Go On Hold your Breathe!
August 5th, 2008 by aussiecynicThis is a little post, just a short one. but all this recent talk about smoking has irritated me. Yes I know its not good, yes I know most of you think it is a foul, disgusting habit that is making you all sick and you will of cause die from some smoking related disease to which you will happily go to your grave spouting of how you wished you never spent so much time at the smoke filled pub when you where younger, or sue your work place for all that exposure before it became a smoke free environment or maybe it was those horrible smokers adorning the doorways of your entrance to work trying to stay dry whilst having that last final puff before work begins, or the 5 minute puff during a coffee break while the rest of the office are on a 15 morning tea break. Well here is little information for anyone who cares to read this list.
Everyday, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week you breathe, unless of course you are dead in which case you would not be reading this post. Each and every breathe you take draws in your standard combination oxygen and other chemicals, dust particles, disease and pathogens, yes you can get sick from breathing.
Here is list of all the lovely, friendly things in every breathe you take, if you live in the city.. get ready its going to be a bumpy ride:
A short list of the likely pathogens in car exhaust:
Carbon Monoxide
Nitrogen dioxide
Sulphur dioxide
Suspended particles including PM-10, particles less than 10 microns in size.
Benzene
Formaldehyde
Polycyclic hydrocarbons
My favourite on this list is Benzene this is the substance which replaced the lead in your fuel. You know that stuff that was making you sick and your kids dumb. This is what Benzene does to you… remember it comes out every cars exhaust into the air…. enjoy… oh btw I do know that small amount is present in cigarette smoke, but hey why not it is everywhere else, it may as well be.
Benzene The greatest possibility for high-level exposures is in the workplace… most people are exposed to benzene in tobacco smoke and automobile exhaust. Benzene has been found in at least 337 of 1177 National Priorities List hazardous waste sites. Other environmental sources of benzene include gasoline (filling) stations, vehicle exhaust fumes, tobacco smoke, underground storage tanks that leak, wastewater from industries that use benzene, chemical spills, groundwater next to landfills containing benzene, and possibly some food products that contain benzene naturally. Brief Exposure at High Levels–Death may occur in humans and animals after brief oral or inhalation exposures to high levels of benzene; however, the main effects of these types of exposures are drowsiness, dizziness, and headaches. These symptoms disappear after exposure stops.
Long-Term Exposures at Various Levels–From overwhelming human evidence and supporting animal studies, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has determined that benzene is carcinogenic. Leukemia (cancer of the tissues that form the white blood cells) and subsequent death from cancer have occurred in some workers exposed to benzene for periods of less than 5 and up to 30 years. Long-term exposures to benzene may affect normal blood production, possibly resulting in severe anemia and internal bleeding. In addition, human and animal studies indicate that benzene is harmful to the immune system, increasing the chance for infections and perhaps lowering the body’s defense against tumors. Exposure to benzene has also been linked with genetic changes in humans and animals.
Animal studies indicate that benzene has adverse effects on unborn animals. These effects include low birth weight, delayed bone formation, and bone marrow damage. Some of these effects occur at benzene levels as low as 10 parts of benzene per million parts of air (ppm). Although benzene has been reported to have harmful effects on animal reproduction, the evidence for human reproductive effects, such as spontaneous abortion or miscarriage, is too limited to form a clear link with benzene.
Benzene and other less known hydrocarbons are produced in petroleum refining, and are widely used as solvents and as materials in the production of various industrial products and pesticides. Benzene also is found in gasoline and in cigarette smoke. It has been shown that exposure to benzene is related to the development of leukemia and lymphoma. Benzene has a suppressive effect on bone marrow and it impairs blood cell maturation and amplification. Benzene exposure may result in a diminished number of blood cells or total bone marrow loss. A number of metabolites appear to be involved in this process, and there may be several targets of toxicity, including stem, progenitor, and some stromal cells.
Wasnt it lovely of the world to remove lead from your petrol and replace it with such a harmless chemical, I dont know about you but I am on the bring back the lead band wagon.
In the standard air you breathe everyday is the following list of chemicals, they are standard in all air pollution, regardless, You can of course add to the list depending on what is around you, the industies in your general area, and which direction the wind is blowing…
Airborne chemicals entering the digestive system include well-known toxins such as:
pesticides
organophosphate
PCBs
dioxin
arsenic
cadmium
lead
mercury
Air pollution, both indoor and outdoor, is a significant cause of health problems worldwide. Urban and rural outdoor environments contain infections, allergens, irritants and chemical toxins that can reduce the quality of life and cause disease. Inhaled air pollution is directed at the the nose, throat and lungs. The exposed airway allows hazardous pollutants to enter the body and all tissues are ultimately exposed.
