Did you know long-term smoking and vaping can lead to many health issues like high blood pressure, strokes, heart conditions, and various forms of cancer? Smoking and vaping can also cause blockages in your body, which disrupt cell performance and organ function and Buy tobacco online Australia.

"Your body is like a house; the organs are like rooms in the house and your veins are like plumbing," Jacqueline Crenshaw, a Bon Secours respiratory therapist, explains. "If you're clogging that flow because of smoking, then you're actually causing damage to those organs that need blood to function properly. And Buy cigarettes online Australia"

When cells do not perform as they should, there is a higher chance of cancerous cells forming. These cancerous cells can form in multiple different organs, including the lungs.

"When the cells aren't functioning at their optimal level, they can become cancerous," Jacqueline shares.

Reproductive concerns can also be a side effect of long-term smoking. Decreased oxygen can cause infertility in men. And if a mother smokes during pregnancy, the baby can become dependent on the nicotine in the womb and go through withdrawal as soon as they are born. It can also increase the baby's chances of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

Smoking affects not only your internal organs but your external appearance as well. Smoking can cause tooth decay, discoloration, and wrinkles. Overall, it can disrupt how your body is supposed to function and negatively affect you physically and emotionally.

"When your tissue is not alive, not healthy and not getting the good oxygen it needs because of the smoke or nicotine, it doesn't work right and it decays," Jacqueline reveals.

As for COVID-19, healthcare providers believe smokers are more at risk than non-smokers. The complications from COVID-19 can be more serious to smokers since smoking can create blockages in both your electrical and blood flows.

"If you're smoking and you get the virus, it could be a double whammy," Jacqueline says.

If you currently smoke but have healthier lifestyle goals, Jacqueline shares that support groups can make a big difference and are an excellent starting point.

"It's the emotional attachment and habits we form when we smoke that are hardest to break," she says. "There is a success rate of more than 90 percent for those who take part in our Bon Secours Quit Smart Smoking Cessation program."

Reducing Worker Exposure to E.T.S.

What better time than during the American Cancer Society's annual Great American Smokeout to highlight the benefit of comprehensive smoke-free workplaces on workers' health? Furnishing a smoke-free work environment has been shown to reduce exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (E.T.S.) among non-smokers and decrease smoking among employees. In Massachusetts, recent surveillance findings suggest that one approach to reaching that goal – comprehensive state laws mandating smoke-free workplaces – had a measurable positive impact. 

The U.S. Surgeon General reports that there is no safe exposure to E.T.S., also known as secondhand smoke (USDHHS 2006). Workers can be exposed to E.T.S. in their workplaces if co-workers or members of the public are permitted to smoke. E.T.S. causes lung cancer and heart disease and is also linked to respiratory diseases. Not only does E.T.S. worsen asthma, but it also increases the likelihood of developing asthma.

In 2004, Massachusetts became the third state behind Delaware and New York to pass a comprehensive law banning smoking in bars, restaurants, and non-hospitality workplaces. The Massachusetts Smoke-Free Workplace Law (M.G.L. Ch. 270, § 22) requires all enclosed workplaces with one or more employees to be smoke-free.

We recently presented findings from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System demonstrating that since the 2004 ban in Massachusetts, the prevalence of E.T.S. exposure at work among non-smokers declined from 8% in 2003 (the year before the ban was passed) to 5.4% in 2010. At the same time, smoking among workers declined from 18.5% in 2004 to 12.7% in 2010. And while smoking prevalence had declined before the law was passed, the drop was steeper after it went into effect. These findings suggest that comprehensive smoking bans work, but our results indicate more work.

In 2010, the prevalence of exposure to E.T.S. at work among non-smokers ranged from 3% to 37%, depending on the occupation group. The three occupation groups with significantly higher than average prevalence were:

●     Installation repair and maintenance (including auto body workers, HVAC mechanics, and cable T.V. installers):37.4%

●     Construction and extraction (including construction laborer, stonemason, roofer, and electrician): 22.6%

●     Transportation and material moving (including a taxi driver and waste collector):19.8%.

The Massachusetts 2004 law may not be as effective among these three occupation groups because it does not cover or is not enforced in settings where they work. For example, outdoor non-enclosed workplaces and private residences need to be covered, and enforcing the ban on work vehicles may be difficult.

However, we can work to overcome these challenges. Local jurisdictions can pass stricter policies for outside spaces and increase enforcement. For example, the Boston Public Health Commission's 2008 regulations prohibit smoking in outdoor workspaces that are adjacent to indoor workspaces, such as restaurant and hotel patios, loading docks, valet parking areas, and unenclosed floors of construction sites. Several city housing authorities, including Boston and Springfield, have banned smoking in public housing, and similar policies are being considered across the state. As required, employers should inform employees of the law and ensure that 'no smoking signs are posted.

We hope other states can learn from the Massachusetts experience and protect their workers from E.T.S. in the workplace.

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