Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Globalization and Implementation Plan Essay Example for Free

Globalization and Implementation Plan Essay This report will provide business and demographic information to determine a platform of business strategies and alternatives for Home Depot to re-enter or abandon the Argentinian retail market for home improvement centers. Home Depot must be very specific and strategic to try to re-enter the market due the abject failure in entering the market in 1997 and existing the market in 2001 from the lack of profits and community acceptance. Home Depot cannot afford another failure in Argentina or South America. (Home Depot. 2013). Home Depot: Home Depot is the 4th largest retailer in the US, the 5th largest retailer in the world and ultimately the worlds largest home improvement specialty retailer. In 35 years, Home Depot operates 2,257 retail stores in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, Canada, and Mexico. The foreign locations (294) generate just 12% of Home Depots’ total revenues. They have engineered entry and expansion into foreign markets through acquisition of smaller retailers and expanded upon their success. The Home Depot, Inc. operates as a home improvement retailer. It sells building materials, home improvement products, and lawn and garden products, as well as providing installation, home maintenance, and professional service programs to do-it-yourself, do-it-for-me, and professional customers. It serves home owners, professional remodelers, general contractors, repairmen, small business owners, and tradesmen. From the beginning, The Home Depot has developed strategic product alliances directly with leading manufacturers delivering the most exclusive products and national brands. They also provide a combination of proprietary products like Ryobi ® tools, RIDGID ® tools, BEHR ® paint, LG ® appliances, and Toro ® lawn equipment. Home Depot has set the standard for innovative merchandise for the do-it-yourselfer and the professional contractors. In addition, they can provide exporting servicing for products worldwide. (Home Depot. 2013). Argentina: This portion of the report will review the demographics, economic markets, income levels and currency values, culture and along with the legal and political environment in Argentina and South America for Home Depot reentrance. The total population of Argentina is just over 42 million people covering 2.8 million square kilometers (km). It is the 8th largest country in the world and speaks primarily Spanish and Italian along with English, German and French. The population is primarily located among five largest cities of the country in northern 30% of the country and within 600 km of the capital Buenos Aires with 13 million citizens. It has less than 1% population growth and the average age is 30 years old with a 98% literacy rate and 16 years of formal education. Regretfully, the average unemployment rate is estimated to be 10.2 and higher for females. The income level for individuals per capita is $18,820 and ranks 73rd in the world. The labor force is comprised of 17M workers and ranks 36th in the world. The percentage of the population below the poverty line is 30%. Between the poverty line and the percentage of unemployment and contraction in the economy is does not provide a lot of discretionary money to be used for purchasing homes, maintenance, and remodeling. The culture of Argentina is based upon traditional Roman Catholic values (92% membership) centered upon family values and 100’s of years of religious beliefs, values, dependence and fostering upon local relationships. The culture is also driven by personal relationships with the expectation of working with you to find solutions to consumer needs. Many Argentinians do not like the big box impersonal retail stores that do not have the personnel to spend time creating trust and loyalty with customers. (CIA Factbook. 2013). International Considerations for Argentina and Home Depot: The economy of Argentina is the 22nd largest in the world with a growth rate of 2.6% with a GDP of $475B in 2012. It has a diversified economy due to the many natural resources available to them. Manufacturing is the largest segment of industry with 20%; agriculture with 5% and the remaining in the services and tourism sector. The currency in Argentina is based upon the peso and the current exchange rates ranges for US dollars range from 1 peso to 4.1 to 4.6 dollars. Argentina is a member of Mercosur with Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay implementing a Common External Tariff (CET) for non-members to pay tariffs up to 35%. This was implemented to protect those economies from the dumping of cheaper foreign goods. Argentina defaulted on its debt in 2002 leading foreign investors to flee and take their investments elsewhere. Since then, Argentina nationalized the $24 billion pensions fund and limited the amounts of foreign purchases of land. Argentina has not been able to pull out if the economic