While ambient air pollution is a major concern, indoor air can be more polluted than outdoor air. Building materials and furnishings are a source of volatile chemicals. A decrease in indoor air quality is the result of reduced ventilation and efficient construction practices, sealing homes and office buildings from the outdoor environment.
So there you have it.
I have listed a general list of some of the wonderful chemicals in the air you breathe A count of.. 15 added chemicals which have been grouped into their chemical families ie PCB’s (multiple), most if not all are known to be cancer causing and or have dangerous effects on your health.
Something which was mentioned was that well 30% of cancers could be stopped by not smoking… ok I’ll give them that, BUT WHAT WILL STOP THE OTHER 70%……
So before anyone starts going on about smoking is putting your health risk, or having a go at the person finishing there puff at the bus stop, have a go at the bus driver, the petrol companies, your workplace, every industry in your neighbour hood, your local furniture manufacturer, and the countless others making the air you breathe a toxic waste dump and stop harassing us…
Or perhaps we should all just hold our breathe….
Aussie, Aussie, Aussie… oi oi oi!!
I love it when you get up on your soap box… you go girl!!
You know, sometimes I wonder why there is such hype about smoking when just as you have posted, there are chemicals all around us… even in the water!! the food we eat!! the air we breathe!! I must admit, I hate the smell and I hate it in my clothes and in a closed space… other than that, well, it’s just another pollutant we have to put up with as there will always be smokers! and God forbid industry pollutants were chemical free… hmmmm….. something to think about!!
lol.. somebody’s got to do it…. stepping down … lol..
I posted this as food for thought… hmmm
thinking it worked…
what winds me up with the anti smoking set is this
they get the benefits of passive smoking but don’t chip in any money to buying ciggies. Bunch of free-loaders in my book
Nice one Aussie
Go for it girl
thanks bo snr…
aussiecynics last blog post..who cares? not me!
I also enjoy smoking flowers it helps my MS
Cheers for this one AC,
You’ve a point and this gives our recent smoking post balance - Some smokers live to be 113 years old (they always seem to be old french people) and if it relaxes you then maybe it’ll prolong life? Is there a chance of that or doesn’t it matter? Others can catch illness having never touched a cig, like Amy Winehouse with a lung disease caused by crack addiction, bless.
At Bo’s wedding (where are thou Bo?) I sampled a Cuban cigar and had the throat from hell the next day and vowed never again - maybe i did inhale afterall?
Interesting that when they offered unleaded petrol with Benzene in as an alternative to lead petrol is was MORE harmful!
Maybe a smokers section here at GSTF as we head down the health route content wise?
nah a smokers section would only inflame the anti lobby… hehehe..
I cant handle cigars either….
but as you realised there are many things which are far more dangerous for our health, and these are sanctioned by the world who turn a blind eye because people dont realise….
Just going for a fag then I’ll be back…..
This is a US based blog aswell Lib,
**US readers - fag means cigarette - just to clarfiy or are we making assumptions Lib?
good point
I wouldn’t want a load of rubbish spilling out of the boot of the car onto the pavement
that will fox even the most fluent septic
hehehehehehhe…
aussiecynics last blog post..who cares? not me!
You presumed right and the moment I go ‘with’ a fag, I shall write a post.
The day people start driving buses in the restaurants I’m trying to eat in, I’ll start yelling at them.
Until then, I’m yelling at the people lighting cigarettes and puffing that crap in the air around me and my kids.
Then I’ll run over them with my Hummer.
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Hoho, when little Sarah was slamming the door of her room, it means that her daddy was smoking..
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Yep you’re right that car exhaust, heavy industry, etc do indeed pollute our air, but smoking does it in an incredibly efficient fashion - 100s times more concentrated & directed straight at your respiratory system. Chuck that into an enclosed space of a pub/restaurant (no more in many places) & even those not wanting to smoke are facing higher concentrations of the CO, benzene, etc., again many times more concentrated than road-side pollution (for instance). Even Tory ministers who enjoy a little toke on a car exhaust, a little auto-asphyxiation (see what i did there), would be hard pressed to take in the carcinogens that a pack of cigs are likley to deliver.
30% of all cancers down to smoking - incredible. The other 70% are myriad genetic & environmental factors, but none so obvious, definitive & deleterious as tobacco smoke. Your stats really shoot any bizarre argument you’re trying to trumpet smack bang in the foot.
