person chooses to do and is therefore the most preventable cause of premature death in this country.
You may think that cigarette smoking isn’t that common in Asian Americans; however, the statistics don’t lie. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) report that 21.6% of Asian American and Pacific Islander men and 12.4% of women smoke. Among Asian American and Pacific Islander high school seniors the numbers are similar (males 20.6%, females 13.8%) with about 4.5% of all students reporting that they smoke one-half pack a day or more. So while the rates of smoking in Asian Americans may be slightly lower than in other groups, this is still a significant health problem in the Asian American community.
So why is cigarette smoking so harmful?
Cigarettes contain dried tobacco leaves as well as many added chemicals that preserve and add flavor. When you light up a cigarette you are inhaling over 4000 different chemicals deep into your lungs. At least 43 of these compounds are proven carcinogens – they have been shown in a laboratory to cause cancer. Cigarettes have been shown to contain the heavy metals cadmium and arsenic, carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide and ammonia, among many others.
Smoking is also highly addictive. According to the surgeon general, nicotine is the drug in tobacco that causes addiction. It is found in all tobacco products and is one of the most addictive drugs known to man. This means that once you begin smoking, it may be difficult to give it up, even if you want to.
What will happen if I smoke?
According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), each year a staggering 440,000 people die in the United States from tobacco use. Nearly 1 of every 5 deaths is related to smoking. Cigarettes kill more Americans than alcohol, car accidents, suicide, AIDS, homicide and illegal drugs combined.
Cigarette smoking accounts for at least 30% of all cancer deaths. It is a major cause of cancers of the larynx (voice box), oral cavity, pharynx (throat), and esophagus. It accounts for 87% of all deaths from lung cancer. In 1993, lung cancer was the leading cause of cancer death (22.3%) among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and is one of the most difficult cancers to treat. It is very hard to detect when it is in the earliest, most treatable stage.
In addition to cancer, smoking also plays a significant role in many other diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, heart disease, stroke and many others.
So what can I do about it?
If you currently smoke, try to quit. If you don’t smoke, stay that way and try to convince your friends to give up too. You will live longer and your friends will too.
How do I quit?
Quitting smoking can be difficult. There is no point in pretending otherwise. But there are many resources out there that can help you when you decide to try. The following advice from www.smokefree.gov may be useful:
1. Thinking about quitting. Find reasons to quit that are important to you. Think of more than just health reasons, like how much money you will save, not having to take smoking breaks and the example you will set to your children.
2. Preparing to quit. Follow the START plan: Set a quit date, Tell your friends, family and co-workers that you plan to quit, Anticipate and plan for the challenges you will face, Remove all tobacco problems from your home/car/workplace, Talk to your doctor about getting help to quit.
3. Quitting. Use your support program, keep busy and stay away from things that tempt you. Manage cravings – try chewing sugar free gum or light incense or a candle instead.
4. Staying quit. Keep your guard up and always be aware of things that might trigger craving.
How can my doctor help?
Your family doctor can be a very valuable resource in your effort to quit smoking. They can help design a personal quit plan and can give information on telephone helplines such as 1-800-QUITNOW. There are also prescription medicines such as nicotine replacement patches and bupropion (Zyban)/varenicline (Chantix) that you may want to ask your doctor about.
Where can I go to find out more?
www.cdc.gov The Centers for Disease Control Website
www.cancer.org The American Cancer Society
www.smokefree.gov Quitting advice
www.familydoctor.org Quitting advice
www.chineserecovery.com/
Advice on many issues, including smoking. In Chinese.
Article funded through the Asian Health Initiative of Tufts Medical Center
Smoking is bad for you. You read about it in the newspaper, hear it on the radio and see it on TV. The message is everywhere. Yet people continue to smoke. In 1982, the surgeon general stated that “Cigarette smoking is the major single cause of cancer mortality in the United States.” In 1998, the message was repeated, with smoking causing 87% of the lung cancer deaths in the United States. This is a depressing finding considering that tobacco use is an acquired behavior – something a person chooses to do and is therefore the most preventable cause of premature death in this country.
You may think that cigarette smoking isn’t that common in Asian Americans; however, the statistics don’t lie. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) report that 21.6% of Asian American and Pacific Islander men and 12.4% of women smoke. Among Asian American and Pacific Islander high school seniors the numbers are similar (males 20.6%, females 13.8%) with about 4.5% of all students reporting that they smoke one-half pack a day or more. So while the rates of smoking in Asian Americans may be slightly lower than in other groups, this is still a significant health problem in the Asian American community.
So why is cigarette smoking so harmful?
Cigarettes contain dried tobacco leaves as well as many added chemicals that preserve and add flavor. When you light up a cigarette you are inhaling over 4000 different chemicals deep into your lungs. At least 43 of these compounds are proven carcinogens – they have been shown in a laboratory to cause cancer. Cigarettes have been shown to contain the heavy metals cadmium and arsenic, carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide and ammonia, among many others.
Smoking is also highly addictive. According to the surgeon general, nicotine is the drug in tobacco that causes addiction. It is found in all tobacco products and is one of the most addictive drugs known to man. This means that once you begin smoking, it may be difficult to give it up, even if you want to.
What will happen if I smoke?
According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), each year a staggering 440,000 people die in the United States from tobacco use. Nearly 1 of every 5 deaths is related to smoking. Cigarettes kill more Americans than alcohol, car accidents, suicide, AIDS, homicide and illegal drugs combined.
Cigarette smoking accounts for at least 30% of all cancer deaths. It is a major cause of cancers of the larynx (voice box), oral cavity, pharynx (throat), and esophagus. It accounts for 87% of all deaths from lung cancer. In 1993, lung cancer was the leading cause of cancer death (22.3%) among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and is one of the most difficult cancers to treat. It is very hard to detect when it is in the earliest, most treatable stage.
In addition to cancer, smoking also plays a significant role in many other diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, heart disease, stroke and many others.
So what can I do about it?
If you currently smoke, try to quit. If you don’t smoke, stay that way and try to convince your friends to give up too. You will live longer and your friends will too.
How do I quit?
Quitting smoking can be difficult. There is no point in pretending otherwise. But there are many resources out there that can help you when you decide to try. The following advice from www.smokefree.gov may be useful:
1. Thinking about quitting. Find reasons to quit that are important to you. Think of more than just health reasons, like how much money you will save, not having to take smoking breaks and the example you will set to your children.
2. Preparing to quit. Follow the START plan: Set a quit date, Tell your friends, family and co-workers that you plan to quit, Anticipate and plan for the challenges you will face, Remove all tobacco problems from your home/car/workplace, Talk to your doctor about getting help to quit.
3. Quitting. Use your support program, keep busy and stay away from things that tempt you. Manage cravings – try chewing sugar free gum or light incense or a candle instead.
4. Staying quit. Keep your guard up and always be aware of things that might trigger craving.
How can my doctor help?
Your family doctor can be a very valuable resource in your effort to quit smoking. They can help design a personal quit plan and can give information on telephone helplines such as 1-800-QUITNOW. There are also prescription medicines such as nicotine replacement patches and bupropion (Zyban)/varenicline (Chantix) that you may want to ask your doctor about.
Where can I go to find out more?
www.cdc.gov The Centers for Disease Control Website
www.cancer.org The American Cancer Society
www.smokefree.gov Quitting advice
www.familydoctor.org Quitting advice
www.chineserecovery.com/
Advice on many issues, including smoking. In Chinese.
Article funded through the Asian Health Initiative of Tufts Medical Center
Article Reference: http://www.sampan.org/show_article.php?display=2003
copyright © 2010 Asian American Civic Association. All rights reserved.
