Hazards of smoking discussed during health forum
By Jaime Reed
Issue date: 11/8/06 Section: News
The school of nursing and health professionals hosted Health & Wellness Forum 2006 on Oct. 31 at 6 p.m.
The forum was filled with information, fun, food, and door prizes. The objectives for the forum were to increase the awareness of the effects of tobacco on one's health and on the health of others, to discuss why smoking cessation will improve one's health and the health of those around, and to discuss the effects of tobacco smoking during pregnancy.
During the forum, students from the school of nursing and health professionals performed a skit called "Smoking and Pregnancy." It stressed the importance of not smoking while pregnant because of the effects it can have on the baby. The "mother" in the skit said, "Aint nothing wrong with smoking while you're pregnant! My mama smoked when she was pregnant with me and I turned out fine!" Another student who played the doctor told her that wasn't true. Research shows this as well.
According to the March of Dimes, an organization dedicated to improving the health of babies, smoking does harm fetuses. When smoking while pregnant, the baby gets less oxygen. A lack of oxygen can cause the baby to grow more slowly and gain less weight in the womb. Smoking during pregnancy has also been linked to preterm labor and other pregnancy complications.
After the skit, the speaker for the forum, Ronneal Walker, a community networks program manager for the Oklahoma University College of Public Health, was introduced. Walker gave information about smoking, starting with some history. She showed a presentation explaining how tobacco was the main reason slavery came to this country.
"Most people thought the main reason was cotton, but tobacco was the top reason," Walker said.
She said smoking tobacco soon became a part of urban life.
Walker also went on to explain how tobacco is responsible for the death of millions of Americans. According to the American Lung Association, tobacco is currently responsible for five million deaths each year. If current smoking patterns continue it will cause some 10 million deaths each year by the year 2030. Half the people that smoke today will eventually be killed by tobacco. Tobacco kills more people than AIDS, legal drugs, illegal drugs, road accidents, murder and suicide combined.
Next, Walker talked about the impact advertising has on influencing people to smoke-especially African-Americans. She said that Jet, Ebony and Essence contain more advertisements for cigarettes than magazines targeted to the general public. These ads try to make people believe smoking will better their lives by making them cool and more likely to be accepted by others. Magazines also often show celebrities smoking, which is another form of advertisement. She said people see these celebrities in the magazine with a Kool or a Newport cigarette, and it makes smoking not seem so bad.
Walker also talked about how the tobacco industry targets youth. For instance, there is a new brand of cigars called "True Blunts," which has flavors such as cotton candy, sizzurp, and even kush.
"It's almost like they have to target young people because people are dying!" Walker said.
The evening ended with questions for Walker.
The forum was filled with information, fun, food, and door prizes. The objectives for the forum were to increase the awareness of the effects of tobacco on one's health and on the health of others, to discuss why smoking cessation will improve one's health and the health of those around, and to discuss the effects of tobacco smoking during pregnancy.
During the forum, students from the school of nursing and health professionals performed a skit called "Smoking and Pregnancy." It stressed the importance of not smoking while pregnant because of the effects it can have on the baby. The "mother" in the skit said, "Aint nothing wrong with smoking while you're pregnant! My mama smoked when she was pregnant with me and I turned out fine!" Another student who played the doctor told her that wasn't true. Research shows this as well.
According to the March of Dimes, an organization dedicated to improving the health of babies, smoking does harm fetuses. When smoking while pregnant, the baby gets less oxygen. A lack of oxygen can cause the baby to grow more slowly and gain less weight in the womb. Smoking during pregnancy has also been linked to preterm labor and other pregnancy complications.
After the skit, the speaker for the forum, Ronneal Walker, a community networks program manager for the Oklahoma University College of Public Health, was introduced. Walker gave information about smoking, starting with some history. She showed a presentation explaining how tobacco was the main reason slavery came to this country.
"Most people thought the main reason was cotton, but tobacco was the top reason," Walker said.
She said smoking tobacco soon became a part of urban life.
Walker also went on to explain how tobacco is responsible for the death of millions of Americans. According to the American Lung Association, tobacco is currently responsible for five million deaths each year. If current smoking patterns continue it will cause some 10 million deaths each year by the year 2030. Half the people that smoke today will eventually be killed by tobacco. Tobacco kills more people than AIDS, legal drugs, illegal drugs, road accidents, murder and suicide combined.
Next, Walker talked about the impact advertising has on influencing people to smoke-especially African-Americans. She said that Jet, Ebony and Essence contain more advertisements for cigarettes than magazines targeted to the general public. These ads try to make people believe smoking will better their lives by making them cool and more likely to be accepted by others. Magazines also often show celebrities smoking, which is another form of advertisement. She said people see these celebrities in the magazine with a Kool or a Newport cigarette, and it makes smoking not seem so bad.
Walker also talked about how the tobacco industry targets youth. For instance, there is a new brand of cigars called "True Blunts," which has flavors such as cotton candy, sizzurp, and even kush.
"It's almost like they have to target young people because people are dying!" Walker said.
The evening ended with questions for Walker.
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