It is both physically and psychologically addictive. The physical withdrawal symptoms include: change in body temperature, heart rate, digestion, muscle tone, headaches, nausea and appetite. The psychological symptoms include: irritability, anxiety, sleep disturbance, nervousness, fatigue and cravings for tobacco that can last days, weeks, months, years or an entire lifetime.

Some risks associated with tobacco are: decreased sense of smell and taste, colds, cough, gastric uclers, chronic bronchitis, increase heart rate and blood pressure and heart disease. Another risk is cancer to the mouth, larynx, pharynx, esophagus, lungs, pancreas, cervix, uterus and bladder.

Questions and Answers:

Q: Can pregnant women who smoke damage their unborn child? A: Yes. Pregnant women who smoke have more spontaneous abortions, premature births and low-weight babies than women who do not smoke.

Q: Does tobacco affect the health of nearby children? A: Yes, children of parents who smoke compared with the children of nonsmoking parents, are more likely to have chest colds, ear infections, bronchitis and pneumonia.

Q: What's the best way to quit smoking? A: The only way to start is to want to quit? Many people will require the help of smoking cessation classes. Call 560-6747 for smoking cessation classes near you.

Q: What happens to your body when you quit? A: The cilia inside your lungs start to sweep out germs again. Your body immediately begins to repair some of the damage smoking causes. This is the reason smokers cough alot after quitting. This additional coughing will go away after a few weeks.