August 27, 2011 in Tobacco & Alcohol Issues
Most Americans drink. In fact, national surveys have shown that more than half of all Americans consumed alcohol within the past 30 days. Drinking small amounts of alcohol can actually be healthy. People who consume one drink per day actually have a lower risk of developing heart disease than do non-drinkers. On the other hand, ...
August 25, 2011 in Tobacco & Alcohol Issues
Alcohol abuse is a pattern of drinking resulting in social, medical or financial problems. With alcohol abuse, you fail to fulfill responsibilities at work, school or home. You may engage in dangerous drinking situations, such as drinking while driving. You may experience legal problems associated with alcohol use, but continue drinking despite problems. Alcohol abuse ...
August 22, 2011 in Featured, Tobacco & Alcohol Issues
Do not ignore your drinking problem. Get help now. Talk to your doctor. How can I cut back on alcohol? If you drink excessively or abuse alcohol, even small changes can reduce your risk of becoming an alcoholic or developing alcohol-related problems. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism provides the following tips ...
August 17, 2011 in Tobacco & Alcohol Issues
There is no cure for alcoholism; however, there are many effective treatments available. Talk to your doctor. If your are heavily dependent on alcohol and develop withdrawal symptoms when you stop drinking, you doctor can help you get over withdrawal by working with you to develop a detoxification treatment plan. After you are over the ...
August 16, 2011 in Tobacco & Alcohol Issues
What is in cigarettes? There are more than 4,000 chemicals in cigarette smoke, 250 of which are highly toxic and some of which cause cancer. Some of these chemicals are also found in wood varnish, the insect poison “DDT”, arsenic, nail polish remover and rat poison. How bad is tobacco for my health? Quitting ...
August 14, 2011 in Tobacco & Alcohol Issues
Secondhand smoke is the smoke nonsmokers breath in from other people smoking nearby. There has been significant debate on the health effects of secondhand smoking for some time. What are the health effects of secondhand smoke? Secondhand smoke contains more than 250 toxic chemicals, 50 of which are known to cause cancer. According to the ...
August 12, 2011 in Featured, Tobacco & Alcohol Issues
Smoking not only causes major health problems, it is also a very expensive habit. Consider the following: The average cost of a pack of cigarettes, including taxes, is $4.49. A one pack per day smoker spends about $34 per week, or $1,768 per year on cigarettes. A 40 year old who quits smoking and puts ...
August 11, 2011 in Tobacco & Alcohol Issues
Quitting smoking is not easy. You will have the best chance of success if you follow the following recommendations from www.smokefree.gov: Get Prepared. You are more likely to quit if you are prepared. Think START… S – Set a quit date about 2 weeks from today. You may want to pick a special day, like ...
August 10, 2011 in Tobacco & Alcohol Issues
Yes, there are several medications you can use over-the-counter (OTC) or by prescription to help you kick the habit. These medications can generally be grouped as nicotine replacement and non-nicotine replacement. What is nicotine replacement therapy? Nicotine is the addictive chemical in cigarettes that make you crave them. When you stop smoking, you will develop ...
August 9, 2011 in Tobacco & Alcohol Issues
Many people who try to quit will relapse or start smoking again, but you should not feel like a failure. Learn from your relapse, modify your plan to factor in why you relapsed, and start again. What do I do if I slip for a day? Again do not get discouraged. One cigarette is better ...
