Is it true that smoking less than 6 cigarettes a day is reasonably safe?

Michelle, count me in.

I am actually astonished when I look around and see young people -- women, but also men -- smoking today. The information about smoking has been around their entire lives and yet it clearly is still attractive to them to try -- and once they try, many are addicted. I will be very dedicated to helping with the Women Who Kick Butt! campaign.

For a while now, I have done something when I see a person who is alone and smoking: No matter who they are, I will walk up to them and say, "You are way too (pretty if they are female, handsome if they are male) to be smoking." And then I'll give them a genuine smile and walk away. In my imagination, having someone say something to them so positive might get them to think twice and to quit. Is it shallow? No, I don't think so. I think it works better than a frown or a lecture. If most people who smoke want to quit, I want to be a friendly nudge.

My dad was way too handsome to smoke, but he did. And he died. He was just 60. He missed seeing me, my sister and my brother get married, and he missed getting to meet his (now seven) grandchildren, including the one named for him. He couldn't watch his beloved Denver Broncos win the Super Bowl for the first time with his family, because he was gone. I miss his voice. I miss him. I know that if he had it to do over again, he would tell anyone who would listen that the cigarettes themselves weren't worth what they caused him to miss.

So count me in, Michelle. And let's kick butt.

Oh my gosh Virginia, I cannot believe the information you've uncovered. Well, on second thought, I actualIy can. You are so amazing with your knowledge base.

I am so happy to have the support of both you, and Alison. Alison, you two have such great information. I am so impressed. It helps to know that you've both had experience in running campaigns on quitting that nasty habit.

Let's talk to Tina, to see how we can organize this and get women involved.

What a great project! I'm sure we'll find plenty of women to participate and also those that just want to act as a support group.

More to come on EmpowHer's "Women Who Kick Butt" program.

Thanks for the encouragement and your willingness to always help women. You ladies are amazing!

Hugs,
Michelle

Michelle, you have put in front of us a great project that will be worth every minute of our time and effort spent! Count me in to help EmpowHer's newly established "Women who Kick Butt" campaign. I was pretty involved on Smoking/Tobacco cessation efforts while in the Navy.

According to the American Lung Association, cigarette smoking was rare among women in the early 20th century and became prevalent among women after it did among men. In 2006, 20.2 million (17.8 percent) of women smoked in the United States.1 Although fewer women smoke than men, the percentage difference between the two has continued to decrease. Today, with a much smaller gap between men’s and women’s smoking rates, women share a much larger burden of smoking-related diseases. Here is very interesting information I found on: Trends in Tobacco Use Report and Lung Disease Data in the Data and Statistics section - website www.lungusa.org

Below is pretty interesting data from this website:

.Smoking is directly responsible for 80 percent of lung cancer deaths in women in the U.S. each year. In 1987, lung cancer surpassed breast cancer as the leading cause of cancer deaths among women in the U.S.

•Current female smokers aged 35 or older are 12 times more likely than nonsmoking females to die prematurely from lung cancer and COPD. In 2008, an estimated 71,030 women will die of lung and bronchus cancer.

•Smoking is directly responsible for more than 90 percent of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or emphysema and chronic bronchitis deaths each year.5 In 2005, about 52 percent of all COPD deaths were in women. This is the sixth year in a row that women have outnumbered men in deaths attributable to COPD.

•Annually, cigarette smoking kills an estimated 178,408 women in the United States.

•Women who smoke also have an increased risk for developing cancers of the oral cavity, pharynx, larynx (voice box), esophagus, pancreas, kidney, bladder, and uterine cervix.

•Women who smoke double their risk for developing coronary heart disease.

•Postmenopausal women who smoke have lower bone density than women who never smoked. Women who smoke have an increased risk for hip fracture compared to never smokers. Cigarette smoking also causes skin wrinkling that could make smokers appear less attractive and prematurely old.

•Women have been extensively targeted in tobacco marketing dominated by themes of an association between social desirability, independence, weight control and smoking messages conveyed through advertisements featuring slim, attractive, and athletic models.

