Students from an unnamed campus created this somewhat amusing, somewhat informative video for their College Health class.
or view it here.
Wesleyan students…if you can create a better video than these guys, contact WesWELL!
Scientific American reports that quitting smoking can have a positive impact on one’s social networks, expanding them
Smokers who fail to kick the habit are not only hurting their bodies but may also be missing a chance to make new friends or, in some cases, keep old ones, according to new research.
Researchers report in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) that an analysis of more than 12,000 smokers (and their friends, families and colleagues) over a 30-year period shows that attempting to quit smoking can serve as a people magnet by becoming a phenomenon among social groups, like a gaggle of college students or co-workers at a small firm. read full article…
What is interesting about this is that tobacco smoking is often viewed as a social behavior by college students — engaged in when drinking alcohol or spending time with friends, but not on a regular basis outside of those times. Data about consumption patterns backs this up — relatively few college students at Wesleyan or elsewhere are daily smokers, but more students than the national average do smoke cigarettes. In fact, many college students do not identify themselves as smokers if they are “only” smoking in these social settings. Yet educational level can influence behaviors:
The scientists found that people with at least some college education were found to be more helpful partners in the quitting process as well as more easily influenced by others to toss their smokes. Christakis points out that past studies showed that people in higher socioeconomic classes were the first to embrace social trends—one of those, ironically, being smoking in the early 20th century.
One of the goals of an education, says co-author Fowler, is to make people more receptive to social norms. “Education helps people to come together and coordinate on a particular project,” he says. “Here the project is health behaviors—specifically smoking.”
Discussion Questions: What positive and negative influences have your social circles had on your health behaviors, including smoking?
Want to live longer?
Maybe that seems like something to worry about in the far-flung future, but new research indicates it may boil down
to four simple things you can do that will prolong your life by an average of 14 years and improve your overall health in the meantime. The Mayo Clinic Health Letter reports on this research.
Does the bombardment of information on how to improve your health just leave you feeling confused? Try focusing on this straightforward advice:
- Have no more than two alcoholic beverages a day.
- Don’t smoke.
- Get at least the equivalent of 30 minutes of moderate physical activity a day.
- Eat five servings of fruit and vegetables a day.
According to a recent study published in the January 2008 edition of Public Library of Science Medicine, people who follow those steps live an average of 14 years longer than those who don’t. Mayo Clinic experts would further recommend that women of all ages — and men over 65 — have no more than one drink a day.
For the study, researchers interviewed and examined over 20,000 reasonably healthy men and women aged 45 to 79, living in Norfolk County, United Kingdom. Their health status was checked again after many years.
Researchers found that regardless of sex, social status — or even body weight — those who followed none of the recommendations listed above had four times the risk of dying over the course of a decade than did those who followed all of the recommendations. Not smoking offered the greatest benefits in terms of survival.
Discussion Question: If you knew you could live longer by doing these four things, would you? Or if you are already doing these things, does it help motivate you to maintain these choices? And what would you do with the extra time?
From the New York Times…
A new study finds that the use of water pipes may be on the rise among college students. Some believe that smoking tobacco this way is less dangerous than smoking cigarettes —which is not the case, the researchers say.
The study, which appears in the May issue of The Journal of Adolescent Health, looked at water-pipe use among students at Virginia Commonwealth University. It found that of more than 700 students surveyed, more than 40 percent reported having used a water pipe in the previous year.
The pipes, often called hookahs or shishas, are perhaps best known in the Middle East and are used to smoke flavored and sweetened tobacco. The tobacco is heated over charcoal, and then is cooled as it passes through a bowl of water and is inhaled from a hose.
Despite the belief of some students, water pipes may expose users to more toxic materials than cigarettes. Each puff has as much as 100 times the smoke as a puff from a cigarette, the study said. And smokers are also inhaling fumes from the charcoal.
“There is every reason to believe that this adds to the problem,” said the lead author of the study, Thomas Eissenberg.
