Florida Agenda

DENVER, CO – Researchers from University of Colorado Cancer Center say that gay men and women are nearly twice as likely to smoke cigarettes and other tobacco products as straight men and women.

The study looked at 1,633 smokers who answered questionnaires at nearly 130 gay bars, clubs, and venues, and found that most respondents (80.4%) smoke daily, and that nearly a third smoke 20 or more cigarettes each day. Fewer than half (47.2%) had attempted quitting in the previous year, and only 8.5% were preparing to quit in the next month.

A quarter of respondents said they were uncomfortable talking to their doctor about quitting smoking, and less than 30% said they were planning to quit. Lesbians were much less likely than gay men to have used or to intend to use nicotine replacement therapy (NRT).

The researchers, led by Dr. Arnold Levinson, the study’s co-author, said that four factors are involved in the likelihood that a smoker is going to quit: daily smoking, previous use of NRT, a smoke-free home rule, “and comfort asking one’s doctor for cessation advice.”

The study concludes: “A large minority of GLBT smokers was unlikely to seek cessation assistance through clinical encounters. Public health campaigns should focus on supporting motivation to quit and providing nonclinical access to evidence-based treatments.”

By ANDY KRESS

Smoking in society is one thing that has been around for hundreds of years. People still continue to smoke despite all of the precautions that are on the label of the product, advertisements on TV and billboards, as well as many doctors’ recommendations.

Cigarettes and cigars are one of the easiest legal drugs to obtain, and they can be found just about everywhere.

Most of us are aware that smoking increases your risk of heart attacks, respiratory diseases and various types of lung, throat and mouth cancer. The evidence is quite clear with the more than 419,000 deaths from smoking each year in the United States, and over 3 million worldwide. Over 30% of all cancer patients that die each year (about 166,000) can be linked to death from their smoking habits. Don’t forget about the kiddies too. Smoking during pregnancy accounts for many health problems that young babies face, a direct consequence of their mothers’ smoking habits, that’s presuming of course that they even make it at all. Many of those babies die each year due to miscarriages, low birth weight, or prematurity.

But did you know that you can fight some of these deleterious effects of smoking through your diet? I am guessing probably not.

There is no diet that completely prevents all of the detrimental effects on your health, but there are ways to escape the Grim Reaper’s hold and at least limit the damage.

There is strong evidence in a number of studies that show smoking can affect your metabolism and nutritional status. Substantial lowered levels of vitamin C, vitamin A, calcium and beta-carotene have been found in the blood of smokers. Vitamin C is a vital antioxidant that slows tumor growth in the body. Having at least one daily serving of any citrus fruit or vegetables is a great way to ensure that our body is getting what it needs to fight off disease and prevent any nasty tumors from forming. Thinking of skipping out on eating those fruits and veggies and just take a vitamin C supplement instead? Think again. This can actually do more harm than good. Taking vitamin C supplements in large doses of 1000 mgs or more causes the nicotine that smokers so desperately crave to be excreted even faster through the urine, creating a more profound sensation for the body to want another cigarette or puff off of that cigar.

Vitamin A and beta-carotene may also have implications in helping to fight off cancerous cells. Increasing your consumption of the antioxidants vitamin A, beta-carotene and vitamin E can reverse some of the deficiency throughout smokers’ bodies. You can find an ample supply of beta-carotene in orange fruits and vegetables, as well as green leafy vegetables. Vitamin A can be found in liver, oily fish, eggs and fortified milk.

A daily serving of nuts, seeds, vegetable oils, leafy green vegetables or wheat germ are great sources for getting a dose of vitamin E.

Scientists are unsure why calcium levels can drop in smokers, but an easy way to prevent this is by eating low fat cheeses and tofu, or if eating these foods is not to your taste, you can drink your calcium with fortified orange juices and milk. Be sure to get at least 2-3 servings of calcium each day to keep your body at optimal health. Calcium is extremely important for women who smoke–even, more so if they have reached menopause.

Eating cruciferous vegetables is yet another way to help prevent some of the effects of cancer that smoking can cause. Broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables provide sulforaphane, which may help cut the risk of smoking-related cancers through your diet. Don’t be afraid to consume 3-4 servings of these vegetables a week for best results.

This article is not written to condone your smoking habit. I recommend stopping immediately, if at all possible. Many have tried and failed to quit, and for those folks, this column is written to help you be the best you can be. Remember, your best defense is to remove the addiction from your life.

Your health quite likely will depend on it.

Andy Kress, CFT, SET, is a nationally certified fitness trainer and nutritional counselor in South Florida. He can be reached at andyfitnesstrainer@gmail.com or 954-789-3930.

By Sam Knew, msw

We’ve all seen the movie where, after a night of wild lovemaking, they each light up a cigarette and reflect on their hours of sexual bliss (bliss optional). But believe it or not, with each drag you may be committing sexual suicide. Along with smoking there are a number of things men do to decrease or kill their own sex drive. Smoking, by far, may be one of the most common. One issue is all those toxins that build up in your system, which contributes to a lethargic feeling (that feeling of indifference and a loss in interest). This can occur after having just one cigarette.

Smoking can also damage the blood vessels in the penis, which restricts blood flow, in turn lowering the pressure of blood in the penis – making an erection more and more difficult.

But giving up the habit may come at another cost to your libido. Food often becomes a replacement for many who are quitting smoking; usually it is related to an oral fixation (yes, it’s okay to giggle). But the danger of packing on those pounds is another mood killer, especially along the waistline. Fat around the abdomen absorbs testosterone more efficiently than any other fat cells in the body. Testosterone is a steroid hormone and the principle male sex hormone. As it diminishes, so does your sex drive. But the problem doesn’t always originate at or below the waist.

Drugs such crystal meth at first can be a sexual magnifier, releasing 12 times the amount of dopamine (the pleasure chemical) to the brain. Eventually, however, the drug destroys the brain’s pleasure receptors, making it increasingly impossible to experience any type of pleasure. Other less suspecting drugs can have mood alternating effects as well, such as some prostate and HIV medications, antidepressants, blood pressure pills, antipsychotics and even some cholesterol lowering medicines. And, of course, what you’re washing these possible mood killers down with can accelerate the effects on your body. Combining these substances with alcohol can lead to additional – long term, and possible irreversible – damage. Alcohol alone, however, can also lead to sexual impotency. Though a glass or two may make you less inhibited, it also damages the nerves (including those in the penis), which leads to the inability to physically be aroused. Long-term alcohol abuse can make this a permanent effect.

Avoiding most the aforementioned substances may prove to be a challenge for some, especially if they have acted as your social lubricant. Learning to deal with your emotional/social barriers could have a bigger pay off in the end. This includes how we cope with the everyday stressors in our lives. Sex and stress are definitely linked. Not only does stress contribute to a low sex drive physiologically, under stress the body releases cortisol (a hormone) which inhibits other hormones – such as testosterone. The good news is that it seems to work the other way around, as well. Sex can be a great stress reliever – but of course your first move may have to be on yourself.

Sam Knew, MSW is an educator and a local counselor. He can be reached at samknewmsw@gmail.com