If those stats are correct - sorry just getting my head round such massive figures attributable solely to smoking - then governments around the world should be subsidising cigs as much as they can: the huge increase in the proportion of the old, infirm & pensionable populace will drop like a stone & with it overcrowding, NHS budget prob;lems, pension shortfalls would disappear. Those daft enough to smoking would be rewarded with cheap bullets & the rest could enjoy old age with decent hospitals & pensions.
With all consuming panacea policies like that I’m running for PM: Vote for Pedro’db.
hey there O’DB
long time no see….
yes I admit those states took me back a bit… but when I read on I fouind this:
Background Information - Adverse Health Effects of Chronic Exposure to Petroleum Combustion Products. On November 18, 1994, the first-ever conference on “Air Pollution: Impacts on Body Organs and Systems” was held in Washington, D.C. by the National Association of Physicians for the Environment. An abridged version follows. The relevance of this perspective increases with increasing air pollution and climate change. 2008 Update.
Jaffe and Badman at the same conference summarized the effects of polluted air :
“Blood perfuses all of the body’s organs and can carry toxic substances as well as beneficial substances, such as oxygen, to them. Air pollution is the source of many materials that may enter the human bloodstream through the nose, mouth, skin, and the digestive tract. Chemicals known to be harmful, such as benzene, lead and other heavy metals, carbon monoxide, volatile nitrites, pesticides, and herbicides. These substances have been shown to produce harmful effects on the blood, bone marrow, spleen, and lymph nodes. Blood cells are constantly undergoing turnover, with new blood cells entering the circulation as mature cells are lost, making the blood system especially vulnerable to environmental poisoning. For example, lead interferes with normal red blood cell formation by inhibiting important enzymes. In addition, lead damages red blood cell membranes and interferes with cell metabolism in a way that shortens the survival of each individual cell. Each of these harmful effects can result in clinical anemia.
Benzene and other less known hydrocarbons are produced in petroleum refining, and are widely used as solvents and as materials in the production of various industrial products and pesticides. Benzene also is found in gasoline and in cigarette smoke. It has been shown that exposure to benzene is related to the development of leukemia and lymphoma. Benzene has a suppressive effect on bone marrow and it impairs blood cell maturation and amplification. Benzene exposure may result in a diminished number of blood cells or total bone marrow loss. A number of metabolites appear to be involved in this process, and there may be several targets of toxicity, including stem, progenitor, and some stromal cells.
Common air pollutants also have an affect on blood and thus on organs of the body. For example, carbon monoxide binds to hemoglobin two hundred times more avidly than oxygen and distorts the release to the tissues of any remaining oxygen. Thus, CO poisoning is a form of suffocation. Carbon monoxide can exacerbate cardiovascular disease in humans. Some airborne chemicals stimulate the immune system to activate leukocytes and macrophages that can produce tissue damage, especially to the cells that line human blood vessels. The combined effect of these events is to accelerate the changes that eventually lead to hypertension and ischemic heart disease.
These effects are purely based on exposure to exhaust and petroleum… The levels from cigarette smoke with the exception of enclosed spaces is minimal…
The cost to health system is far less than all the costs involved wth alcohol related illnesses, and those effected by it, ie drink drivers, violence, domestic violence, health, and all the following effects from alcohol abuse…
aussiecynics last blog post..who cares? not me!
The penultimate line from the report is crucial:
‘The levels from cigarette smoke with the exception of enclosed spaces is minimal…’
But when the ‘enclosed space’ is your respiratory system or a public space (bars/restaurants before smoking bans) then all the levels of carcinogens/mutagens you’re exposed to massivels concentrated compared to road-side air pollution levels.
should read ‘you’re massively exposed to are massively concentrated …’
apologies: my brain fell out when Jim repeatedly spiked my breakfast tea with his crystal meth
Hi Aussie
As a non-smoker - I’d like to point out that (although I don’t myself) a lot of my previous co-workers often moaned about the smokers - all those extra ‘tea-breaks’, regular breaks then another 5 mins on top just so they can pop outside for half a fag, etc etc on and on it went.
To counter this, the smokers would complain about the tea brigade - takes them half an hour to brew a cuppa etc endless cups of tea… well you get the idea.
I can see both sides - trouble is what to do? One company I know installed tea machines, banned ‘brews’ at desks and with the change in the smoking laws said they would ban smoking on the site full stop unless the smokers cleaned up the grounds of all the spend butt ends.
