TABLE OF CONTENT

CIGARETTES AND ALCOHOL VISIBLE AND HIDDEN

COST.

SUB TITLE PAGE

1. INTRODUCTION 2

2. EFFECTS OF SMOKING CIGARETTES ON THE BODY 3

3. ALCOHOL’S EFFECTS ON THE BODY 4-5

4. HIDDEN COSTS OF CIGARETTES 6

5. VISIBLE COST OF CIGARETTES 7

6. IMPACT OF ALCOHOL AND CIGARETTES 8

7. CONCLUSION 9

8. REFERENCES 10

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INTRODUCTION

A cigarette is a narrow cylinder containing psychoactive material,

usually tobacco, that is rolled into thin paper for smoking. Cigarette smoke
is a complex mixture of chemicals. Some smoke components, such as
carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen cyanide (HCN), and nitrogen oxides, are
gases. Others, such as formaldehyde, acrolein, benzene, and certain N-
nitrosamines, are volatile chemicals contained in the liquid- vapor portion
of the smoke aerosol. Nicotine is the addictive drug in tobacco smoke that
causes smokers to continue to smoke. Addicted smokers need enough
nicotine over a day to ‘feel normal’ – to satisfy cravings or control their
mood. How much nicotine a smoker needs determines how much smoke
they are likely to inhale, no matter what type of cigarette they smoke

Alcohol is a depressant, meaning it slows the functioning of the mind and

the body. This is because it decreases the activity between the brain's
neurons, which control all of the body's functions. Even a small amount
of alcohol can cause side effects such as dizziness, giddiness, and
sleepiness. Moderate drinking is defined by the Centres for Disease
Control (CDC) as anything over one drink per day for women and adults
over the age of 65 and more than two drinks per day for men under 65.
Children and teenagers should never drink. Drinking more than a
moderate quantity at one time can result in nausea, vomiting, trouble
sleeping, and poor judgment. Accidents and falls are more likely to happen
after the consumption of too much alcohol.

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EFFECTS OF SMOKING CIGARETTES IN THE BODY

Respiratory system
 irritation of the trachea (windpipe) and larynx (voice box)
 reduced lung function and breathlessness due to swelling and
narrowing of the lung airways and excess mucus in the lung
passages
circulatory system
 raised blood pressure and heart rate
 reduced blood flow to extremities (fingers and toes)
 increased risk of stroke and heart attack due to blockages of the
blood supply.
Immune system
 greater susceptibility to infections such as pneumonia and influenza
 more severe and longer-lasting illnesses
Musculoskeletal system
 tightening of certain muscles
 reduced bone density.
Sexual organs
 lower sperm count
 higher percentage of deformed sperm
 genetic damage to sperm
 reduced fertility menstrual cycle irregularities or absence of
menstruation
 increased risk of cancer of the cervix

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ALCOHOL'S EFFECTS ON THE BODY

Brain:
Alcohol interferes with the brain’s communication pathways and can affect
the way the brain looks and works. These disruptions can change mood
and behaviour and make it harder to think clearly and move with
coordination.

Heart:
Drinking a lot over a long time or too much on a single occasion can
damage the heart, causing problems including:

 Cardiomyopathy – Stretching and drooping of heart muscle

 Stroke

 High blood pressure

Liver:
Heavy drinking takes a toll on the liver, and can lead to a variety of
problems and liver inflammations including:

 Steatosis, or fatty liver

 Alcoholic hepatitis

 Fibrosis

 Cirrhosis

Pancreas:
Alcohol causes the pancreas to produce toxic substances that can
eventually lead to pancreatitis, a dangerous inflammation and swelling
of the blood vessels in the pancreas that prevents proper digestion.
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  Head and neck cancer: Alcohol consumption is a major risk
factor for certain head and neck cancers, particularly cancers of
the oral cavity (excluding the lips), pharynx (throat),
and larynx (voice box). People who consume 50 or more grams of
alcohol per day (approximately 3.5 or more drinks per day) have at
least a two to three times greater risk of developing these cancers
than non-drinkers. Moreover, the risks of these cancers are
substantially higher among persons who consume this amount of
alcohol and use tobacco.

 Liver cancer: Alcohol consumption is an independent risk factor

for, and a primary cause of, liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma).
(Chronic infection with hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus are the
other major causes of liver cancer.)

 Drinking too much can weaken your immune system, making your
body a much easier target for disease. Chronic drinkers are more
liable to contract diseases like pneumonia and tuberculosis than
people who do not drink too much. Drinking a lot on a single
occasion slows your body’s ability to ward off infections – even up
to 24 hours after getting drunk.

