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Thanks for everyone's input, especially appreciated is Todd's note about hi=
s
ordeal. The politics of smoking is fascinating and Byzantine, but that's fo=
r
another discussion maybe somewhere else. Anyone who wishes to debate those
issues can write me directly. I'll be happy to respond.
I wanted to wrap this up with a general look at the effects of smoking and
specifically those related to scuba diving. Any discussion of health and
technical diving must at some point include information about smoking. As
Trey points out there are a lot of instructors who smoke, which sets a
terrible example in my opinion. What do you think? Young divers actually do
look up to and idolize instructors and leaders in cave and technical diving=
..
They emulate their style and equipment. No instructor would consider being
drunk when teaching, but many smoke before, after or even while going over
the fine points of nitrogen uptake, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and
oxygenation of blood. Divers who smoke without thinking about it take
vitamins and aspirin in the hope that their molecular and cellular effects
will prevent DCS.
At one time it was common to see doctors who smoke, now it's rare. It's tim=
e
for divers to follow their example. If any single class of athlete has a
compelling physiological reason to stop smoking it's scuba divers.
I've included links, they follow each quote, I've edited for sense and even
included a link to an opposing view. I hope this is useful. Everything that
follows is cut from the web:
Organizations promoting scuba diving are united in their no-smoking policy.
One editorialist wrote: "There is no choice for the diver. He or she should
quit smoking now =C4 or consider giving up diving." (Tzimoulis 1986) Apart
from the likelihood of developing airway disease, which increases the risk
of pulmonary barotrauma from air trapping, the greatest immediate hazard
from smoking is excess blood carbon monoxide and decrease in arterial oxyge=
n
content.=20
Diving can be quite stressful and any physiologic impairment increases its
inherent risks. Based on half-life of excess CO in the blood (about six
hours), and typical CO-hemoglobin levels of smokers (5%-10%), scuba divers
who cannot break the smoking habit should abstain at least 12 hours before
any dive. However, many divers do smoke, and sometimes just before a dive.
Sadly, it is not uncommon to see dive professionals =C4 divemasters and
instructors =C4 smoke during the surface interval between a two-tank dive.
Tzimoulis P. If you smoke, don't dive. Skin Diver Magazine, June 1986, p/8.
http://www.mtsinai.org/pulmonary/books/scuba/medical.htm
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a tasteless, odorless, highly poisonous gas given
off by incomplete combustion of petroleum fuel. Virtually every gasoline
powered motor, including all cars that use hydrocarbon fuel, emit some
carbon monoxide. All lighted cigarettes also give off carbon monoxide. The
extreme toxicity of CO arises from the fact that, compared with oxygen, it
combines about 200 times more readily with hemoglobin. As a result, any
excess CO readily displaces some oxygen from the blood; the more CO there
is, the more oxygen will be displaced.
CO-related problems while diving can occur two ways, one more infamous tha=
n
the other. Probably the less appreciated problem is simply from smoking. Al=
l
smokers (cigarette, cigar, pipe) have an elevated blood CO level and, sadly=
,
many divers smoke (even on the dive boat!). There is no evidence that divin=
g
increases the blood CO level in smokers, but since CO competes with oxygen,
the smoking diver is more hypoxic on entering and exiting the water than
otherwise. Any stressful situation thus puts the diver at increased risk fo=
r
an hypoxic-related event, such as heart attack.
While at depth, the hypoxic effect of excess CO will be somewhat (but not
completely) mitigated by the higher blood oxygen level that also occurs at
depth. In final analysis, we really don't know to what extent smoking cause=
s
problems in divers, but common sense (and basic physiology) makes it a dumb
practice to smoke and dive.
http://www.mtsinai.org/pulmonary/books/scuba/gaspress.htm
WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF NICOTINE ON THE BODY?
Ever since 1942, there were medical evidence that shows that nicotine is an
addictive drug. Today, more research has been done to prove the hypotheses
and they have proven that the hypotheses was not only right but nicotine ha=
s
been compared to drugs like heroine, alcohol and barbiturate addiction.
Today, we can say that all cigarette smokers are addicts. When a person
smokes, their body responds immediately to the chemical nicotine in the
smoke. Nicotine will cause a short-term increase in blood pressure, heart
rate, and the flow of blood from the heart. It will also cause your arterie=
s
to narrow. The Carbon monoxide reduces the amount of oxygen the blood can
carry and this , combined with the effects produced by nicotine, will creat=
e
an imbalance in the demand for oxygen for the cells and the amount of oxyge=
n
that the blood will be able to supply. Smoking also increases the amount of
fatty acids, glucose, and various hormones in the blood.
http://crystal.biol.csufresno.edu:8080/projects/53.html
The Effects of Smoking
On the Lungs:=20
Chronic lung disease
Chronic bronchitis Emphysema
On the Circulatory System (heart, arteries, veins, capillaries):
Immediate response
Increase in blood pressure. Constriction (or narrowing) of the blood
vessels. Increase in heart rate. Decrease in stamina and energy. Decreased
amount of oxygen in the blood. Decreased circulation of blood especially to
the heart, arms and legs.