slump and economic growth has completely stalled. The optimistic view point for economic growth in Argentina in 2013 will be less than 3.5% for consumer demand, industrial production and exports. This will apply additional economic pressure for homebuyers to make purchase homes and banks willing to lend. They have implemented a number of measures to keep dollars in the country restricting foreign currency exchanges and debt obligations in defending the value of the peso. These restrictions have effectively made it almost impossible to obtain US dollars for the purposes of real estate purchases. The federal tax agency’s authorization is now required before making any foreign exchange purchase. The implementation of these tight policy measures has the real estate activity in 2012 fell approximately 40%, making it one of the sectors worst performing years in the country in a decade. â€Å"The number of commercial real estate transactions in Buenos Aires fell 46% to 6,315 and residential transactions fell 15% in 2012. (Bifani. 2013) The legal system for Argentina has become very restrictive over the years to protect their business and economy from inflation and currency issues. They have the Argentina’s Customs Code (DGA), which registers all foreign importers and exporters. They apply import duties and taxes to all imports along import duties, statistical taxes, value-added taxes and excise duties. Argentina has strict regulations and fees regarding the purchasing of property by foreign interests, which limits the potential for revenues and growth. (CIA Factbook. 2013). Market Considerations for Argentina and Home Depot Is Argentina, the best possible country for Home Depot to reinvest into? Argentina ranks in the bottom 10 countries in the world for foreign businesses to do business in. Specifically for Home Depot, it takes 12 months for a construction company to obtain a construction permit, which double what it takes throughout the rest of South America. This would greatly impact Home Depot ability to build stores and expand within Argentina. The majority of businesses hours operate between 9am 7 pm and can run to 9 or 10pm for retail stores. The business hierarchy is top down with ideas and instructions come from the top. They are very respectful of business protocol and will not break those social norms or status structure. With these facts in mind, it demonstrates Argentinians require time to develop trust and familiarity, especially for foreigners. Negotiations will take a considerable amount of time and you must be willing to argue and debate to get their support and consensus. They will no t hesitate to interrupt and argue for the finer points of agreements before proceedings to the next step. (Communicaid. 2009). The following are business points regarding the desire to potentially expand into Argentina. They have a value added tax (VAT) across the economy and a wealth tax. These taxes discourage both internal and external business to invest in larger business ventures due the country’s desire to confiscate profits from business people from investing. The government has huge political swings of ideology and purpose. This creates an environment that can propagate corruption, bribery and short term political or economic decisions to encourage voting support. They are a 60% tax evasion rate, which is triple that of US citizens. For many of the key economic indicators, Argentina ranks the bottom 25% in the world for doing business, economic freedom, human rights, taxes, and corruption. The inflation rate is about 10% and outside economists are reporting about 20%. Credit cards have low credit limits restricting higher purchases and up to a 45% interest rate. This does not encourage businesses to take any risks or initiatives for business growth i.e.: construction businesses. (Chafkin, M. 2001). Overall according the financial reports, Argentina is now considered a third world country due to its difficulty with globalization and working with foreign countries. * They have established strict foreign investment guidelines prohibiting foreign ownership. * They have restricted construction companies for building and developing business areas. * They have high tax rates and low reinvestment rates back into their country. * They have problems with government corruption, bribery and ethics. Entry Modes (Globalization Implementation Plan) This portion will cover the various possibilities for establishing the Modes of Entry for Home Depot to reenter Argentina. Home Depot’s expansion in foreign markets has been less than successful such as the ones in South America, China and Southeast Asia. They have had some success in Canada and Mexico due to being substantial trading partners in the NAFTA agreement and similar ideology of home ownership and access to credit, Exporting: This mode of business entry will not effectively work for expanding and opening home improvement stores in Argentina at this time. Local competitors will prefer to source construction products from local