Cigarette and Smoking Facts

1. The first users of Tobacco were thought to have been the Mayan civilizations of Central America. But tobaccos were in America from 6000BC.
2. Initially they were used for smoking and chewing also.
3. Rodrigo de Jerez became the first European smoker in history( 1493 AD ) And he was also the world's first victim of the anti-smoking lobby!
4. Sir John Hawkins: brought the cigars to England.
5. Sir Walter Raleigh: popularized it in the Queen Elizabeth’s Court. (In 1552-1618)
6. First paper rolled cigarette were found in around 1832 by Egyptian soldiers during Turkish- Egyptian war
7. 1856 First cigarette factory opened. It was in Walworth, England, and owned by Robert Golag, a veteran of the Crimean War.
8. 1858 Fears about the effects on smoking on health first raised in The Lancet.
9. Mrs. Richard Benson and William Hedges open a tobacconist shop near Philip Morris in London.
10. 1970 Broadcast ads for cigarettes are banned in America.
11. 1992 Nicotine patches introduced.
12. And to till date, many countries have banned the smoking in public or enclosed public places.
13. Lower intelligence has been related to smoking.
14. One puff lowers the temperature in the fingertips 1ºF to 3ºF in 3 minutes.
15. There is a direct link between parents' smoking and children's respiratory disease.
16. Maternal smoking has been linked to asthma in infants and young children.
17. Cigarette smoke contains more than 4,000 chemical compounds, including 60 that can cause cancer.
18. 100,000 doctors stop smoking every year.
19. Cigarette smoke collects with lint and is known to gum up delicate mechanisms such as aircraft controls.
20. Smokers have difficulty running and exercising.
21. Smoking destroys vitamins, particularly vitamin C and the B's.
22. Smoking has also been shown to increase the risk of osteoporosis.
23. At least 40 of the chemicals in tobacco smoke are proven to cause cancers of the lung, throat, mouth, bladder and kidneys and the smoke also causes a number of other cancers.
24. The nicotine in cigarette smoke also acts as a stimulant, increasing the heart rate and blood pressure, and decreasing the flow of blood through the blood vessels.
25. Two-thirds of cigarette smokes are not inhaled by the smoker, it goes into the surrounding air.
26. Smoking is directly related to fat level in our body!
27. 2 to 4 cigarettes smoked continuously would increase blood fats 200 to 400%.
28. One who smokes will not be physically or mentally able to cope with life's challenges.
29. When a pregnant lady smokes, baby’s weighs less and its pulse would be 30% faster than a non-smoker's baby.
30. Premature birth has been related to smoking habits of pregnant mother.
31. Children's respiratory disease are directly linked to Parents smoking habits
32. Air pollution (auto exhausts, industry wastes, etc.) increases the lung cancer rate of the smoker, but not of the non-smoker.
33. The smoker is sick more often, explaining why he misses an average of 7½ working days per year, usually with a loss of pay, while the non-smoker will miss only 4½ days.
34. The overall bad health of the smoker results, on average, of about 12 to 14 minutes per cigarette.
35. The smoker's body requires more sleep every night
36. Foods will taste much better to non-smokers.
37. If u are not smoking for 12 months Your increased risk of dying from heart disease is half that of a continuing smoker. And for not smoking for 12 hrs, all the Nicotine contents comes out of your body.
38. Smoking has been related to brain damage and premature senility.

In short, "Smoking is injurious to Health"