Its kinda worked - there are still little moans every now and then.
What always confuses me is this - the smokers complain about the price of their habit yet how many do you see half smoked? Loads round our way.
Just daft.
P.S - yes you are a bit of a nuisance when its raining and you’re blocking the doors but I forgive you - just don’t exhale as i run past.
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I’m glad that you got that out. I’m feeling a bit defensive, though. I do realize that there are other toxins that we inhale that are worse. My biggest problem is that I am highly allergic to all fragrances, strong odors, chemicals and cigarette smoke. It causes migraines, triggers my gag reflex, makes me itchy and produces a rash and sinus infection. My allergist told me that I just need to stay away from these things. So, I do respect your right to smoke, but I’m also glad that they have made some limitations on where smoking is allowed…I don’t have to leave in the middle of something because I am ill. I also want to be respected for my medical condition, so my friends and when I was working my clients would respect me and sometimes leave a meeting for a bit to take a smoke. Everything was cool.
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I totally understand Clueless….
I have a similar reaction when around petrol in as in filling up my car, filling a fuel can, I also can not use oil paint which requires a turps solvent as the skin on my hands peel off, anything with this kinds of fumes makes me ill, migraines, vomiting, the flesh peels off me at a touch, etc…. this reaction is still present with the odourless variety as they still fume.
I also suffer with sinus reaction and have ended up in hospital because of prolonged exposure to these chemicals… however it has become more of a problem in recent years… with the addition of these new chemicals….
Unfortunatly I and others who have similar problem, do not come under the same consideration as those who are sensitive to cigarette smoke…
aussiecynics last blog post..who cares? not me!
I fall into the same catagory and unfortunately, it is viewed more as “you are too sensitive.” At least, where I was working. Most of my co-workers were considerate and others continued to bathe in their oils and perfumes, in which, I would have to go find another place to work. It was a bad situation. But, there are a few places that are becoming more sensitive to chemical and fragrance issues and have banned their use during business hours. It almost sounds like the beginning of the cigarette thing.
Unfortunately, the more the “offending odor/fume” is prevalent, the more sensitive I’ve become and my body never got any rest. It has been great since I stopped working two years ago. But, like for you, it is hard to get away from everything. Did you know that most persons that wear fragrances will develop allergies or sinus difficulties as they age at a significantly higher rate than those who don’t? One day we will be taken seriously…or maybe a couple of generations down the road, if we haven’t killed everything off. (JK sort of)
Cigarettes are bad for you. End of. And I smoke.
I agree with the ban on smoking in pubs/restaurants/public places because quite simply you come out of there stinking like a council estate.
What I can’t stand above anything else is feeling like a second rate citizen, non-smoking Gods that look at you as if you have been found guilty of genocide. And also the way you get looked at as if you’re stupid.
But maybe, for the last part only, they have a point. It is a really stupid decision to smoke.
But it’s MY decision. I don’t go round judging people for visiting prostitutes/taking drugs/beating up their spouses/eating kebabs and yet I am made to feel as if I am exactly at this level.
I really do try to make sure that my smoking doesnt effect other people and as long I continue to do this, please provide me with the same courtesy. Leave me alone.
Being a non-smoker, I agree with you and thank you for being courteous.
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I agree with Lib.
I know smoking is bad for me. But I offset that with the fact I actually enjoy smoking. And lib that sounds like some night out you just outlined there. I would however eat my kebab before beating my spouse. And I’d take the drugs prior to visiting the prostitutes. Other than that it sounds like a cracking scheme.
I would argue that my own perceieved stress release through smoking offsets the stress I would have if I didn’t smoke. Maybe just all in the mind but ey ho!
Do you ever have any desire to stop smoking?
ClinicallyCluelesss last blog post..I’m Feeling A Bit More Depressed!
at the moment no not really
as a non-smoker do you never get the urge to join the ranks of the risk takers,
the dare devils, who have taken up and preserved this noble art
I really respect that you were honest with my question and didn’t say…oh, well I know I should…. LOL!! That wouldn’t be you!!!
Because of my allergies, I have always been a non-smoker and, believe it or not, have never tried - not even inhaled! LOL!! I had no desire since the odor alone and the second-hand smoke has always made me ill. The same with marijuana…I spot if someone is smoking the the area within seconds because it immediately makes me nauseated and lightheaded. At a concert once, I fainted and at another one I was losing the contents of my stomach just because of the odor…I would not look very noble at either. You can maintain that facade!!!