suppliers rather than to purchase from foreign suppliers. They have implemented restrictions for international trade with tariffs and entrance barriers, which will increase the possible competitive pricing to become less attractive for Home Depot. Turn-Key Operations: This mode of entry will not be a viable alternative due to the fact that Home Depot does not provide any explicit technology over the local DIY businesses such as EASY. This mode could damage Home Depot by training and possibly improving competitor’s ability to compete with Home Depot in other markets in South America like Mexico. Licensing: This mode of entry is similar to Turn-Key due to the lack of control over the foreign business and again Home Depot cannot provide any real production improvements other than economies of scale to existing or new business. It would only provide royalty fees to Home Depot and would not warrant the business investment. Franchising: Franchising is similar to licensing. It works when companies have a strategic production process like such as mentioned in the text with Fuji-Xerox or even McDonalds. Home Depot does not provide the specialized processes or supply chain to support the development of franchising into foreign markets. Wholly Owned Subsidiary: This is the method and mode of entry Home Depot tried before and failed. At that point in time, Argentinians ability to own and purchase property was very restrictive for a majority of the population. Argentinians are not accustomed with reinvesting into their homes or dwelling. They did not have the incentives to reinvest or the desire to learn how to perform the tasks that it would take to complete a successful DIY project. Also, Home Depot is not an Argentinian or Latin American business, which creates a lack of respect and loyalty. The Easy company growth is due to Home Depot building the model and Easy taking them and restructuring them for Latin American consumers. (Hill, C. 2011). Joint Ventures: This is the only method or mode of entry that makes sense for Home Depot to pursue. In the textbook, there are examples of Tesco and Jollibee competing with bigger more entrenched businesses by using joint ventures and investments to establish a foothold. For Home Depot to renter the South American market and specifically Argentina, I believe the only choice Home Depot has is to engage in joint ventures with smaller DIY businesses in Argentina and gain some traction similar to Tesco in Europe and Asia. Also, EASY is now the big player in the market with 49 DIY stores. It is doubtful they would entertain any joint ventures without the ability to be the controlling partner or give up its majority interest. Monetary Systems: This portion will evaluate Argentina’s history of monetary policy and its effect upon the potential desire or ability for Home Depot to reopen home improvement retail stores there. Argentina history relating to financial and monetary policy has been turbulent and at a crisis stage numerous times. Argentina is working hard to revamp their economy and currency ratings. It has a GDP of $475B ranking 22nd in the world and one of the largest economies in South America. In 1998 Argentina entered a four year depression resulting from governmental tax increases, devaluing of its currency, freezing bank deposits, defaulting on foreign debt up to $93B, and finally removing the linkage between the peso and the US dollar. Some of international issues relating to Argentina’s reputation have been reducing the international trade/currency exchanges have been their protectionist’s policy and rated the worst in the world by the World Bank. They have seized control over the largest oil and airline companies in the country. They are also being censured by the IMF for dishonest reporting of national statistics specifically inflation rates. (Singer, H. 2013). Argentina has attempted practically every single monetary system known today to their economy and all have failed resulting in financial crisis over the last 35 years. The flexible exchange rate system led to a hyperinflation and the currency board has led to dramatic recessions. During the first three crises, Argentina was using a fixed exchange rate to allow government control. The first crisis was in 1975 with the collapse of that stabilization plan resulting in the devaluing of their currency by 100% and more than a dozen followed the next year. The second crisis was to the Tablita plan in 1981; the Tablita plan was to reform banking regulations and capital account restriction affecting its currency and exchange rates. It still ended with an 82% devaluation of its currency in one year. The third crisis occurred within 12 months in 1982 with Alemann Plan. This plan was designed around the banking and insurance industries connected to foreign currency exchanges. At this time, Argentina abandoned the fixed exchanges for a floating exchange system. The next strategy Argentina attempted was after the 2001 crisis and implemented a dual exchange rate system to manage and control their economy and currency values. This allows them to use both fixed and/or floating system with the ability for different fixed and floating rates during the same period of time. The fixed exchange rates are used for essential imports and exports account transactions. The floating exchange rates are used for capital account transactions determined by the market critical to providing foreign cash reserves for the country. Usually, countries implementing dual exchanges rates are using protectionist control to protect their economy and financial markets such as China. (Investopedia. 