We all know that smoking is addicting. In spite of all the publicized warnings about the dangers of smoking, we also know that when someone starts smoking, it’s extremely difficult to stop once the addiction becomes well established. It’s important to understand that there are other dangers that come along with smoking, especially when oxygen tanks are part of the mix.

People who have smoked for years are being diagnosed in high numbers with pulmonary diseases such as Emphysema and COPD, which stands for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. The cigarettes being produced today are far more addictive and destructive to lung tissue than they were 20 years ago because of high amounts of additional chemicals being infused in these cigarettes. It’s done by deliberate design in the tobacco industry. Advances in medicine and medical equipment, combined with the fact that people are living longer, has made it possible for doctors to prescribe PORTABLE OXYGEN TANKS that can easily be set up in their patient’s own home. It’s happening all the time.

The problem is this: People are SOOOOO ADDICTED to cigarettes that they’re refusing to stop smoking even while they have their oxygen tank on and the oxygen tubes are attached to their nostrils. This is EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, because the oxygen tank delivers nearly 100 percent oxygen as opposed to normal oxygen content in the air, which is only 20 percent. It becomes an EXPLOSIVE situation.

Many patients have arrived in Emergency Rooms with severe facial burns. Many homes have caught fire. Residents living in nearby apartment units or buildings near a burning building have lost their lives, pets, children, and irreplaceable keepsakes. Firefighters are telling us that many of these fires are caused by lit cigarettes close to open oxygen tanks.

Is it really worth continuing to smoke while on oxygen? There is help and support in the community to address this problem. If this is an issue for you, your doctor will be more than willing to help you.