•Teenage girls often start to smoke to avoid weight gain and to identify themselves as independent and glamorous, which reflect images projected by tobacco ads. Social images can convince teens that being slightly overweight is worse than smoking. Cigarette advertising portrays cigarettes as causing slimness and implies that cigarette smoking suppresses appetite.

•Non-Hispanic black high school girls have had lower smoking rates than Non-Hispanic black high school boys since 1991. Non-Hispanic white high school girls and boys have had similar smoking rates during this period.

•Cigarette smoking among black 12th grade girls decreased dramatically from 1976 to 1992 (from 37.5 percent to 7.0 percent) compared with that among white girls (from 39.9 percent to 31.2 percent). Between 1992 and 1998, smoking prevalence increased among white girls (from 31.2 percent to 41.0 percent)

.Between 1999 and 2003, cigarette smoking prevalence among high school girls decreased by 37 percent. However, between 2003 and 2007, there was only a 2.3 percent decrease in prevalence of cigarette use among high school girls.15 While the overall trend in cigarette smoking among teenage girls has been decreasing, it is doing so at a slower rate.

•Middle school white girls had the highest percentage of smoking (8.6 percent) in 2004

•In 2005, 10.7 percent of women smoked during pregnancy, down almost 42 percent from 1990.

American Indian/Alaska Native women have the highest rate of smoking during pregnancy (17.8 percent).

13.9 percent of pregnant non-Hispanic white women were smokers compared with 8.5 percent pregnant non-Hispanic black women.

The smoking rate for Hispanic and Asian/Pacific Islander women who are pregnant is generally substantially lower (2.9 and 2.2 percent, respectively). However, rates differ considerably within subgroups.

•Since 1990 teenagers and young adults have had the highest rates of maternal smoking during pregnancy. In 2005, 16.6 percent of female teens aged 15-19 and 18.6 percent of women aged 20-24 smoked during pregnancy.

•Neonatal health-care costs attributable to maternal smoking in the U.S. have been estimated at $366 million per year, or $740 per maternal smoker.

Mothers who smoke can pass nicotine to their children through breast milk. Cigarette smoking not only passes nicotine on to the fetus; it also prevents as much as 25 percent of oxygen from reaching the placenta. Smoking during pregnancy accounts for 20 to 30 percent of low-birth weight babies, up to 14 percent of preterm deliveries and about 10 percent of all infant deaths.

•Additionally, infants are more likely to develop colds, bronchitis, and other respiratory diseases if secondhand smoke is present in the home or day care center. Maternal smoking has also been linked to asthma among infants and young children. The odds of developing asthma are twice as high among children whose mothers smoke more than 10 cigarettes a day.

•Reducing frequency of smoking may not benefit the baby. A pregnant woman who reduces her smoking pattern or switches to lower tar cigarettes may inhale more deeply or take more puffs to get the same amount of nicotine as before.

•The most effective way to protect the fetus is to quit smoking. If a woman plans to conceive a child in the near future, quitting is essential. A woman who quits within the first three or four months of pregnancy can lower the chances of her baby being born premature or with health problems related to smoking.

•Women who quit smoking greatly reduce their risk of developing smoking-related diseases and dying prematurely.

•Women who quit smoking relapse for different reasons than men. Stress, weight control, and negative emotions, lead to relapse among women.

•A study found among middle-aged smokers and former smokers with mild or moderate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease breathed easier after quitting. After one year the women who quit smoking had 2 times more improvement in lung function compared with the men who quit.

Michelle,
I would love to help start a Women who Kick Butt campaign! I've worked on similar campaigns, everything from the Great American Smokeout to one we created called, "Preparation to Cessation". We liked "ours" better, as individuals who want to quit must prepare for their quit date, plan for triggers and relapses. The Smokeout was too "anti-smoking" for me; it seemed to target smokers who did and did not want to quit...sends out the wrong message. Our message was: we love smokers, and want them to stay on the planet longer! :-) Anyone who wants to quit, is ready to quit...we can help them!

