Unit 6 Homework 1. Women are the fastest growing population of smokers. Why are more women smoking than ever before? Are there any unique concerns for women smokers? Women have been targeted by cigarette ads through things like losing weight, being independent, and having fun. More women are smoking than ever before because there is a societal need for women to be thin in order to be perceived as beautiful and/or wanted. As far as unique concerns for women smokers, the textbooks states that women who smoke will have more wrinkles than nonsmoking women, and that “lung cancer has surpassed breast cancer as the leading cause of cancer deaths among women” (p.386). 2. Compare and contrast the health effects of smoking cigarettes, cigars, and smokeless tobacco. Also discuss why they are not all the same in terms of health risks. Cigarette smoking increases the risk for heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer. According the CDC, it can also cause cancer almost anywhere in your body, including bladder, blood, cervix, colon and rectum, esophagus, kidney and ureter, larynx, liver, oropharynx, pancreas, stomach, and trachea, bronchus, and lung ( www.cdc.gov). Smoking can also affect women who are pregnant or wish to become pregnant. Smoking can make it harder for a woman to become pregnant, and if a pregnant woman smokes, she is at risk for premature delivery, stillbirth, low birth weight, SIDS, ectopic pregnancy, and orofacial clefts in babies (www.cdc.gov). Smoking can reduce a man’s fertility. It can affect bone health, as well as the health of teeth and gums. Smoking increases the risk for cataracts and macular degeneration. Smoking is also a cause of type 2 diabetes mellitus, rheumatoid arthritis, and can cause general negative effects on the human body such as decreased immune function (www.cdc.gov). Smokeless tobacco (also known as chewing tobacco or snuff) can cause cancer of the mouth, esophagus, and pancreas. It can cause leukoplakia (white or gray patches in the mouth) that can cause cancer. Smokeless tobacco can cause gum disease and tooth loss. Pregnant women that use smokeless tobacco have a higher risk for premature delivery, stillbirth, and the development of the baby’s brain. There is also a higher risk for heart disease and stroke (www.cdc.gov). Cigar smoking can cause cancer- lung, esophagus, larynx, and oral cavity. It can also cause gum disease and tooth loss. There is also a risk for heart disease, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis (www.cdc.gov).

3. Choose one illicit drug and describe the following aspects: what it is made from, the routes of administration, the effects (long and short term) & whether or not dependency develops. This should be at least 400 words. Methamphetamine is an illicit drug that is made from pseudoephedrine and other ingredients that are toxic such as drain cleaner. When made on the streets, it is usually made with some kind of decongestant in order to get the pseudoephedrine out of it and then mixed with some kind of toxic chemical like Draino or lye. This is the reason why you must now show your identification when buying cold medicines that contain pseudoephedrine and household cleaners like Draino. Meth can be administered in several different ways: it can be injected through syringe, smoked, snorted, or even swallowed. It is highly addictive and one of the worst of the illegal street drugs used today. Because the effects of the drug are immediate, it is used more in order to keep obtaining the euphoric high, which can lead to overdose more quickly since it happens so rapidly. Short-term effects are increased respiration, rapid heart rate, decreased appetite, increased physical activity, irregular heartbeat, increased body temperature, and increased blood pressure (www.drugabuse.gov). The long-term effects include: skin sores, extreme weight loss, and severe dental problems, as well as higher risk of contracting infectious diseases (www.drugabuse.gov). 4. Describe one of the behavioral addictions and explain why you would or would not consider it a true addiction. Sex addiction is a behavioral addiction that I consider to be a true addiction. According to our textbook, addiction is characterized by the following: compulsion, loss of control, continued use despite adverse consequences, and distortions in normal thinking (p. 359). I think that sexual addiction falls under all of those characteristics. Sex addiction involves compulsion, whether that means having sex with multiple partners or just having sex with one partner excessively, it can be classified as a compulsion because the overwhelming desire to have sex is there and there can be obsessive behavior associated with seeking and obtaining it. Sex addiction involves loss of control because the person that is obsessing about sex may become so enthralled by the notion that they go out and have sex with someone or something that they would not normally do. Sex addicts continue to involve themselves in risky situations even with adverse consequences, like having unprotected sex with multiple partners, cheating on a significant other, and engaging sex acts that are harmful to yourself or others. Sex addicts also have distortions in normal thinking like promising themselves they can change even when they keep failing to do so.

Works Cited: Edlin, G. and Golanty, E. Health & Wellness 11th Edition. 2014. Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC. http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/health_effects/effects_cig_smoking/ http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/smokeless/health_effects/ http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/tobacco_industry/cigars/ https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/methamphetamine