{"id":7810,"date":"2020-11-01T14:21:19","date_gmt":"2020-11-01T21:21:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lpatucson.org\/central\/?p=7810"},"modified":"2020-11-04T14:21:31","modified_gmt":"2020-11-04T21:21:31","slug":"the-great-american-smokeout-and-the-dangers-of-smoking-and-vaping","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lpatucson.org\/central\/the-great-american-smokeout-and-the-dangers-of-smoking-and-vaping\/","title":{"rendered":"The Great American Smokeout and the Dangers of Smoking and Vaping"},"content":{"rendered":"

On the third Thursday of every November, smokers around the nation come together to take part in the American Cancer Society\u2019s Great American Smokeout. This event challenges smokers to quit using tobacco products and provides them with resources to stay away. Tobacco use is the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in the world, which is why the <\/span>Great American Smokeout<\/span><\/a> remains an important event.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Tobacco is hard to quit, so it is crucial to start talking to your kids now to prevent them from using tobacco products in the future. Finding the right time to begin the conversation may be difficult, but there are many things parents can do to help teach the dangers of smoking to children.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Start the Conversation Early<\/b><\/p>\n

It\u2019s never too early to start talking about tobacco with your kids. It is recommended to first mention tobacco use around <\/span>age 5 or 6 and continue the dialogue throughout their high school years.<\/span><\/a> This can be beneficial because many kids start using tobacco products by the age of 11, and even worse, many become addicted by the age of 14. By starting an open dialogue early and often, you can make a big impact on the decisions they make later in life.<\/span><\/p>\n

Use the Facts<\/b><\/p>\n

Many kids start smoking because it seems like the cool thing to do, and they aren\u2019t aware of the harmful effects that come along with tobacco use. It\u2019s up to parents to point out the <\/span>negative health effects<\/span><\/a> to children, which include bad breath, yellow teeth, smelly clothes, coughing, and decreased athletic performance, along with life-threatening illnesses.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It is no secret that smoking has serious long-term risks such as cancer, but it is important to relay this message to your children. <\/span>It is estimated that smoking causes 32% of all cancer deaths in the U.S.<\/span><\/a>, including 73% of lung cancer deaths in men and 76% of lung cancer deaths in women. If you know someone who has been affected with a tobacco-related illness, you should mention this to your child to give them a real example.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Vaping<\/b><\/p>\n

The latest smoking trend is being used across the age spectrum\u2014by kids, teens, and young adults. <\/span>Vaping<\/span><\/a> is marketed as a safe alternative to smoking, yet there is no evidence that vaping, or e-cigarettes, is any safer than smoking cigarettes, and may, in fact be just as dangerous.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The liquid used in vaping is not mere water. The ingredients in the liquid, which the e-cigarette device turns into vapor, can contain nicotine, heavy metals, and cancer-causing chemicals. Nicotine, a highly addictive substance, is contained in both regular cigarettes and e-cigarettes. <\/span>Researchers worry<\/span><\/a> that an addiction to nicotine through the use of vaping, can easily translate later to the same addiction being satiated by cigarettes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The <\/span>MD Anderson Center\u2019s<\/span><\/a> website lists the following risks:<\/span><\/p>\n