I'll write more later on this subject; it is also my passion and more research is being done to provide answers to your questions, Michelle. The last I read, there are some gender differences with how our brains are "wired", and thus, the impact of addictive substances are "received" differently in each gender's brain. However, people are also wired with many similarities, and some studies suggest that women "self-medicate" more often than men. This makes sense, with the increased number of women who are diagnosed with depression and feel it necessary to self-medicate. Also, the trend has been (may be changing) that women use cigarettes as an appetite suppressor more than men. These statistics are ever-changing, and also depends upon which population (age, race, ethnicity) we are referring to.

Thanks for your enthusiasm...it's contagious!

Thank you both for such helpful, information. I still think we should start a "Women who Kick Butt" campaign. We know that smoking is bad. There's no question that everyone should quit smoking. But it appears men, have a much easier time quitting then women do.

Don't know what the stats are but I bet, Virgina, you and Alison, can find them. Alison, you may already know the answers to all my questions.

Also, why do more women smoke then men? Is that even true?
Why do women have a lower success rate of quitting then men?

What happens with a woman's body that makes it harder for her to quit? Has to be chemical.

I'm sure part of it is the daily pressures we face as woman, moms, wives, caregivers etc...

Best advice of all is don't start smoking!! But if you do..cold turkey may be the way to go. If not, you should keep trying.

Who wants to help me start the "Women who Kick Butt" campaign?

You have to understand my passion..I lost my best friend to lung cancer. She smoked for years when she was diagnosed with lung cancer. She quit smoking 20 years earlier. One day she got sick and six weeks later she was gone.

Let's kick the habit,

Michelle

No, it is not true that smoking 6 cigarettes or less a day is reasonably safe. Cigarettes contain known harmful, poisonous and cancer-causing ingredients, above and beyond the addictive substance (nicotine).

I wrote about the effects of smoking on the brain, as it is important to know that with every puff of "only 1" cigarette or "only 6" cigarettes, you are changing your brain chemistry. Did you know that cigarettes effect every organ, nerve, muscle, brain receptor site, artery, vein and tissue in our bodies! When we smoke, the drug nicotine, tar and other additives travel through our blood stream throughout our entire body. Not only are you putting your lungs at risk, but every organ in your body. Sorry for the bad news! You can read my entire blog here.

Dear Bargain Lover: Your question is great and many people wonder about the same. I know of people who smoked all their lives and live into their 90s. I also know of people who only smoked for a couple of years and died of lung cancer. And many have developed cancer or other health conditions just by being around smokers. There is no exact science to confirm or deny whether diseases linked to smoking have anything to do with frequency, number of years or other factors. But there is science to support that the sooner a smoker stops smoking the better it is for the body to recover. Genetics also play a big factor on disease development. If I were you, I would just quit cold turkey and find "distractors" to help me go through the withdrawls. But that is easy to say than done, so a support system may be needed to help you succeed.

Here is a link to the Center for Disease Control that offers helpful informtation to people who wish to stop smokings. http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/quit_smoking/index.htm

I have included the QUIT TIPS below:

Are you one of most smokers who want to quit? Then try following this advice.

1. Don’t smoke any number or any kind of cigarette. Smoking even a few cigarettes a day can hurt your health. If you try to smoke fewer cigarettes, but do not stop completely, soon you’ll be smoking the same amount again.

Smoking "low-tar, low-nicotine" cigarettes usually does little good, either. Because nicotine is so addictive, if you switch to lower-nicotine brands you’ll likely just puff harder, longer, and more often on each cigarette. The only safe choice is to quit completely.

2. Write down why you want to quit. Do you want to—

Feel in control of you life?
Have better health?
Set a good example for your children?
Protect your family from breathing other people’s smoke?
Really wanting to quit smoking is very important to how much success you will have in quitting. Smokers who live after a heart attack are the most likely to quit for good—they're very motivated. Find a reason for quitting before you have no choice.

