Health hazards

1. HEALTH HAZARDS
Anything that damages
health
© PDST Home Economics

2. Smoking
Why people begin:
Curiosity
Image
Peer pressure
Bad Example

3. Harmful substances in tobacco
4000 chemicals
Nicotine –addictive drug
Tar –coats lungs
Carbon monoxide –robs body of oxygen
Irritants –Causes coughs
Carcinogens –triggers cancer in the body

5. Harmful Effects of Smoking
Cancer: lungs, stomach, mouth, throat. 90% of people
who get lung cancer are smokers.
Heart disease: 3 times more common in smokers than
non-smokers.
Bronchitis
Smoker’s children get more lung infections
Pregnant smokers are more likely to have miscarriages,
still births or smaller babies.
Smokers cough

8. Other Effects
Poor sense of taste and smell
Addiction
Unfit and slow
Bad breath, smelly clothes
Yellow teeth and fingers
Wrinkles and skin ageing
Wastes a lot of money

10. Passive smoker
When people who do not smoke inhale other peoples
cigarette smoke.
Environmental tobacco smoke ETS
Passive smoking can have the same effects as smoking

12. Government Action
MARCH 2004 –SMOKING BAN
High Tax
illegal to sell tobacco to under 18’s
Pack of 10 banned
Health warnings on packs
Tobacco advertising banned

13. In Ireland 5000 people die each
year because of smoking

14. Alcohol Abuse
Alcoholic drinks contain a drug called ethyl alcohol
If adults drink within recommended limits it may do
no harm.
If too much alcohol is drunk it can become addictive
and cause serious health problems

15. Why people drink
For confidence
Relaxes them
Like the taste
Peer pressure
To escape problems

16. Effects of alcohol depend on:
How much is drunk
How quickly it is drunk
The size and gender of the drinker
If the drinker has eaten first

17. Short-term effects
of alcohol
Blood vessels widen –skin
red
Loss of co-ordination –
staggers, slurred speech
Brain slows down
Effects judgement
Causes aggression
Poisonous –pass out

18. Long term effect of alcohol
abuse:
Addiction
Destroys brain cells –co-ordination
and memory effected
Cirrhosis liver
Foetal alcohol syndrome
Cancer throat and mouth
Heart disease
Stomach ulcers
Obesity
Mental illness –depression
Premature death

20. Effects on the family of the
abuser
Family unhappiness and
breakdown
Financial problems –alcohol is
expensive
Physical abuse of spouse or
children
Bad example for children

21. Effect of alcohol abuse on
society
Increase in crime
Increase in road accidents
More people absent from
work
Tax payers money used
treating abusers

23. Help for alcoholics and their
families
Alcoholics anonymous –
group that helps alcoholic
control their addiction, it
cannot be cured.
Al Anon –for partners and
adult relatives of an
alcoholic
Alateen–for teenage
children of alcoholics

24. Teenage
Drinking
Added dangers of drinking early in
life before you are finished
growing
Alcohol has a more severe effect
on a younger body and brain.
Addiction develops more easily
Learning and exams suffer
Greater risk of underage pregnancy

26. Alcohol content of drinks
Measured in units
Max 3 units recommended for men per day
Max 2 units recommended for women per day
1unit = 1 glass wine or ½ pt beer or 1 measure of vodka

27. Sensible drinking for adults (over 18)
Drink in moderation
Drink slowly
Eat before drinking
Avoid ‘rounds’
Don’t mix drink and medicine
or other drugs
Don’t drink and drive
Don’t force other people to
drink

28. Drugs

29. Drugs
Any substance other than food which affects the
body.
Some drugs are very helpful if used correctly,
preventing disease, curing disease, reducing pain.
Follow doctors instructions, complete the course of
medication, only give medicine to the person for which
it’s prescribe.

30. Types of drugs
Common drugsControlled
drugs
(prescription)
Illegal drugs
Caffeine
Alcohol
Nicotine
Painkillers
(Panadol)
Sleeping pills
Tranquillisers
Antibiotics
Ecstasy
Cannabis
Cocaine
Heroin

31. Common drugs
nicotine
caffeine
alcohol
painkillers

32. Controlled (prescription)
Sleeping pills
Anti-biotic
Tranquilisers

33. Illegal drugs

34. Drug Abuse
Drug abuse or misuse is using a drug for the wrong
purpose so it causes harm.
Why do people abuse drugs?
Curiosity
For pleasure
To hide insecurities or forget problems
Peer pressure

35. Which drugs are abused?
Painkillers –taking them when not needed
Solvents –glue sniffing
Controlled drugs –stolen and sold illegally
Illegal drugs -cannabis, cocaine, ecstasy

36. Effects of drug abuse
Addiction and withdrawal symptoms
Health damaged –self neglect
Tolerance grows
AIDS
Death –overdose, suicide, inhaling solvents, disease.
Crime increases
Hardship and heartbreak for family of addicts

37. Addiction
Addiction is dependence on a drug.
2 types (i) Physical addiction (ii) Psychological addiction.
Physical addiction: the body depends on the drug, without
it they get withdrawal
symptoms, cravings, cramps, sweating etc.
Psychological addiction: person relies on the drug to get
them through the day, without it the feel
tension, panic, paranoia etc
Addicts can suffer from one or both types.

38. Overcoming Addiction
Physical addiction is worst and medical help is needed
for the addict to withdraw from the drug safely –
drug treatment centre
Psychological addiction is easier to overcome, if the
addict decides to kick the habit they can be helped
by friends, family counsellors to stay away from the
drug one day at a time.