San Gorgonio Memorial Hospital | Vibrant Health | Fall 2015

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IF you smoke and need a powerful
motivator to quit, knowing the truth
about how smoking harms your
health may be what it takes.
Smoking affects nearly every part
of your body, including your:
w w Airways. Delicate tissues in your
lungs become inflamed because of
smoking. This can lead to serious
disorders, such as chronic obstruc-
tive pulmonary disease. Smoking can
also cause cancer to develop in your
lungs, throat and mouth.
w w Heart. Smoking harms the cells
lining the blood vessels and heart
and can increase the risk of clots that
cause heart attacks.
Smoking can also
contribute to an
abdominal aortic
aneurysm—the
weakening of the
major artery near
the stomach.
w w Other blood vessels. Damage
to vessel linings can cause them to
narrow, restricting blood flow to the
kidneys, stomach, arms, legs and
feet. This can lead to a range of prob-
lems, including pain and gangrene.
w w Brain. Blood clots that form in
damaged arteries can travel to your
brain and cause strokes.
w w Bones and tendons. Smoking
increases the risk for osteoporosis—
weak bones—and fractures in both
men and women.
Overuse injuries, such as tendi-
nitis, and traumatic injuries, such as
sprains, are also more likely among
smokers, according to the American
Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
w w Immune system. Smokers have
smaller amounts than nonsmokers
of some types of cells that destroy
germs. That leaves you more vulner-
able to infections.
In addition, smoking can cause
cancer of the pancreas,
kidneys, cervix and
stomach. It also can
cause leukemia, which
is cancer of the blood.
Turn your risks around
There’s another list that’s much
more encouraging—the benefits of
giving up smoking, which start soon
after you quit. Check the list out,
along with the American Cancer
Society’s guide to quitting smoking,
at .
SGMH sets example for the community
San Gorgonio Memorial Hospital became a smoke-free, tobacco-free campus effec-
tive July 1, 2015.
No smoking is permitted on the Hospital grounds, which includes the parking
lots and outlying areas. The policy also includes all forms of tobacco, including vapor,
e-cigarettes and chewing tobacco.
“As the most prominent health care organization in our community, it is our duty to
set a proper example of healthy living and to discourage tobacco use,” said CEO Mark
Turner. “I hope that it will serve as a catalyst for those considering quitting the habit.”
The policy applies to everyone who enters the Hospital campus, including pa-
tients, family and Hospital associates. No designated smoking area will be provided
on campus.
The anatomy
of smoking
How tobacco affects many parts of your body
A tobacco quit line can
also help you quit for
good. Call 800-QUIT-NOW
(800-784-8669).