The Ranger Online

Issue date: 10/26/07 Section: Pulse

Media Credit: Yubhya Garcia Prevention specialist Adorne Ruffin passes out tickets to students for a raffle at a tobacco seminar Oct. 19.

The best way to get people to quit smoking - or not to start - is to educate them on the effects of tobacco, a prevention specialist from the San Antonio Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse said Oct. 19.

"Education is a big way to change the world," Adorne Ruffin said in a lecture sponsored by Peer Educators.

Ruffin said she and her co-worker, Lillian Esparza, were not lecturing smokers about quitting, but simply educating people on tobacco awareness.

"We're not here to preach a message 'If you smoke, don't do that; that's bad.' We're just here to offer you information to make better choices," Ruffin said.

The presentation was to give students more information on smoking since the Alamo Community College District became smoke-free this fall.

The first two of three presentations attracted 15 to 20 people, but the third had seven people.

There are about 4,000 dangerous chemicals and additives in a cigarette. These can include benzene, which is used to make gasoline; carbon monoxide; hydrogen cyanide; cadmium; formaldehyde; and acetone.

"Ladies, we all know what we used acetone for right, as nail polish remover. If someone walked up to you with a glass of acetone and said, 'Here's some acetone,' would you drink it?" Ruffin said.

Using tobacco, whether it is cigarettes or smokeless tobacco, has many negative consequences.

They include lung, throat and mouth cancer, chronic bronchitis, heart disease and emphysema.

Every year, about 440,000 Americans die from these illnesses.

"Tobacco usage has a large impact on society. I think that people should have a choice and a critical eye to make better decisions. It all goes back to educating people," Ruffin said in an interview after the presentation.

Cigarettes are dangerous because of the secondhand smoke's effects on nonsmokers, Ruffin said.

Secondhand smoke causes some of the same illnesses to nonsmokers that it causes to actual smokers.

Other short-term effects include bad breath, yellow teeth, deadened taste buds and red eyes.

Smoking decreases the ability to smell and speeds the heart rate.

It takes seven seconds for nicotine to be absorbed through the body by the mouth.

About 35,900 children under 18 will try tobacco products every year in Texas.

The ones who choose to let it become a habit are more likely to use drugs.

People who smoke a pack a day spend about $140 a month.

Young people about the age of 12 are more likely to use smokeless tobacco, thinking that it is less harmful.

Smokeless tobacco contains 28 cancer agents and can lead to nicotine addiction and dependence.

There are many ways that the advertising agencies of tobacco companies try to appeal to children.

"Tobacco companies are using tricky advertising to get the attention of young kids," Ruffin said. "They want those lifetime customers."

These are appeals used by advertisers to target children:

• Bandwagon - Everyone is smoking.

• Image appeal - It looks cool to smoke.

• Maturity - Only mature people are smoking.

• Popularity - The more you smoke, the more friends you have.

• Free stuff - Send in your proof of purchase for free items.

• Health appeal - Our cigarette has less tar.

• Scientific evidence - It is scientifically proved that our filters filter out 85 percent of all chemicals.

In contrast, some healthcare providers and counselors create counter ads to help educate society and especially children on the effects of tobacco usage.

To buy tobacco, the legal age is 18. If caught under age with tobacco, the person is fined up to $250. The person must attend with parents a tobacco awareness event and commit to hours of community service. If the young person has a driver's license, it can be taken away.

Adults are role models for society, especially the youth, Ruffin said.

"It's scary when I see little kids coming up to me saying, 'I saw my brother smoking."

Nicotine addiction is difficult to overcome.

There are a few products out on the market to help, such as a patch or gum.


For more information to help quit, here are a few Web Sites to check out: www.whyquit.com, www.ash.org.uk, www.positivepreventions.org, www.smokefree.gov.
Here are a few numbers to call: National Quit Line: 1-800-QUIT-NOW, The American Cancer Society: 1-800-ACS-2345, The American Heart Association: 1-800-242-8721, The American Lung Association: 1-800-LUNG-USA.

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