Tobacco Alcohol and Drugs Dissertation Example

Tobacco, alcohol, and drug use are lifestyle habits that are continually frowned upon in the society, especially the health sector because abuse of these habits poses a severe threat to the health of the people involved. Smoking has significant adverse effects on vital systems in the body mostly respiratory and cardiovascular system. This paper is going to take a look at the effect of smoking on the respiratory system.

The respiratory system takes oxygen into the body and expels carbon dioxide, this gaseous exchange takes place at the alveoli-capillary interface just at the end of the bronchioles. “All kinds of smoke, as well as other types of air pollution, increase mucus secretion in the respiratory system but decrease the activity of the respiratory system’s protective mechanisms, thus making the system vulnerable to problems” (Brannon, Feist & Updegraff, 2013.p.284). Mucus formation clogs the bronchi leading to difficulty with expiration which irritates the bronchi, thereby inflammation, and formation of scar tissue, this is called bronchitis “the third leading cause of death in the United States” (Brannon, Feist & Updegraff, 2013, p.284). The formation of scar tissue and presence of mucus could also lead to loss of bronchial elasticity causing air to get trapped in the alveoli, leading to the destruction of the alveoli walls, this condition is called emphysema. Smoking majorly causes these two chronic conditions of chronic bronchitis and emphysema.

In the United States, cigarette smoking is “the largest preventable cause of death and disability” (Brannon, Feist & Updegraff, 2013, p.296). Cancer, cardiovascular diseases as well as chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases are major health consequences of tobacco use. Cancer is “the leading cause of smoking-related deaths” (Brannon, Feist, & Updegraff, 2013, p.296). Evidence has shown that smoking is the cause of a variety of cancer and cancer-related problems, most especially lung cancer, other cancers like lip, mouth, esophagus, trachea, cervix are also found to be related to smoking. Cardiovascular diseases like myocardial infarction (heart attack) and stroke have all been related one way or the other to smoking. Moreover, smoking causes inflammation of the arterial wall, which could impede blood supply, another has been that smoking contributes to the formation of atherosclerotic plaque that blocks the major arteries to the heart.

Alcohol and drugs could have both positive and negative health consequences, moderate use of alcohol is beneficial to the heart and could reduce the risk of having type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s, gallstones (Brannon, Feist & Updegraff, 2013). However, the negative outweighs the positive “alcohol use, even at moderate levels (two drinks per day), increases the risk for both premenopausal and postmenopausal breast cancer” (McTiernan, 2003). Apart from breast cancer, excessive alcohol use can lead to a liver condition called cirrhosis, where scar tissue is replacing the liver cells. The risk of drug abuse is ultimately death, due to its inhibitory and calming effect and the kind of drug for example barbiturates and opioids if used in large amounts could lead to coma and death as a result of its inhibitory effect on the respiratory center in the brain. Tolerance, a dependence which leads to addiction are also significant hazards of alcohol and drug use. A drug or alcohol tolerated person needs a larger dose of the substance to achieve the same initial effect; dependence is when the body relies on a particular drug for functioning.

Cancer, cardiovascular diseases and chronic pulmonary diseases as discussed above are major risk factors of tobacco and alcohol/drug use. These diseases can be prevented if adequate measures are taken. Stewart et al. (2004) discovered that cancer mortality reduced when the use of tobacco was controlled. “The decline in lung and bronchus cancer mortality among men is probably a result of reduced tobacco use” (Stewart et al., 2004). It was also suggested that programs that prevent initiation and promotes cessation of smoking as well as alcohol and drug use in men, women, and adolescents would prevent future deaths from cancer. Pearson (2007) also wrote that tobacco use, as well as binge drinking of alcohol, could lead to significant cardiovascular problems like myocardial infarction and systemic hypertension suggesting that “primary prevention requires assessment of risk in asymptomatic people to yield cost-effective benefits” (Pearson, 2007).
Furthermore, pharmacological treatment in the form of nicotine (a major substance in cigarettes) replacement drug could help treat tobacco addiction, and it is very effective in combination with behavioral therapy (Brannon, Feist & Updegraff, 2013). Disulfiram also helps with alcohol problem by creating unpleasant effects like face flush, nausea, vomiting, and others. Development of programs is mostly the primary treatment for drugs, tobacco, and alcohol.

References

• Brannon, L., Feist, J., Updegraff, J.A. (2013). Health Psychology: An Introduction to Behavior and Health. 8th edition. California, Wadsworth Publishing.
• McTiernan, A. (2003). Behavioral risk factors in breast cancer: can risk be modified? The Oncologist, vol. 8 no. 4 326-334. https://doi: 10.1634/theoncologist.8-4-326
• Pearson, A.T. (2007). The Prevention Of Cardiovascular Disease: Have We Really Made Progress? Health Affairs. Vol. 26 Issue 1, p49-60, 12p https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.26.1.49Stewart, L.S., King, J..B., Thompson, T.D., Freidman, C., Wingo, P.A. (2004.) Cancer Mortality Surveillance-United States. 1990-2000. MMWR. Surveillance Summaries, 53(SS03); 1-108. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/Mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ss5303a1.htm