By Julia Chiappetta
I just returned from Las Vegas, where I attended the wedding of some close friends. They actually live in Henderson, south of the city, in a beautiful enclave with green lawns and palm trees. We stayed at a resort just outside of the action, set against the backdrop of the mountains at the very end of Las Vegas Boulevard. The resort had many outdoor pools, jacuzzis, a fitness center and spa, and many dining options, but I must have missed the word “casino”, because I was shocked and suffocated by the thick fog of cigarette smoke which greeted me upon my entry. I coughed my way to the front desk and, after inquiring, was promptly told that smoking was perfectly legal, and that all the hotels in Las Vegas allowed it and to basically suck it up – no pun intended.
Since I had no choice, and since this was the wedding couple’s selected hotel for the wedding, I ventured up to the 12th floor hoping that the smells and smoke would not reach me. Wrong! The toxic smoke was everywhere and, as the casino was very close to all restaurants, dining there was simply out of the question. Forget the facial and the early morning gym session! I had to make the best of it, and so I rented a car and sped away as far and as much as possible, except for sleeping, showering and dressing for the wedding festivities. I managed to find a great juice bar about seven miles away, and every morning, after enjoying my green juices, I walked around the beautiful community where is was situated.
This was really tough for me, considering my passion for health and wellness. On my flight home, I looked back at my wedding weekend and was prompted to relook at statistics for smoking, one of the most toxic environmental factors one can be exposed to, along with pesticides and diesel fuel.
I learned this from The American Cancer Society:
Over 7000 chemicals have been identified in cigarettes and cigarette smoke to-date, 93 of which are harmful and more than 70 of which can cause cancer. These ingredients and additives affect everything from the internal functioning of your organs to the efficiency of your body’s immune system.
Smokers face a substantial increase in their risk for a number of diseases over those who don’t smoke:
• Coronary heart disease: 2 to 4 times.
• Stroke: 2 to 4 times.
• Lung cancer risk for men: 25 times.
• Lung cancer risk for women: 25.7 times.
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)-related death: 12 to 13 times
According to: https://www.verywellmind.com/facts-and-statistics-about-cigarette-smoking-2825328
• The chemicals in cigarette smoke are inhaled into the lungs and, from there, travel throughout the body, causing damage in numerous ways.
• Nicotine reaches the brain in 7 to 10 seconds after smoke is inhaled. Nicotine has been found in every part of a smoker’s body, including breast milk. It’s also as addictive as heroin.
• Carbon monoxide, which is present in cigarette smoke, binds to hemoglobin in red blood cells, preventing these cells from carrying all of the oxygen they normally would. This can lead to symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning.
• Cancer-causing agents (carcinogens) in tobacco smoke damage important genes that control the growth of cells, causing them to grow abnormally or to reproduce too rapidly. More than 70 such cancer-causing chemicals have been identified in cigarette smoke, to date.
• Smoking affects how the immune system functions by causing oxidative stress. This, in turn, causes DNA mutation, setting the stage for cancer and heart disease. Oxidative stress is also thought to be a contributor to the aging process. Antioxidants are nature’s way of combating the damage oxidative stress causes to the body’s cells. Smokers have fewer antioxidants in their blood than non-smokers.
• Smoking is associated with higher levels of chronic inflammation, another damaging process that may result in oxidative stress.
• Cigarette smoke contains radioactive heavy metals that “stick” to the tar that collects in the lungs of smokers. Over time, this builds up and is believed to be one of the risk factors for lung cancer in smokers.
What is sad, is that tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death in the world today. Here are some statistics:
• In the United States, cigarette smoking accounts for approximately 480,000 deaths a year.
• Globally, nearly 6 million die from tobacco use annually, and if current trends continue, that number is expected to increase to 8 million by the year 2030.
• If no one smoked, cancer deaths in the U.S. would decrease by one-third.
• Lung cancer is largely a smoker’s disease: 90% of men and 80% of women.
• COPD-related deaths are primarily caused by smoking, with 90% of deaths traced back to cigarettes.
• Smokers die 10 years sooner than non-smokers, on average.
• More than 41,000 die per year from exposure to secondhand smoke.
As I left the resort at 5 a.m. for my early fight home, I wondered, with concern, how much second-hand smoke I had inhaled over the days spent there and what I should do to counter-attack.
Well…if you read my columns you probably guessed: GREENS! Yup, I am doubling my green juices, wheat grass and other foods high in vitamins, nutrients, superfoods, anti-oxidants and minerals and about to implement a cleanse to rid my body of any heavy metals or other gunk that I might have absorbed.
As I sit here at my desk, watching a gorgeous sunset, I am grateful for so much and especially God’s blessings, my health, home, car, clothes, food, warmth, clients, work, friends and family. The message at the wedding was to allow God in the midst of our every day to help us be better people, whilst showing kindness and love to one another. I am blending that into my green drinks and hope you will too.
Julia Chiappetta is the author of “Breast Cancer: The Notebook” (Gemini Media, 2006) and is also the owner of Julia Chiappetta Consulting. She lives in Cos Cob. More information and past columns can be found at JuliaChiappetta.com
