The issue of smoking and public health

Smoking and Lung Disease

Smoking is a hazardous habit that has the ability to greatly affect the health of the smoker and those that are close to them. The purpose of this discussion is to investigate smoking and lung disease. The discussion will focus on possible community health nursing interventions/teaching strategies. We will also use Orem's nursing model to describe the community, its health issue/problem, and proposed interventions.

Community and Health issue

The community in question is Grady County which is located in Chickasha, Oklahoma. Smoking is a prevalent problem in this community and people are seemingly unaware of the health consequences related to smoking. The reason why this issue was chosen was due to my mother having Severe Emphysema and the effects this disease has on her, also because of the impact that second hand smoking can have on non-smokers For example, I am Deathly Allergic to Smoking. My airway closes off and I break out in hives all over my body, due to this, I have to carry an Epi-Pen at all times.

Description of the issue/problem

Smoking has long been correlated with the development of lung disease (Albaum et al., 2002). There are several forms of lung disease that have been associated with smoking including emphysema and lung cancer (Albaum et al., 2002). In recent weeks lung cancer has been at the forefront of discussion across the country. This is due in part to the death of Peter Jennings who was a long-term smoker and died of lung cancer only a few months after diagnosis. According to the American Lung Association,

"Lung cancer is the leading cancer killer in both men and women in the United States. In 1987, it surpassed breast cancer to become the leading cause of cancer deaths in women.1 Lung cancer causes more deaths than the next three most common cancers combined (colon, breast and prostate). An estimated 163,510 deaths from lung cancer will occur in the United States during 2005 (American Lung Association, 2005)."

The American Lung Association also reports that between the years 1979 and 2002 deaths caused by lung cancer increased 60%. In addition, the report explains that men were at a greater risk of dying from lung cancer than are women (American Lung Association, 2005). In addition African-American's were 12% more likely to die from lung cancer than the rest of the population. Finally the association explains that 87% of those suffering from lung cancer are smokers (American Lung Association, 2005). The remaining percentage usually contracts lung disease from pollutants in the air mainly second hand smoke.

Second hand smoke is particularly harmful to women and children. In children it can cause asthma and other respiratory problems. In fact the National Cancer Institute asserts that "Secondhand smoke is responsible for an estimated 3,000 lung cancer deaths among U.S. nonsmokers each year (Cigarette Smoking and Cancer, 2004)." In women second hand smoke is more likely to cause lung cancer than in men. It is believed that because women have smaller lungs they are less able to eliminate toxins.

The spread of lung disease as a result of smoking is so prevalent because the Nicotine found in cigarettes is highly addictive. According to a research report published by The National Institute of Drug Abuse the majority of cigarettes sold in the United States contain on average10 milligrams of nicotine. This means that the average smoker inhales 1 to 2 milligrams of nicotine per cigarette. The research report also states that "nicotine is absorbed through the skin and mucosal lining of the mouth and nose or by inhalation in the lungs (Nicotene Addiction)." Health problems associated with cigarette smoke also cost a great deal. The research report asserts that

"The impact of nicotine addiction in terms of morbidity, mortality, and economic costs to society is staggering. Tobacco kills more than 430,000 U.S. citizens each year-more than alcohol, cocaine, heroin, homicide, suicide, car accidents, fire, and AIDS combined. Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States. Economically, an estimated $80 billion of total U.S. health care costs each year is attributable to smoking (Nicotene Addiction).

Intervention/Prevention and Orems Model

The power of the addiction to cigarettes poses a serious health problem in the community. Dealing with this problem has long been considered a must in many American communities. In the past the main interventions used to address the problem of smoking has been anti-smoking programs implemented at public schools to discourage children from smoking and making them aware of the health problems associated with smoking. On the national level there have also been public service announcements in the form of commercials which make the public aware of the tactics used by tobacco companies and the addictive nature of nicotine.

There are several types of interventions that can be used to aid people in quitting the habit of smoking. Using Orem's Model of nursing also known as the self-care model, there are several tactics that can be used to treat smokers. The Orem model asserts that patients wish to care for themselves. The National Institute of Drug Abuse explains that there are both pharmarlogical and behavioral treatments that can eliminate the addiction to nicotine that cigarette smokers tend to have. The research report asserts that nicotine replacement therapies are amongst the most popular treatments. These treatments include nasal sprays, nicotine gum, and transdermal patches (Nicotine Addiction). These products are used to reduce the withdrawl symptoms associated with nicotine addiction. Many of theses replacement therapies can be purchased without a prescription. The report claims that

"Since the introduction of nicotine gum and the transdermal patch, estimates based on FDA and pharmaceutical industry data indicate that more than 1 million individuals have been successfully treated for nicotine addiction ... The over-the-counter availability of many of these medications, combined with increased messages to quit smoking in the media, has produced about a 20% increase in successful quitting each year (Nicotine Addiction)."