Ban Tobacco

 

Like many other we suffer from cigarette secondary smoke. However, we do have one less mechanism to combat its consequences: tears. Thus, as many persons suffering from reduced lung capacity, we suffer form the consequences of tabacco almost immeadiately, unlike most persons, who will only suffer from long term consequences. Nonetehless, banning tabacco from public places remains an essential heatlh issue for everyone. As such, banning tabacco is one of the prioritary fights to improve easily our quality of life and reduce the social exclusion to which we are exposed by these "social"(actually it's all the opposite of being social but still) addictive behaviours. We are often chassed from public places since the ban is really not in place or not respected in many countries. The absence of appropriate action by public authorities and society in general is seen by Keratos as negligence, whenever public places are concerned (companies, public transportation,  restaurants, etc).

There is no need to carry out more scientific studies on the ocular consequences of tabacco. These already exist for most components of cigarette smoke taken individually. The regular cigarette contains  approximately 4 000 chemical components and some of them, are much more present in the air than in the smoke swalloled by the smoker.

                 

Considering its components, cigarette packs should have the following signs marked upon the packs.

Secondary smoke contains among other things:

• carbon monoxyde - asphyxiant gaz reducent the oxigenation of tissues,

• formaldehyde - irritant gas used as disinfectant and well known cancerigenous,

• benzene - inflammable liquid, highly toxic and irritant,

• nicotine - addictive substance. Also used as an insecticide.

• ammoniac - used to make explosives, fertilisers and solvants for paint,

• arsenic - known as highly cancerigenous for the skin and lungs,

• cyanhydric acid - violent poison, extremely nocive for the lungs,

• acetaldehyde - inflammable liquid, toxic and irritant,

• acetonitrile - toxic and used to make plastic substances,

• formic acid - strong irritant,

• acroleine - irritant, toxic and cancerigenous liquide,

• methyl chloride - toxic gas,

• hydrogene cyanure - a deadly poison !

• methanol -  toxic alcohol,

• nitrate oxide - combined with hydrocarburates (and therefore street pollution) contributes to the creation of smog,

• proprionaldehyde - disinfectant liquid,

• pyridine - inflammable liquid used as an insecticide and bactericide,

• hydrogene sulfite - toxic gas produced by decomposing chair.

Second-hand smoke contains twice as much nicotine and tars than the one inhaled by the smoker.

The first visible signs are inflammation, vasodilatation and conjunctival rendness.

Bellow a study, carried out in Germany, on the effect of tabacco on healthy eyes, demonstrating that tabacco affects tear proteines, and increases the incidence of dry eye symptomes:

Effect of smoking on tear proteins Franz H. Grus, Perikan Sabuncuo, Albert Augustin, Norbert Pfeiffer A1 Department of Ophthalmology, University of Mainz, Langenbeckstr. 1 55101 Mainz, Germany Purpose. Cigarette smoking is a serious risk factor for many diseases, e.g., cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases. It is also a risk factor in several eye diseases, including macula degeneration, glaucoma, and cataract. Ischemic, toxic, and oxidative effects of cigarettes are thought to play an important role in damaging ocular tissue. Furthermore, smoking can cause symptoms of dry-eye disease. The aim of this study was to analyze and compare electrophoretic patterns in tears of smokers (SP), severs smokers (SSP), and nonsmokers (CTRL). Conclusion. Electrophoretic analysis of tear protein patterns could detect changes in tear proteins of smokers in comparison to nonsmokers. These changes were correlated with an increase of dry-eye-related subjective symptoms in smokers. Thus, electrophoretic analysis of tear proteins provided greater insight into the pathogenesis of smoking-induced ocular surface diseases.

Bellow two studies carried out in Turkey (one of them also involved japanese researchers) on the effect of tabac on the ocular surface on healthy eyes, demonstrating that tabacco affected the ocular surface and the normal characteristics of tears:

The effects of chronic smoking on the ocular surface and tear characteristics: a clinical, histological and biochemical study Satici A.[1]; Bitiren M.[2]; Ozardali I.[2]; Vural H.[3]; Kilic A.[1]; Guzey M.[1] [1] Department of Ophthalmology, Harran University Medical School, Sanliurfa, Turkey [2] Department of Pathology, Harran University Medical School, Sanliurfa, Turkey [3] Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Harran University Medical School, Sanliurfa, Turkey Conclusions: In chronic smokers, we found decreased tear film break-up time (p = 0.022) and tear lysozyme concentration (p = 0.013), and increased Schirmer I-test values (p = 0.047), squamous metaplasia scores (p = 0.016), eye irritation scores (p < 0.001) and eye irritation indices (p = 0.013), as compared with the control group. There were no statistically significant differences in goblet cell counts (p = 0.710) or rose Bengal staining scores (p = 0.827). These findings suggest that chronic smoking has a negative effect on the ocular surface and affects some tear characteristics. The chronic ocular irritative effects of cigarette smoking may lead to defects in ocular surface defence. Smoking Associated With Damage to the Lipid Layer of the Ocular Surface, Dilek Dursun Altinors, Sezin Akça, Yonca A. Akova , Banu Bilezikçi, Eiki Goto, Murat Dogru and Kazuo Tsubota. Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, Baskent University, Ankara, Turkey, Keio University School of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology, Tokyo, Japan. American Journal of Ophthalmology, Volume 141, Issue 6, June 2006, Page 1016. Conclusion: Smoking has deteriorating effects on the lipid layer of precorneal tear film,

Bellow additional links on the ocular consequences of tabacco smoke:

http://www.perret-optic.ch/optometrie/pathologie_oculaire/patho_drogues/patho_drug1_f.htm#legal http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/....PubMed&list_uids=2807570&dopt=Citation http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/....PubMed&list_uids=9635902&dopt=Citation http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/....PubMed&list_uids=7483196&dopt=Citation

It's easy to image the consequences on fragile and diseased eyes!

Some claim a so-called smoking liberty to impose it on everyone else. It is neither a right (considering it carry consequences for others) nor a liberty (it's precisely the opposite, since it's an addiction). Smoking is nothing but the expression of freedom, it's just an unfortunate dependance to nicotine and other substances that some are willingly imposing to others. Everyone is free to ruin one health as ong as one does so alone. Smoking should remain a private and individual choice for all consenting adults (therefore we believe kids should be excluded from this expression "liberty".

Keratos is involved in banning tabacco from public places in France. For the time being is still not safe for a dry eye sufferer to go to a French restaurant, bar or disco. This situations will change in January 2008 when tabacco will be banned from all public places. Until then, buy a gas mask! To learn more about this subject please read the French section of this website.

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