Long-term effects
Nicotine causes irritation to the lining of the blood vessels. This may
cause the "bad" LDL cholesterol to adhere to the vessel walls and speed
hardening of the arteries (arteriosclerosis). Hardening of the arteries can
eventually lead to heart attack or stroke.
Heart Disease
Heart failure - Lung disease puts an additional strain on the heart and can
cause heart failure. Heart attack - Recurrent heart attacks can occur if th=
e
smoker has other circulatory or heart diseases.
http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/subabuse/tobacc11.htm
Cigarettes.... one of the most addictive and destructive, over the counter
drugs known to modern man. One of the few legal substances available in
stores that can injure or kill when used as intended. Most rational people
know this as a fact, yet many continue to smoke. Some smokers know, deep in
their hearts, they want to quit. Others are quite content to keep on puffin=
g
because they think they enjoy it so much.
Why would seemingly intelligent people continue to smoke, knowing full well
the dangers and potential implications of doing so? Well folks, I don't wan=
t
to disillussion anybody, but it is because they are nicotine addicts.
Cigarette smokers are just as much an addict as someone hooked on crack,
cocaine, morphine or heroin. The folks that say they don't want to quit,
because of the pleasure they derive from smoking, are not really speaking
for themselves. It is their addiction speaking for them. It is that little
addicted voice inside their minds rationalizing the addiction, because they
know, it might hurt to quit. They know that there will be a sense of loss.
They know that smoking is as much a part of their personality as being a
happy person, or being a morning person, or liking to go to the movies.
Smoking becomes a part of who and what you are. An ADDICT. It amazes me the
number of people who smoke cigarettes who would never smoke a
"marijuana"cigarette. "Oh no, thats drugs" or "I ain't no dope fiend". Sorr=
y
pal, tobacco is dope, it is drugs and if you're a smoker, you are also a
drug addict and a dope fiend. The sooner you accept it, the sooner you will
be able to get well again and kick those "nasty butts" out of your life.
Smoking, like any addiction, especially addictions that involve chemicals,
is a sickness. Fortunately it is a sickness that can be cured. There is hel=
p
available. Chances are that unless you can lock yourself away for a few
weeks, you will need some help to get well again. Help can be something as
simple as some education, or it may be a prescription for a nicotine
replacement delivery system. The most effective way to stop smoking is a
combination of both. You also need some motivation, a reason to live a long
healthy life. I quit smoking for myself and my family.
http://oxford.megalink.net/~dale/quitcigs.html
Physical Responses to Quitting
Time after last cigarette Physical Response
20 minutes: Blood pressure and pulse rate return to normal
8 hours Levels of carbon monoxide and oxygen in the blood
return to normal 24 hours Chance of heart attack
decreases
48 hours Nerve endings start to regrow; ability to taste and
smell increases 72 hours Bronchial tubes relax; lung
capacity increases
2 weeks to 3 months Improved circulation; lung function increases up to 30=
%
1 to 9 months Decreased incidence of coughing, sinus infection,
fatigue, and shortness of breath; regrowth of cilia in
lungs, increasing the ability to handle mucus, clean
the lungs, and reduce chance of infection; overall
energy level increases
http://my.webmd.com/content/dmk/dmk_article_40081
Other Links:
http://informatics.dent.umich.edu/health/service/teenhealth/teensmoking/hea=
l
th.html
http://www.stclement.pvt.k12.il.us/StudentWeb/science98/GarrittPatM/disease=
..
html
http://www.quit.org.au/FandI/fandi/c03s6.htm
http://www.oncolink.upenn.edu/pdq_html/6/engl/600314.html
http://www.quitnet.org/qn_main.jtml?nosession=3Dtrue
Cigarettes Killed the Marlboro Man:
http://wellweb.com/SMOKING/lawsuit.htm
http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/1675.html
http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/stspta5.htm
http://www.yourhealth.com/ahl/1841.html
http://my.webmd.com/content/dmk/dmk_article_40081
http://hoshi.cic.sfu.ca/abstracts/posters/Poster3.txt
Pro-Smoking Page:
http://www.jeremiahproject.com/smoke/death.html
Good Luck,
JoeL
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