Most of the smoking takes place in water-pipe cafes, and one reason they are becoming more popular, the study said, is that unlike bars, they are open to students.
Water-pipe users were most likely to be men, many of whom told the researchers they thought it made them look cool.
A recent article in the New York Times shared new research on references to alcohol, tobacco and other drugs (ATOD) in music. It stated that:
One in three popular songs contains explicit references to drug or alcohol use, according to a new report in The Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. That means kids are receiving about 35 references to substance abuse for every hour of music they listen to, the authors determined.
A different study by the University of Pittsburgh School of Med
icine, also cited in the NYT article, reports that the number of ATOD references changes with the music genre:
There is little doubt that music can be influential in our moods, identity development and socialization. But do ATOD references in music have an impact in drinking, drugging or smoking behaviors? Is it different for kids in junior high or high school vs. college students? Are other forms of media more or less influential? And what, if anything, should be done to address it?
What are your thoughts? Discuss this in the comments section below.
From TobaccoFreeU.org…
Let’s say you have a friend who wants to quit smoking and you’re wondering just what you can do to help. You can make a big difference and here are a few ideas how.
Be Understanding — Hardly any smoker says they’re ready to quit “first thing tomorrow.” In fact, there are actually several stages a smoker goes through. And in most cases there’s a lot of time between “getting used to the idea,” “getting ready to do it” and actually “getting serious.” Just let them know you care, whatever stage they’re in. But don’t nag or pressure them - it could backfire.
Be Proactive - Keep in mind that your friend is the one who needs to make the decision - but that doesn’t mean you can’t do a little homework. Scope out some of the cessation programs available on-line or on your campus. Do some research on quitting. Then, when the subject comes up, you’ll be ready, willing and able to lend a hand.
From the Academy of General Dentistry…
A one-pack-a-day smoking habit can cost you the loss of at least two teeth every 10 years, reports the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD). Smokers are about twice as likely to lose their teeth than non-smokers, according to the results of two separate 30-year studies that investigated the relationship between smoking and tooth loss among males and females at Tufts University in Boston.
In one study, 495 healthy men had their teeth examined every three years. The men were divided into three groups: those who never used tobacco products, those who continuously smoked and those who smoked at the beginning of the study but later quit.
Smokers lost an average of 2.9 teeth after 10 years of smoking one pack a day, while non-smokers lost an average of 1.3 teeth after 10 years. In men who quit, the tooth loss was 2.4 teeth after 10 years of smoking one pack a day, and this decreased to 1.7 lost teeth after they quit.
“The good news is that the risk of tooth loss decreases after you quit smoking,” says AGD spokesdentist Fred Magaziner, DDS, MAGD. “But the bad news is that the risk of tooth loss was still higher among the quitters than among those who never smoked.”
Another study at Tufts University, which looked at 583 healthy postmenopausal women, and found that female smokers were twice as likely to lose one or more teeth every 10 years than non-smokers, and that the risk of losing teeth decreases among women who quit smoking.
“The bottom line is that smoking leads to periodontal (gum) disease, which leads to tooth loss,” says Dr. Magaziner. “Smoking causes a chain of events in the mouth that eventually leads to tooth loss. The chain starts with plaque build-up on teeth, which is linked to tartar build-up (an even harder, yuckier substance on the teeth), which can cause gingivitis. From there, you step up to periodontal disease, and the final destination is tooth loss.”
The chain can be broken by brushing and flossing regularly and by stopping the use of tobacco. What a puff!
If you start smoking at age 18 and smoke one pack a day, how many teeth will you lose by the time you are 35 years old?
Answer: Between four and five teeth. The Academy of General Dentistry reports tooth loss due to smoking at the rate of 2.9 teeth every 10 years for men and 1.5 teeth every 10 years for women.
WesWELL offers a free online health assessment that provides you with a personalized report on a variety of aspects of health and well-being called Ping My Health. It’s completely confidential, plus offers the chance to win an iPod or $150 cash, just for participating!
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