First Peoples’ Health: Tobacco Consumption and Health Impacts

This project investigates the significant health impacts of tobacco consumption on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations in Australia. It begins by defining tobacco and its historical use, then highlights its high prevalence among these communities, referencing statistical data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The project details the various health risks associated with tobacco use, including cardiovascular diseases, eye problems (such as cataracts), diabetes, and colorectal cancer, supported by relevant research and citations. It emphasizes the physiological mechanisms by which tobacco damages the body and the disparities in health outcomes compared to the general Australian population. The project is designed to fulfill the requirements of a group project assignment for a First Peoples' Health course, focusing on a key health risk factor outlined in the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan 2013-2023, and aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the issue, incorporating epidemiological data, health promotion areas, and potential future directions to address tobacco-related health problems within these communities.

Introduction
acco is a plant that is grown necessary for its leaves, known to have nicotine
ents which when absorbed in the blood steam acts as a stimulant. Tobacco
are dried and fermented to produce tobacco products (National Institute of Drug
2019). Tobacco is believed to have originated from North and South America
nts which were used for religious and commercial purposes. Initially, it was often
to Mayans gods as incense sacrifice. Additionally, tobacco was used in public
nies and drawn on carvings among most American communities. Medically
ans used tobacco leaves to heal gum infections and toothache. Leaves were also
d to produce poultices that were used to treat swollen throat and steamed to
rheumatism. Among the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia,
o smoking was for leisure activities and stress reliever. Tobacco is also used to
e relationships among the communities. Smoking is used to show the sense of
ng and social cohesion and regarded as asocial culture in the Strait Islander
tent Use of Tobacco Among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People
reference to Australia Bureau of Statistics (2016) Aboriginal and Torres Strait
r population is 79,8400; which is 3.3% of the total population in Australia while the
pulation is 24,127,000 . Within Australia region, there is a high rate of tobacco
especially within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people even though the rate
depending on the community. Tobacco usage is the most cause of death among
nder people. According to (Lawrence, 2011 p.13) the tobacco prevalence rate
the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is 42% where most of the drug
Name/ID/Study period + Year here
TOBACCO CONSUMPTION AND THE EFFECTS
References
Abs.gov.au. (2019). 2076.0 - Census of Population and Housing: Characteristics of
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, 2016. [online] Available at:
https://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/Abs@.Nsf/7d12b0f6763c78caca257061001cc588
/5f17e6c26744e1d1ca25823800728282!OpenDocument [Accessed 8 Sep. 2019].
Bernat, J., Ferrer, R., Margolis, K. and Blake, K. (2017). US adult tobacco users'
absolute harm perceptions of traditional and alternative tobacco products, information-
seeking behaviors, and (mis)beliefs about chemicals in tobacco products. Addictive
Behaviors, 71, pp.38-45.
Chang, S. (2012). Smoking and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Diabetes & Metabolism
Journal, 36(6), p.399.
Conway, J., Tsourtos, G. and Lawn, S. (2017). The barriers and facilitators that
indigenous health workers experience in their workplace and communities in providing
self-management support: a multiple case study. BMC Health Services Research,
17(1).
Drugabuse.gov. (2019). Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products. [online] Available at:
https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/cigarettes-other-tobacco-products
[Accessed 9 Sep. 2019].
Handler, A., Davis, F., Ferre, C. and Yeko, T. (1989). The relationship of smoking and
ectopic pregnancy. American Journal of Public Health, 79(9), pp.1239-1242.
Hannan, L., Jacobs, E. and Thun, M. (2009). The Association between Cigarette
Smoking and Risk of Colorectal Cancer in a Large Prospective Cohort from the United
States. Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention, 18(12), pp.3362-3367.
Horne, A., Brown, J., Nio-Kobayashi, J., Abidin, H., Adin, Z., Boswell, L., Burgess, S.,
Lee, K., and Duncan, W. (2014). The Association between Smoking and Ectopic
Epidemiology Risk Factors
All forms of tobacco usage either by chewing or smoking leads to cardiovascular infections due
to smoke particles blocking the airways of the blood vessels. Cigarettes smoking stimulate
atherogenesis leading to endothelial dysfunction. Long term endothelial dysfunction causes
atherosclerotic cardiovascular disorder (Park and Park, 2015 p 1213) increasing morbidity and
mortality rate among the islander communities. Tobacco usage affects most of the organs in the
body, especially the eyes. Tobacco consumption may lead to eye problems among the aged
people, since smoking is linked to nuclear cataract, for the users with ARED. Tobacco contains
neurotoxic chemicals which induce color vision loss.
Furthermore, the continuous usage of cigarettes causes lens yellowing and inflammation. Smoking
also damages blood vessels and neurons connecting to the retina, pointing the way to visual
impairment (Li et al., 2010 p. 845). For this reason, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
may suffer from visual disorders considering the tobacco is not controlled. Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander families have a higher risk of diabetes type two infections being that smoking
increases insulin resistance in the body negatively affecting glucose control. Nicotine from tobacco
raises the hormone that fights insulin, and the presence of neuronal nicotine receptors in the
nicotine affects the development of pancreatic cells (Chang, 2012 p.399). Nicotine exposure may
result in B-cells dysfunction making B-cells apoptosis, causing impaired glucose metabolism.
Tobacco usage destroys apart pancreas; by this virtue, diabetes can be caused by insulin
resistance or reduced insulin secretion (Śliwińska-Mossoń and Milnerowicz, 2017 p 265). The risk
can be reduced by tobacco consumption control. Strait Islander community also at risk of
colorectal cancer. Colorectal cancer is also known as colon cancer is a rectum or colon infection.
Smoking tobacco raises the risk of colorectal adenomatous polyps which severely grow into
cancer in the rectum or colon (Hannan, Jacobs and Thun, 2009 p.3362). The infected may
experience a feeling of cancerous tumors in the colon or other parts of the digestive system. When
one burns tobacco, it releases carcinogenic compounds such as heterocyclic aromatic amine