3. Know that it will take effort to quit smoking. Nicotine is habit forming. Half of the battle in quitting is knowing you need to quit. This knowledge will help you be more able to deal with the symptoms of withdrawal that can occur, such as bad moods and really wanting to smoke. There are many ways smokers quit, including using nicotine replacement products (gum and patches), but there is no easy way. Nearly all smokers have some feelings of nicotine withdrawal when they try to quit. Give yourself a month to get over these feelings. Take quitting one day at a time, even one minute at a time—whatever you need to succeed.

4. Half of all adult smokers have quit, so you can— too. That’s the good news. There are millions of people alive today who have learned to face life without a cigarette. For staying healthy, quitting smoking is the best step you can take.

5. Get help if you need it. Many groups offer written materials, programs, and advice to help smokers quit for good. Your doctor or dentist is also a good source of help and support

Hi Bargain Lover,

Are you asking because you smoke or because you saw this and thought it was odd? We've only been told that smoking causes cancer, right?
Or, are you wanting to quit?

I've been doing some research on the most successful ways to stop smoking and I've learned some interesting things. One is acupuncture. There's a clinical trial going on in Arizona, using acupuncture to quit smoking. I'm so curious as to what the findings are.

I can tell you this much, I had a friend of mine who has smoked for years. I mean like 40 years. And she was able to quit after having acupuncture treatments. She was actually part of the clinical trial.

I'm trying to find out more about this trial. When I do, I'll post it on the site.

Let me know if you're looking for ways to quit. I'd be happy to help you anyway I can.

I think we should start a smoking support group. I truly believe there are more women smoking, than one would think. It's called "closet smoking". They want to quit but are to afraid to even admit they smoke because of the whole stigma thing. We need to start a group. Now, I'm more determined then ever to help women stop smoking if they want to.

Doesn't matter how many times you fail..it's making the attempt that counts and there will come a time when you will stop smoking for good. You just need to have the support of others who have tried to quit and failed and tried again and won. There's nothing wrong with failure. You just keep trying until you get it right. Relapsing is all part of the process. If you want to succeed, you will.

Best in health,
Michelle

Nicotine abuse is nicotine abuse. There is always the chance of addiction and the chances of smoking 6 cigarettes a day would be astonishing. There are many studies that place nicotine abuse in a Schedule 1 drug class along with Heroine and Crack Cocaine due to it's addictive nature. You can find the full study here http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/06/030602023446.htm.

Most people that you speak to that are smokers say that they wish they never started smoking or want to quit. This should tell you something. Being a smoker myself, it is a real hassle to leave the house everyday knowing that you need so many cigarettes and again a lighter to make sure you have everything you need for the day.

See these statistics from the Food and Drug Administration.

Two-thirds of adults who smoke say they wish they could quit.
Seventeen million try to quit each year, but fewer than one out of ten succeed. For every smoker who quits, nine try and fail.
Three out of four adult smokers say that they are addicted. By some estimates, as many as 74 to 90 percent are addicted.
Eight out of ten smokers say they wish they had never started smoking.

I did find a study from Forces.org that indicates that passive smoking does not cause cancer, you can find that website here http://www.forces.org/articles/files/passive1.htm.

If you want another website that will really have your stomach crawling, check out the toxic substances that can be found in cigarette smoking and this may deter anyone that thinks that smoking a little cannot cause toxic exposures http://hazmap.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/hazmap_generic?tbl=TblActivities&id=23. Haz map is a great place to visit to obtain information on toxic exposures to any household items as well as cigarette smoking.

Any exposure to the things that are found on the Haz Map list can cause cancers: however, ammonia is a leading cause of lung cancer, COPD, emphysema and bronchitis. I work in the industry of toxic exposures and health effects thereof and I assure you, I see it daily. Ammonia is one of the main ingredients in cigarettes and exposure means risk.

I hope this helps with your question.