ABC News' Dr. Tim Answers Questions About Smoking
Nov. 28, 2005 — -- Question: If most people who use nicotine patches or gums wind up going back to smoking, isn't it possible that nicotine is not the agent that makes people want to continue smoking? Regardless of whether or not nicotine is an addictive drug? Is it possible that smoke = security because since 250,000 years ago, when our ancestors began using fire, those who hated the smell of smoke were less likely to survive than those who didn't hate it or even loved it? Is it possible that the quit smoking campaign is so slow in results because people don't understand the reason why people like to smoke?
-- Russell Snyder, Zanesville, Ohio
Answer: People have difficulty quitting smoking because smoking is addictive. Nicotine is highly addictive and it is the nicotine rush that leads people to smoke cigarette after cigarette. Nicotine is the real craving. It's not the nicotine that causes cancer but rather the other agents in the cigarette that when burned that cause cancer. Studies show that most people who use the nicotine patch and other nicotine-delivery agents are able to kick the habit. All that said, I think we have major hurdles yet to clear in finding ways of delivering the message about the dangers of smoking that encourage people to stop. An equally big issue is finding messages to ensure that we (especially our kids) never start.
Source: Fox Chase Cancer Institute
Question: Has smoking been linked to brain aneurysms?? I've had 3 carotid brain aneurysms repaired. (I am a medical miracle.) Also, is there more success with the patch or nicotine gum??
-- Peggie Plosam Buffalo, N.Y.
Answer: Smoking attributes to many cancers including lung cancer and cancers of the larynx, oral cavity and pharynx, esophagus, and bladder. A link to brain aneurysms has not been established. Both the nicotine patch and gum appear to have equal benefit. The most important thing about either is that you stick with it. Most people who successfully quit smoking have tried to quit several times. And as the label advises, don't smoke when using the patch or the gum.
Source: Fox Chase Cancer Institute
Question: After seeing the broadcast I was wondering what types of things one should do and eat to help in quitting? I suppose exercise and fruits and vegetables. Maybe you can touch on this?-- Joe Kelly, Schenectady, N.Y.
Answer: Exercise is a great way to reduce the stress that often contributes to the "need" to smoke. There are other wonderful benefits of exercise including reducing weight gain that sometimes happens when we quit smoking. The weigh gain happens because many people turn to food when trying to stop smoking. Carrots and celery are excellent foods for this reason. Not only are they healthy, but they can help with the hand-to-mouth habit accompanies smoking. There may be other foods to help relieve smoking. Try calling 1-800 QUIT NOW for more information on other foods.
Source: Fox Chase Cancer Institute
Question: I only smoked when I would drink alcohol. But I did this for almost 20 years. I tried to add this up and decided that I probably smoked for somewhere between 4 or 5 years. I just recently quit about 6 months ago. Did I make things worse by spreading it out over 20 years? Can you give me any percentages and info on or where to get ideas on vitamins and foods, etc. to help reduce my chances of lung cancer?
Answer: Congratulations for quitting! In answer to your question, the data on this subject are a bit conflicting. On the one hand, your exposure to tobacco smoke was less than a typical smoker; the degree of that I don't know because I do not know how many cigarettes you would smoke when you drank alcohol. But assuming you mean the equivalent of one pack per day for 4 or 5 years, your exposure is actually quite small. On the other hand, there are other data suggesting that exposure over a prolonged period may increase your risk. However, this is much less of an issue because of how infrequently you smoked over that time period.
So, I cannot give you exact numbers or percentages. However, I do know that even within minutes of quitting your chances for life threatening diseases such as a sudden heart attack decrease dramatically. And the longer you stay quit, the more your health improves.
As to your final point, there have been quite a few studies looking at dietary manipulation and lung cancer. In the 1990s there was excitement over the possibility that vitamin A may reduce one's risk of lung cancer, but when it was studied in a placebo controlled fashion, it actually increased lung cancer risk. A variety of antioxidants may have benefit, but until they are studied scientifically, you may end up increasing your risk of adverse health outcomes by taking mega doses. My advice: eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables of all kinds; and limit red meat and high fat foods.
Source: Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, Tobacco Intervention Programs
Question: After years of smoking and numerous attempts to quit including gum and the patch I finally succeeded with the laser treatment Sept 11, 2005. My question is how long does it take the body to stop gaining weight after you stop smoking?
-- Lisa J Robinson, Harvard, Mass.
Answer: When a person quits smoking, they are faced with two issues that can impact weight. The first is a slight lowering of metabolism due to the absence of nicotine. The average weight gain associated with this factor is approximately 5 pounds. The second issue that impacts calorie management is the use of food to replace the oral behavior of cigarette smoking. More bites of food mean more calories. Weight is a calorie issue. A low carbohydrate diet is typically built around high protein foods and fewer vegetables and fruit. Vegetables and fruits are lower in calories and should be the largest volume source in the diet. In addition, vegetables and fruits contain higher levels of antioxidants. Antioxidants are very important to heal tissue damaged from smoking. The formula for losing weight and keeping weight off should include lots of vegetables and fruits, maximum 4-6 ounces of protein per day, and 30-60 minutes of physical activity every day.
Source: Ochsner Clinic Foundation, Baton Rouge, La.
Question: One of your broadcasts talked about second-hand smoke and its impact on non-smokers. I am very sensitive to smoke so I try to avoid areas where smokers are present. Today, however, I went with my aunt and uncle to visit some casinos. We visited several areas with smokers and it was very uncomfortable for me to breathe in the air. I tried the non-smoking area, but it was not much better. What's ironic is that there were so many of those smokers carrying around oxygen tanks! We were there for about 4 hours. Is there any impact on short-term exposure, those times when you find yourself in a situation or place where there are smokers present?
-- Joni Davis, Golden, Colorado
Answer: There is really no safe level of tobacco exposure. Being any place where there is tobacco can be very irritating and try to avoid this if at all possible. Not only is there a long term effect of developing cancer, but there is an allergic component to tobacco smoke. I would probably stay away from all locations where tobacco is used, and casinos are very prevalent of that. Even the best attempts to try to remove smoke are not completely successful.
Source: Ochsner Clinic Foundation, Baton Rouge, La.
Question: I'm a very light smoker (1-3 clove cigarettes per week now for the last year and a half and never more than one in a day), though I have done this off and on for about twenty years. I also run 5-10 miles a week and am otherwise healthy. Though I have heard that "there is no safe level of smoking", I have been assuming that it would take me fifty years or more to do the same damage that the average pack/day smoker does in their first year of smoking and that there is enough time in between cigarettes for the cilia in my lungs to clear them out. What's the prognosis for really light smokers like me and have there been any such studies done? Also, How long does it take after one quits to get that black tar out of one's lungs, or does it ever really go away?
-- Will, Texas
Answer: There really is no safe level of smoking. Unfortunately we do not know the individual susceptibility for individuals to various doses of the carcinogens in cigarette smoke. Obviously the vast majority of people who smoke cigarettes do not develop lung cancer and there are those who develop lung cancer at much earlier ages. Generally this is associated with increased tobacco exposure. However, because of the individual susceptibility to the various carcinogens, I can not assume that a light smoker would have any less of a risk of developing lung cancer than someone who had increased number of cigarettes but they perhaps did not have the genetic susceptibility. Again, there is no safe level of tobacco.
Source: Ochsner Clinic Foundation, Baton Rouge, La.
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