Blood and blood Donation Facts

1. Dr. Karl Landsteiner first identified the major human blood groups – A, B, AB and O – in 1901.
2. Four main red blood cell types: A, B, AB and O. Each can be positive or negative for the Rh factor. AB is the universal recipient; O negative is the universal donor of red blood cells.
3. White cells are the body's primary defense against infection.
4. Red blood cells usually carries the oxygen.
5. Apheresis is a special kind of blood donation that allows a donor to give specific blood components, such as platelets.
6. Someone needs blood every two seconds.
7. About 1 in 7 people entering a hospital need blood.
8. One pint of blood can save up to three lives.
9. Healthy adults who are at least 17 years old, and at least 110 pounds may donate about a pint of blood—the most common form of donation—every 56 days, or every two months. Females receive 53 percent of blood transfusions; males receive 47 percent.
10. One unit of blood can be separated into several components: red blood cells, plasma, platelets and cryoprecipitate.
11. Red blood cells carry oxygen to the body's organs and tissues.
12. Red blood cells live about 120 days in the circulatory system.
13. Platelets promote blood clotting and give those with leukemia and other cancers a chance to live.
14. Plasma is a pale yellow mixture of water, proteins and salts.
15. Plasma, which is 90 percent water, makes up 55 percent of blood volume.
16. Healthy bone marrow makes a constant supply of red cells, plasma and platelets.
17. 43,000 pints: amount of donated blood used each day in the U.S. and Canada.
18. Blood or plasma that comes from people who have been paid for it cannot be used to human transfusion. Instead they are mostly used for research purposes.
19. Granulocytes, a type of white blood cell, roll along blood vessel walls in search of bacteria to engulf and destroy.
20. Platelets can be stored for 5 days
21. Plasma can be stored for 1 year.
22. Children being treated for cancer, premature infants and children having heart surgery need blood and platelets from donors of all types, especially type O.
23. Anemic patients need blood transfusions to increase their red blood cell levels.
24. Cancer, transplant and trauma patients, and patients undergoing open-heart surgery may require platelet transfusions to survive.
25. Thirteen tests (11 for infectious diseases) are performed on each unit of donated blood.
26. 17 percent of non-donors cite "never thought about it" as the main reason for not giving, while 15 percent say they're too busy.
27. The #1 reason blood donors say they give is because they "want to help others."
28. Shortages of all blood types happen during the summer and winter holidays.
29. Blood centers often run short of types O and B red blood cells.
30. The rare blood type is the one not on the shelf when it’s needed by a patient.
31. There is no substitute for human blood.
32. If all blood donors gave three times a year, blood shortages would be a rare event (The current average is about two.).
33. If only one more percent of all Americans would give blood, blood shortages would disappear for the foreseeable future.
34. Blood donations are always easy with four steps: medical history, quick physical, donation and snacks.
35. 10 pints: amount of blood in the body of an average adult.
36. One unit of whole blood is roughly the equivalent of one pint.
37. Blood makes up about 7 percent of your body's weight.
38. A newborn baby has about one cup of blood in his body.
39. Giving blood will not decrease your strength.
40. People who donate blood are volunteers and are not paid for their donation.
41. 500,000: the number of Americans who donated blood in the days following the September 11 attacks.
42. Only 5 percent of eligible donors across the nation donate blood, but the number of transfusions nationwide increases by 9 percent every year.
43. Blood donors can donate as frequently as every 56 days. A benefit from donating this often is that you receive a mini-physical once every two months.
44. Each whole blood donation can help as many as three people. One unit is divided into three parts: red blood cells, platelets, and plasma.
45. Some clinics offer childcare during your donation.
46. On average, a hip replacement typically uses one unit of blood, a cardiac bypass 2 units, a heart transplant 2 units, and a liver transplant 10 units!
47. Blood cannot be manufactured. It can only come as a gift from people.
48. The need for blood increases during holidays and summer months. People are more apt to be traveling and active during these times and thus are at an increased risk for accidents.
49. Statistics show that 25 percent or more of us will require blood at least once in our lifetime.
50. You burn about 650 calories by donating one pint of blood.
51. People with AB+ type blood are universal donors of plasma, the liquid portion of blood.
52. AB+ plasma is often used in emergencies, for newborns and for patients requiring massive transfusions.
53. The American Red Cross accepts blood donations only from voluntary donors
54. Among Red Cross donors in a given year, 18% donate occasionally, 38% are first time donors, and 43% are repeat and loyal donors
55. People with O- type blood are universal donors. Their blood can be given to people of all blood types. Only 7% of people in the U.S. have O- blood type.
56. Type O- blood is often used in emergencies before the patient's blood type is known, and with newborns who need blood.
57. One out of every 10 people admitted in a hospital needs blood.
58. Try to have a good whole night sleep before giving blood.
59. Don’t forget to eat before u donate.
60. Everything used in the donation process is sterile, disposable and used only once. You cannot contract any disease by giving blood.
61. Since a pint is pound, you lose a pound every time you donate blood.
62. Platelets are small blood cells that initiate blood clotting, controlling bleeding.
63. Plasma is a pale yellow mixture of water, salts and proteins, including solvable clotting factors; plasma is 90 percent water and constitutes 55 percent of blood volume.
64. Type II diabetics (non-insulin dependent) are eligible to donate blood provided the diabetes is controlled by diet and/or oral ant diabetic drugs. Diabetics taking injectable insulin may donate blood.
If they are stabilized and have not changed their insulin dosage within 2 weeks of donating.
66. On most occasions, person who had body piercing cannot donate blood. Those who have, please check up with your doctor.
67. To reduce medical risks, blood donations are not accepted for a women who are pregnant or gave birth before 6 weeks. Blood given to babies cannot be more than five days old. This creates a continual, ongoing need for fresh blood.