Miriam G. Gonzalez
7/30/2017 Change is in the Air: Taking Initiative towards a Tobacco-Free Texas
This topic catch most of my attention, because even though we are not smokers, cigarettes
can still affect us. It talked about marketing, tobacco side effects, statistics, and the industry.
According to the video conference on disparities, in 2015 approximately 264 billion cigarettes
were sold in the U.S. It is being said that people with mental illnesses smoked nearly a third of
them. Taking Texas Tobacco Free (TTTF) provided support to behavioral health centers through
Texas to reverse this inclination in one of our most vulnerable populations. In addition, Texas is
failing at “knowing about tobacco” since only 41%with psychological distress smoke. As
aforementioned, only 31% of people with health problems smoke. On the other hand, 25% of
income is used on cigarettes. It is proven that people with mental and psychological illness who
smoke, die 25 years earlier than those without it. People who smoke damage their brain by adding
affective disorders; as a result, nicotine from cigarettes is as addictive as heroin. Nicotine addiction
is hard to overcome since it changes your brain. When the brain stops receiving this chemical,
smokers tend to feel anxious, irritable, and start to have strong craving for nicotine. Moreover, this
medication.