Statements presented to participants to assess knowledge and opinion on tobacco addiction
| Statement | |
|---|---|
| 1) | Smoking cigarettes is the single biggest cause of preventable death and illnesses and is a major cause of the three most common causes of death (cancer, heart attack and lung disease). One in two smokers die young because of their smoking. Smoking causes 16 different kinds of cancer. |
| 2) | Although nicotine is the highly addictive chemical in cigarettes it is not the reason smoking causes diseases and death. Nicotine itself is pretty harmless and is actually a very similar chemical to caffeine (just works in a different part of the brain). It is the 5,000 other chemicals in cigarettes that cause all the damage. There are much safer ways of getting nicotine without cigarettes. |
| 3) | Nicotine is the highly addictive chemical in cigarettes. It works in the brain by releasing a hormone (dopamine) that is a calming and relaxing hormone. However, over time the brain becomes dependent on nicotine and, without it, suffers intense withdrawal symptoms. This addiction is a physical disease, not a lifestyle choice. Every person deserves to have access to the best treatments for any disease they suffer with. This includes the disease of smoking. |
| 4) | There are some very effective medications to help a smoker to stop. Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) is very effective but must be used at a big enough dose to match the nicotine provided in a cigarette. This can sometimes mean using NRT as often as every hour on the hour. There are highly effective tablet treatments that block the effect of nicotine in the brain and break the cycle of addiction. All healthcare professionals have a responsibility to understand the disease of smoking and how to provide medications for it. |