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 HIDDEN COST OF CIGARETTES

 Health Care Statistics show that smokers have more medical

problems and die at an earlier age than non-smokers, leading to
higher health and life insurance costs. Tobacco users more often
visit doctors’ offices and typically use more medications than the
average non-smoker.
 Tobacco use plays a role in a multitude of diseases that ultimately
lead to disability and/or death. Lung cancer, heart disease,
emphysema, leukaemia, chronic bronchitis, asthma, cervical
cancer, kidney cancer and stomach cancer are just a few.
 Beauty/Hygiene Bad breath, yellow teeth, stinky clothes and
hair, yellow nails, and wrinkles cost smokers more to keep up
their image. Whitening toothpaste, dentist visits, perfume, dry
cleaning bills, and breath fresheners all add up.
 Home/Auto The scent of stale smoke tends to linger, and
smokers pay more to keep their homes and cars clean. And the
value decreases when unpleasant odours detract from an
otherwise pleasant home or car.

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VISIBLE COST OF CIGARETTES

TAXES: the effectiveness of excise tax increases is determined largely by

cigarette manufacturers’ reactions. The effectiveness of the excise tax
increase, as a tobacco control measure, would be undermined by the
extent to which cigarette manufacturers do not pass on the increase in
the cigarette excise tax. On the other hand, should the industry decide to
increase the retail price of cigarettes by more than the increase in the
excise tax, the impact of the tax increase on cigarette consumption would
be amplified. From a tobacco control perspective, the latter development
would be advantageous. In 2008 the Minister of Finance, Trevor Manuel,
announced that the excise tax on cigarettes would be adjusted so that the
sum of excise tax and VAT would equal 52 per cent of the retail price of
cigarettes (Republic of South Africa, 2008)

PRICE: As could be expected, the real retail price of cigarettes closely

follows the real excise level given that excise taxes comprise a sizeable
share of the retail price.

The real price of cigarettes started to increase very rapidly from 1998. In
nominal terms the price of cigarettes increased at an average annual rate
of 15.2 per cent between 2000 and 2008.

CONSUMPTION: The ultimate aim of a tobacco control policy is to

decrease mortality and morbidity associated with tobacco consumption.
In the short term the aim is to reduce tobacco consumption. Increases in
retail prices or government revenue, while not unimportant, would be
secondary. Nevertheless, given the fiscal demands on the South Africa

government, an increase in excise revenues would certainly relieve the

pressure on other revenue sources.

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ALCOHOL AND CIGARETTES

Alcohol and Cigarettes use may lead to major health risks when used
alone and together. In addition to contributing to traumatic death and
injury (e.g., through car crashes), alcohol is associated with chronic liver
disease, cancers, cardiovascular disease, acute alcohol poisoning (i.e.,
alcohol toxicity), and fatal alcohol syndrome. Smoking is associated with
lung disease, cancers, and cardiovascular disease. Additionally, a growing
body of evidence suggests that these substances might be especially
dangerous when they are used together; when combined, alcohol and
tobacco dramatically increase the risk of certain cancers

The primary danger from drinking and smoking simultaneously is that,

because one drug is a depressant and the other one is a stimulant, you
may not realize how much the alcohol is affecting your body. This could
cause you to drink more than you should because you do not feel drunk.

Studies have shown that smoking and drinking together can increase the
risk of throat and oesophageal cancer. This may be because the alcohol
dissolves chemicals in the cigarette while they are still in the throat. This
can cause carcinogens to become trapped against the sensitive tissues of
the throat. Furthermore, drinking alcohol and smoking at the same time
affects how quickly the body can metabolize both drugs. This means that
the carcinogens from cigarettes stay in the bloodstream for longer. Longer
exposure to carcinogens means an increased cancer risk.

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CONCLUSION

Because of the mortality and morbidity associated with both tobacco and
alcohol abuse, it is important to address both addictions. Research is
beginning to explain some of the reasons behind the frequent co-
occurrence of these disorders. Treating co-occurring disorders remains a
challenge; however, evidence suggests that combining treatments might
be the most effective way to address concurrent addictions. Special
populations, such as depressed patients and adolescents, present
additional challenges, but research is exploring new strategies targeting
these groups. Although more work needs to be done, research already is
helping to improve the lives of people with co-occurring addictions to
alcohol and nicotine

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REFERENCES

1. Mokdad, A.H. (2016) Five-year outcomes of alcohol-dependent persons

treated with motivational enhancement

2. Marks, J.S. (2012) The Health guide program of SA.

3. Stroup, D.F. (2015) The basics of healthy lifestyle program

4. Dr Motsoaledi, P.A. (2010) Health | South African Government

5. Adams, J.D. (2014) . Association between smoking and alcohol by

African Cancer Society prospective studies

6. O’Mara-Adams, K.J (2002) Assessing Alcohol Problems: A Guide for

Clinicians and Researchers

7. Hoffmann, D.Toxi (2008) Smoking and lung function. American

Respiratory Disease

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