Smoking Health Risks
  • Smoking causes the following diseases and conditions:
    - Abdominal aortic aneurysm
    - Acute myeloid leukemia
    - Cataract
    - Coronary heart and cardiovascular diseases
    - Periodontitis
    - Pneumonia and chronic lung diseases
    - Reproductive effects and sudden infant death syndrome
Smoking and HIV

People with HIV disease are more likely to smoke than healthy people. Smoking can interfere with normal lung function in healthy people. In people with HIV, smoking can make it more difficult to fight off serious infections. People with HIV diseases are now living longer. Smoking and related problems can interfere with long term quality of life.

Smoking weakens the immune system. It can make it harder to fight off HIV-related infections. This is especially true for infections related to the lungs. This is a risk for smoking marijuana as well as tobacco. Having HIV increases the risk of  chronic lung disease. Smoking can interfere with processing of medications by liver. It can also worsen liver problems like hepatitis. People with HIV who smoke are more likely to suffer complications from HIV medication than those who don't. For example, those who smoke are more likely to experience nausea and vomiting from taking HIV medications.

Smoking increases the risk of some long-term side effects of HIV disease and treatment. These include osteoporosis( weak bones that can lead to fractures, and osteonecrosis ( bone death) HIV treatment slightly increases the risk of heart attack, but smoking is the major controllable risk factor for heart attacks or strokes. Recent studies found that quitting smoking reduced heart attack risk in HIV patients more than other factors such as changes in medication.
Quit Smoking


    •    Feel in control of you life?
    •    Have better health?
    •    Set a good example for your children?
    •    Protect your family from breathing other people’s smoke?


Five Keys for Quitting Smoking

1. Get Ready
    •    Set a quit date.
    •    Change your environment.
    ◦    Don't let people smoke in your home.

2. Get Support and Encouragement
    •    Talk to your health care provider (e.g., doctor, dentist, nurse, pharmacist, psychologist, or smoking cessation coach or counselor).
    •    Get individual, group, or telephone counseling. Counseling doubles your chances of success.
3. Learn New Skills and Behaviors
    •    Plan something enjoyable to do every day.
    •    Drink a lot of water and other fluids.

4. Get Medication and Use It Correctly
    •    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved seven medications to help you quit smoking:
    ◦    Bupropion SR—Available by prescription.
    ◦    Nicotine gum—Available over-the-counter.
    ◦    Nicotine inhaler—Available by prescription.
    ◦    Nicotine nasal spray—Available by prescription.
    ◦    Nicotine patch—Available by prescription and over-the-counter.
    ◦    Nicotine lozenge—Available over-the-counter.
    ◦    Varenicline tartrate—Available by prescription.
    •    All of these medications will at least double your chances of quitting and quitting for good.
    •    Nearly everyone who is trying to quit can benefit from using a medication. However, if you are pregnant or trying to become pregnant, nursing, younger than 18 years of age, smoking fewer than 10 cigarettes per day, or have a medical condition, talk to your doctor or other health care provider before taking medications.
5. Be Prepared for Relapse or Difficult Situations
Most relapses occur within the first 3 months after quitting. Don't be discouraged if you start smoking again. Remember, most people try several times before they finally quit. The following are some difficult situations you may encounter:
    •    Alcohol: Avoid drinking alcohol. Drinking lowers your chances of success.
    •    Other smokers: Being around smoking can make you want to smoke.
    •    Weight gain: Many smokers will gain some weight when they quit, usually less than 10 pounds. Eat a healthy diet and stay active. Don't let weight gain distract you from your main goal—quitting smoking. Some quit-smoking medications may help delay weight gain.
    •    Bad mood or depression: There are a lot of ways to improve your mood other than smoking. Some smoking cessation medications also lessen depression.

Special Situations or Conditions

    •    Pregnant women/new mothers. By quitting, you protect your baby's health and your own.
    •    Hospitalized patients. By quitting, you reduce health problems and help healing.
    •    Heart attack patients. By quitting, you reduce your risk of a second heart attack.
    •    Lung, head, and neck cancer patients. By quitting, you reduce your chance of a second cancer.
    •    Parents of children and adolescents. By quitting, you protect your children and adolescents from illnesses caused by secondhand smoke and reduce the likelihood that they will start to smoke.