2013) Business Strategy for Home Depot to enter Argentina This portion of the report is to provide a platform of business strategies and alternatives for Home Depot to re-enter the Argentinian retail market for home improvement centers. Home Depot cannot afford another failure in Argentina or South America. From the beginning, The Home Depot develops strategic product alliances directly with industry-leading manufacturers to deliver the most exclusive products assortments to customers. Home Depots expansion strategies have been very successful throughout North America when they have used acquisition strategies. Their expansion in Argentina did not produce the same results due to the lack of a substantial home improvement company to purchase. They chose to organically grow the market in Argentina. This strategy failed due to many different situations occurring during the same time frame: political failure of the government and presidential resignations, huge drop in their GDP, default on the foreign debt, currency failure, widespread unemplo yment and public riots. It was like the perfect storm for the country and Home Depot. (Home Depot. 2013). In reviewing the many strategies that are available for Home Depot to re-enter the market in Argentina, there are many limitations based upon the history of Argentina and Home Depot. They definitely have the ability to leverage economies of scale for providing home improvement products at almost any price point that the consumers is willing to pay. These economies of scale would be too large for any competitive business to ignore. Their major competitor, Cencosud is the company they sold their four stores to in 2001. It is the largest retailer in South America with over 1,045 retail store in a variety of markets. It is a $19B company with 125,000 employees. Home Depot is a $70B corporation with 331,000 employees in about 2,294 stores. This would be an extremely difficult acquisition and inevitably against their acquisition strategy of buying smaller businesses and expanding through gradual growth. This also limits the amount of exporting potential to Argentina through Cencosud due to the lack of exporting profits. (Cencosud. 2013). Recommendations All of these factors leave The Home Depot with a limited amount of possibilities to re-enter the Argentinian market. The best possibility is to partner with Cencosud in a strategic alliance or find smaller specialized retailers that are currently competing with Cencosud in Argentina and offer them very attractive distribution, pricing and profit sharing. I would find it difficult to invest in this country’s economy due the protectionist ideology of the government. Their policies have not created real economic growth and restrict the ability for foreign companies to invest without excessive tax on profits. The current business environment, banking system and construction restrictions are not conducive for foreign involvement or investments. Home Depot has already attempted once, I believe it would take an even larger investment to overcome the negative perception in 2001. Also, they have a major competitor Sodimac in place and have had double digit growth since 2005. Their best expansion strategies for Home Depot to get back into go into Argentinian markets would be establishes strategic alliances with the smaller retailers for exportations, joint ventures directly with Fallabella and foreign direct investments to invest with either of the businesses if available depending upon the political complexity of the government. (Forbes. 2011). References: Bifani. (2013). Argentine Real Estate Activity Sharply Falls. Retrieved from http://www.homechannelnews.com/article/hd-expounds-plans-mexico-latin-america Castro, G. (2012). Chile’s new Sodimac home improvement store continues to break ground underground. Retrieved from http://blog.kimcorealty.com/2012/02/chiles-new-sodimac-home-improvement-store-continues-to-break-ground-underground/ Cencosud. (2013). Our Company. Retrieved from http://www.cencosud.com/nuestra-empresa/descripcion/?lang=en Chafkin, M., (2001). Inc. magazine. A Constant Feeling of Crisis. Retrieved from http://www.inc.com/magazine/201106/doing-business-in-argentina_pagen_5.html CIA Handbook. (2013). Argentina. Retrieved from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ar.html Communicaid. (2009). Doing Business in Argentina. Retrieved from http://www.communicaid.com/access/pdf/library/culture/doing-business-in/Doing%20Business%20in%20Argentina.pdf Easy. (2013). Easy Argentina. Retrieved from https://www.easy.com.ar/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/es/easyar/information-pag e?identifier=mapa_locales.html Encyclopedia of Business. (2013). Joint Ventures and Strategic Alliances. Retrieved from http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/management/Int-Loc/Joint-Ventures-and-Strategic-Alliances.html#ixzz2SRvvAulT Forbes. (2011). Home Depot Remodels Its Growth Plans. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/2001/11/30/1130homedepot_print.html Global Property Value. (2013). Argentina. Retrieved from http://www.globalpropertyguide.com/Latin-America/argentina/Price-History Hill, Charles W. L. (2011). Global Business Today. (7th ed.). New York: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.. ISBN: 978-0-07-813721-1. Home Depot. (2013).About Us. Retrieved from https://corporate.homedepot.com/OurCompany/History/Pages/default.aspx Kaminsky, G., (2009). Thirty Years of Currency Crises in Argentina. External Shocks or Domestic Fragility?. George Washington University. Retrieved from http://home.gwu.edu/~graciela/HOME-PAGE/RESEARCH-WORK/WORKING-PAPERS/argentina.pdf Isora, M., (2009). Importan ce of Strategic Alliances in Company Activity. Retrieved from http://www3.mruni.eu/~int.economics/5nr/Isoraite.pdf Sprawl Busters. (2008). Argentina. Adios, Home Depot!. Retrieved from http://www.sprawl-busters.com/search.php?readstory=821

Tuesday, January 21, 2020

The Importance of Dietary Fiber :: Health Medicine

The Importance of Dietary Fiber We share many experiences with the kings of old: pastries, for instance, and home entertainment and vacation trips to far-off lands. Ancient-day common folk knew nothing of such things. Then again, they weren't constipated... We are. Not all of us, of course. But enough Canadians so that some doctors call ours a constipated society. And even if you're not constipated, your present day diet may be leading you to more serious complaints like disorders of the large intestine or colon. These, too, were afflictions of of the upper classes of old. Why? Because in general the rich refined their food, along with their lives, and so stripped it of an odd but essential ingredient called dietary fibre. Like its fellow carbohydrates, the various types of dietary fibre are the product of sunlight, water and carbon dioxide combining in green plants. Most form part of plant cell walls. But unlike the other carbohydrates, fibres do not break down into sugars in the human digestive system and then course through the blood stream fueling muscles and nerves. Rather, when eaten they tumble intact through the stomach and small intestine and end up in the colon where billions of bacterial feed on them - in turn producing intestinal gas. No wonder, then, that dietary fibre has been unwelcome in many of history's nicer neighborhoods. Even 20th century doctors reasoned that since the bulky material provided not a single nutrient, it would only strain already troubled guts. Accordingly, they recommended low-fibre diets for patients suffering from hemorrhoids and other colon disorders often found in the West. But then, about 15 years ago, the prescription was reversed as researchers found that poor Africans, who eats lots of fibre, rarely suffer from such complaints. Fibre, the researchers learned, actually eases the bowel's burden by mixing with water and other food residues. Soon, nutritionists came to see the low-fibre diet of most North Americans as a culprit in the onset of disorders ranging from tooth decay to heart attacks. Increasing the consumption of certain kinds of fibre, they found, could slow the body's absorption of sugars to which diabetics are sensitive, and of cholesterol, which may lead to heart disease. Furthermore, fibres fight obesity. They're filling, especially the pectins in citrus fruit and the gums in some beans. And they're mainly indigestible. So dieters eating lots of fibre are likely to eat less of other, more fattening foodstuffs. As for why populations on high-fibre diets seem to experience fewer colon

Monday, January 13, 2020

The Negative Effects of Tobacco

The nicotine can be consumed by chewing tobacco apart from smoking and sniffing . The article provides insight into the hazards of chewing tobacco . If you believe that only smoking is injurious, certainly not. Any form of nicotine consumption is injurious. Tobacco is bad for health, no matter in what form you take it the ill effects are always there. Tobacco are leaves of plant that are used in dried form, they are high in nicotine and consequently addictive in nature. Tobacco can be taken in the form of: Chewing Snuff Smoking. The high content of nicotine makes it very addictive, once a person gets addicted to smoking, chewing or sniffing it becomes difficult to leave it. At times efforts fail and person goes back to taking tobacco. Chewing of Tobacco Chewing tobacco also known as smokeless tobacco is equally bad