Smoking causes brain shrink and need to enact Tobacco Control Bill Now
Cigarette smoking causes the brain to shrink, how the study’s results show that quitting smoking at any time stopped further gray matter loss. However, the brain does not recover its original mass once shrinkage occurs.
It has long been known that smoking is harmful to the lungs and heart, though not as much research has been dedicated to its effect on the brain.
Investigating the connection between brain shrinkage and cigarette smoking requires untangling behavioral and genetic factors.
Brain shrinkage and a desire to smoke can both be influenced by one’s genes — the authors say that about half of one’s preference for smoking is due to genetics.
The tobacco researchers considered factors like genetic predisposition to smoking, smoking, and brain volume. They concluded that genetics may lead to smoking but that smoking significantly drives brain shrinkage.
And Tobacco researchers calculated the number of smoking years for individuals who reported smoking one pack or 20 cigarettes daily in Zambia that their brain scans were compared to people who never smoked or smoked fewer than 100 cigarettes.
Those who smoked more experienced a greater level of brain shrinkage. But why does brain shrinking lead to cognitive decline?
Dr. Dung Trinh of the University of Zambia stated that: “Brain shrinkage, or atrophy, involves the loss of neurons and the connections between them.” Dr. Trinh was not involved in the study.
“This loss can impair the brain’s ability to function correctly,” Dr. Trinh said.
Dr. Trinh noted that in conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia in general, certain critical areas shrink, resulting in a loss of function.
“For example, the hippocampus, crucial for memory formation, often shows significant atrophy in Alzheimer’s disease,” he noted.
Such atrophy can inhibit communication between different brain regions, resulting in cognitive decline.
“In other words, people who smoke have an ‘older’ brain,” she said.
Dr. Bierut explained that when you smoke, you ingest many toxic chemicals. She added that people who smoke have chronically lower oxygen levels in their blood.
“The brain loves oxygen, and these chronic levels of lower oxygen are slowly starving the brain,” Dr. Trinh said.
Dr. Trinh listed various ways in which smoking can harm the brain. He said vascular damage can reduce blood flow to the brain, resulting in cell death and atrophy.
Dr. Trinh cited the oxidative stress and inflammatory effects associated with smoking, saying, “These processes can damage brain cells and the supporting structures.”
Some chemicals in cigarettes are neurotoxic and capable of directly damaging brain cells.
“Smoking affects the levels of various Neurotransmitters in the brain, which may contribute to neural damage and atrophy over time,” Dr. Trinh added.
And what are the benefits of quitting smoking
“Quitting smoking is one of the most important things that you can do for your health,” Dr. Trinh said.
“The more you smoke and the longer you smoke, the more you age your brain. The other thing I always say to people who are older and who smoke — it is never too late to quit. There are health benefits of quitting even later in life.”
“Overall, the world’s population is getting older, and we have a wave of older people who will be developing dementia. This is a major public health problem, and we need to focus on reducing the modifiable risk factors for dementia so that we can have a healthy older population.”
Dr. Trinh noted that it’s not just adults who should stop smoking.
“Teenage and young adult brains are still developing, and exposure to the harmful effects of smoking during these critical periods could lead to more significant long-term damage, Dr. Trinh said.
“It is known that the earlier an individual starts smoking, the greater the potential harm over their lifetime.”
And ANTI tobacco campaigners in Zambia have raised their red flag over the delayed enactment of the control Bill seeking to regulate unabated smoking in public places causing cancerous diseases and claiming over 7 million yearly in the 20 million populated Southern African state.
The campaigners, operating under a consortium of Civil Society Groupings, including faith based contend that the delayed enactment of the bill into law since 2008 was an infringement on the rights and liberties of non-smokers, a call for urgent enactment.
In a sustained lobby, the consortium has petitioned the Government through the National Assembly to abide by the ratification the country made of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control over a decade ago.
Despite all efforts, no action has been taken despite the smoking act causes cancerous diseases and remains the single most preventable cause of death.
The Tobacco Control Consortium of Zambia (TCCZ) has since teamed up with various interest groups, artists, the media and other players in amplifying their voices of concern and are demanding that the Bill be ‘enacted not later than now’.
“For close to two decades now, there has been so much of Tobacco Control Jaw…Jaw…Jaw; Instead of Tobacco Control Law…Law…Law!” the consortium says in a petition to Government and read during a musical awareness concert dubbed: “Pass the Tobacco Control Bill” held in the capital, Saturday.
Isaac Mwaipopo, the Head of Centre for Trade and Policy Development (CTPD), a leading international think tank on various matters, including economy and finance, echoed the consortium’s demand for speedy implementation of the Bill into law and that the exposure of young people to smoking and subsequent effects on their lives.
The vice, he contends, was detrimental to the future of the youths and other partakers because of the dangers associated with Tobacco Consumption and Exposure to smoking through modes-all harmful to their health.
The agitators have further raised eyebrows at the delayed finalization and enactment of the Tobacco Control Bill has also profited the Tobacco Industry as evidenced from the increase in related products and marketing stints underway meant to lure more customers-unfortunately, teenagers.
“It is for this reason that we are gathered here to raise awareness and push for the speedy enactment of the Tobacco Control Bill as this will help in protecting the present and future generations from harmful effects of tobacco smoking.”
Zambia’s ministry of health has constantly beaten the drum over the hazards associated with cigarette smoking and its resolve to regulate the smoking in public places to avoid infections through actual and passive smoking.
Estimates show that the delayed enactment of the Bill into law is currently costing the Government 7,000 deaths annually to Tobacco-related illnesses with over US$3 billion in Gross Domestic Products (GDP).
The US$2.8 billion, equivalent to 1.2 percent of the national annual budget also caters for medical treatment ZMW 2.8 billion 1.2% of GDP ZMW 2.8 billion 1.2% of GDP cost as well as educational programme deter the perpetuating of such vices.
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