Tell Me About It: Health goes up in smoke

1. You're set up at the Minority Health Fair. Are African-Americans more at risk for respiratory problems?

Not that I'm aware of. They have a higher risk of stroke and high blood pressure as an issue. But minorities overall tend to smoke more, so in that sense maybe.

2. How much damage does a pack a day do?

It depends. Over time it accumulates, so we ask how many packs a day they smoke and for how many years. Everybody's lungs are different, but in 10 years time you're definitely going to have done damage, even if you didn't smoke a lot. ... You're kind of playing Russian roulette. There's a point where you can stop smoking and the lungs can repair themselves. Then there's a point you hit where the damage is done. Even if you quit smoking your disease is going to progress.

3. Is there a general rule about when you can quit and your lungs can still heal?

There really isn't. It just depends on the individual's lungs. The sooner the better. Don't get hooked is all I can say.

4. When people see these displays is it an eye-opener to how much damage they're doing to their body?

I think so. The tar one has been a big one. When you show that, they just [say] "ick."

5. Tell me about this jar of tar.

That estimates the tar that would go in your lungs if you smoke a pack a day for one year. And that does all the damage to your lungs. The nicotine breaks apart the airways, makes them less elastic, can cause cancer.

6. You hear a lot about secondhand smoke. Is it really that bad?

Just as bad as firsthand smoke. We've got a lot of little old ladies who never smoked but their husbands did, they have emphysema. We get asthmatic kids we're taking care of in the hospital, they sound fine, [then] their parents come to visit [and] they smell the smoke on their clothes now they're wheezing, we have to run them upstairs for a breathing treatment. It's very dangerous.

7. Does the recent tobacco tax increase help make it a good time to stop?

Yes. I'm hoping that is the incentive that a lot of people need. Instead of getting people that smoke two and three packs a day, they're smoking seven or eight cigarettes a day. I'm not glad the young people are smoking, but it sounds like they're smoking less, which is good.