Smoking and Substance Abuse

Smoking

• Smoking is the inhalation of the smoke of burning tobacco, considered as physical and psychological addiction to tobacco products.
• Over 7,000 chemicals are exposed to the body when smoking tobacco, many of which are toxic.
• Causes of smoking:
  • Stress and low self-esteem
  • Social characteristics (e.g. having parents or friends who smoke)
  • Exposure and susceptibility to tobacco (nicotine addiction)
  • Experimentation (e.g. excitement of trying something forbidden)
• Signs and symptoms of smoking:
  • Nagging morning cough
  • Decreased sense of smell and taste
  • Tooth discoloration
  • Poor circulation (cold hands and feet, premature wrinkles, clubbed fingers)
  • Shortness of breath
  • Increased fatigue
  • Frequent respiratory illness (e.g. bronchitis)
• Complications of smoking:
  • Death
  • Cardiovascular disease (e.g. stroke, atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, hypertension)
  • Lung disease (e.g. chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma)
  • Pregnancy complications (e.g. low birth weight, early delivery, malformation)
  • Decreased immune function
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Tooth loss and discoloration
  • Increased risk of cataracts and sclera discoloration
  • Cancer (e.g. bladder, blood, colon, esophagus, kidney, larynx, liver, pancreas, stomach, lung)

Health Education for Smoking

• For non-smokers:
  • Say no to smoking offers
  • Attend awareness campaigns about smoking effects
  • Avoid smoking areas
  • Choose smoke-free restaurants
  • Avoid indoor public places that allow smoking
• For smokers:
  • Assess audience needs (e.g. knowledge, skills)
  • Motivate to stop smoking and raise awareness about effects
  • Educate about effects of smoking on the body (e.g. aging, teeth decay)
  • Inform about diseases caused by smoking (e.g. lung cancer, kidney cancer, stomach ulcer)
  • Show benefits of stopping smoking (e.g. long-term and short-term benefits)

Substance Abuse

• Definition: patterned use of substances (e.g. alcohol, drugs) causing harm or injury to health
• Addiction: compulsive or chronic need for substances
• Most common types of substance abuse:
  • Alcohol
  • Sedatives (barbiturates)
  • Narcotics (opioids: morphine, heroin, codeine)
  • Stimulants (amphetamines: cocaine, nicotine)
  • Hallucinogens (marijuana)
  • Inhalants (inhaled by sniffing or huffing)
• Risk factors:
  • Family and community factors (e.g. divorce, stress)
  • Personal factors (e.g. genetic risks, low self-confidence)
• Signs and symptoms:
  • Sudden mood swings
  • Changes in normal behavior
  • Lack of hygiene and grooming
  • Withdrawal from friends and family
  • Loss of interest in normal activities
  • Changes in sleeping patterns
  • Injection marks or glassy eyes
  • Constant sniffles or runny nose
• Complications:
  • Health problems (e.g. psychotic behavior, seizures)
  • Diseases (e.g. HIV/AIDS, hepatitis)
  • Unemployment, poverty, and homelessness
  • Relationship problems
  • Accidental injuries (e.g. falling or car accidents)

Treatment for Substance Abuse

• Drug therapy: to help quit or overcome withdrawal symptoms
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT): to change thoughts and actions
• Motivational interviewing (MI): to resolve mixed feelings about quitting
• Group therapy

Health Education for Substance Abuse

• Teach about types, risk factors, causes, signs, and complications of substance abuse
• Show examples of drug abusers and fatal complications
• Teach about healthy lifestyle (e.g. physical exercise, stress relief, healthy diet)
• Teach about avoiding drug abusers and unhealthy behaviors
• Teach about treatment options (e.g. group therapy, counseling, drug education)

Suicide

• Definition: act with fatal outcome, deliberately initiated and performed by the person in the knowledge or expectation of its fatal outcome
• Common methods of suicide:
  • Firearms
  • Hanging
  • Plastic bag and drugs
  • Drug poisoning
  • Exsanguinations
  • Drowning
  • Chemical poisoning
  • Jumping off a high building
• Risk factors:
  • Having recently been released from prison or jail
  • Being exposed to others' suicidal behavior
  • Certain medical conditions
  • Chronic pain
  • Family violence
  • Financial problems
• Causes of suicide:
  • Severe depression
  • Bipolar disorder
  • Borderline personality disorder
  • Anorexia nervosa
• Signs and symptoms:
  • Sudden changes in personality, attitude, appearance
  • Talking about wanting to die or wanting to kill themselves
  • Talking about feeling empty, hopeless, or having no reason to live
  • Using alcohol or drugs more often
  • Acting anxious or agitated
  • Withdrawing from family and friends
  • Changing eating and/or sleeping habits

Treatment for Suicide

• Talk therapy:
  • Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
• Medication:
  • Antidepressants
  • Antipsychotic medications
  • Anti-anxiety medications
• Lifestyle changes:
  • Avoiding alcohol and drugs
  • Exercising regularly
  • Sleeping well

Health Education for Suicide

• Teach about disadvantages of suicide
• Inform about risk factors and how to control them
• Teach alarming signs for suicide
• Advise regular exercise, preventing alcohol, and sleeping well
• Advise eliminating access to lethal methods of suicide
• Teach about benefits and side effects of medication (e.g. antidepressants, antipsychotic, anti-anxiety)
• Teach about the benefit of talk therapy