as smoking. It is a myth that chewing is not as harmful as smoking. Chewing tobacco is made of tobacco, nicotine, sweeteners and chemicals. The continuous chewing process gives a constant high to the person. This high leads gives temporary relief from stress and anxiety. Small temporary relief leads the person to use it frequently and before the person realizes he is addicted. Effects of Chewing tobacco leads to numerous side effects, which can be internal or external. The main harmful effects of tobacco are Erodes Tooth The ingredients of tobacco consist of gravels, sand, and other harmful chemicals that erode the enamel of tooth. Continuous chewing leads to early loss of tooth. Early Decay Of Tooth Chewing leaves small particles in tooth that forms bacteria and plaque, it harms enamel and gums, which leads to decay of tooth. Gum slump Chewing leads to decomposing of gums, the gums get infected and the grip on tooth loosens which exposes the sensitive area of tooth. Bad Breadth There is nothing as bad as bad breadth of a person, they are major turn off for people around them. The long-term habit of chewing and spitting is unacceptable and looks indecent. Affects Eating Habit Eating habit of people who chews tobacco tends to be unhealthy, continuous chewing affects the taste bud and the sensitivity of them decreases. This leads to an increase in intake of more salt, sugar and spices in food as he feels a bland taste in his mouth. The above effects of tobacco is just the beginning of trouble for people who chew, it has more deep rooted and life threatening effects. Chewing of tobacco has major or near to fatal effect on addicted people. The major areas where they proved to be fatal are: Damage to tongue, jaw and lips Lung Cancer Oral Cancer Damage to tongue, jaw and lips As mentioned above chewing leads to the early decay of tooth, bad breadth, damaged gums and falling of tooth. The addiction of tobacco affects the area around the mouth. The tongue and jaws face the following problems: Dis-coloring of lips and lip cancer Sore Throat Difficulty in movement of jaws and tongue Rashes or irritation on tongue Burning sensation on lips and tongue Oral Cancer Continuous chewing process leaves infectious juices on tooth and lips. These develop in white patches that can be considered as an early symptom of oral cancer. People who indulge in tobacco chewing have higher risk of oral cancer to people who take alcohol. The most infected area in oral cancer is the tongue and the area below the tongue. The cancer slowly spreads to cheeks and throat. Though it can attack any part lips, tongue, upper and lower mouth, the cheeks, or gums and esophagus. It is very important to go for early diagnosis as soon as one feels suspicious. Lung Cancer Chewing tobacco leads to oral cancer but it is not the end of it can spread the disease in lungs and linings of stomach. Reports show that 90% of lung cancers are cases of people who either smoke or chew tobacco. Destructive agents termed as carcinogens in tobacco injure the cells in the lungs. Over a period of time, these spoiled cells may develop into lung cancer. Dipping tobacco is a way to take nicotine into your system without smoking. It is in essence a smokeless tobacco. You do not chew on it, but rather a small pinch of the tobacco is placed between your gums and lips. While the dip tobacco sits in your mouth, your body produces saliva. This saliva takes nicotine into the arteries of the blood stream, giving the same effect as smoking a cigarette would. Often, excess saliva is produced which the user will spit out. Is It Chewing Tobacco? Many smokers wonder whether dipping or chewing tobacco is a better alternative to smoking. Others wonder if they are the same thing or not. Dipping tobacco is often confused with chewing tobacco. In fact, many people call dip â€Å"chew,† which is a common term used to describe chewing tobacco. It is not the same thing, however. The tobacco derivatives in chewing tobacco are entirely different than the derivatives in dip. Also, dip is not chewed, whereas chewing tobacco must be chewed to release all of the nicotine. Canadian Dip Versus American Dip. Both Canadian and American tobacco manufacturers make dip, but in different amounts and sizes. The Canadian tins are much smaller than the American tins. In fact, Canadian tins, which are fifteen grams, are less than half the size of the thirty-four gram American variety. Also, in Canada, users must pay quite a bit more for dip than users in the States. The United States tends to have a wider variety of dipping tobacco flavors than Canadian markets, and new flavors are usually released in the US first because of tobacco de-normalization laws in Canada. According to the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, an estimated 23. 9 percent of people in the United States over the age of 12 were current cigarette smokers in 2008. However, the American Heart Association (AHA) reports that cigarette smoking is responsible for 440,000 deaths each year. MedlinePlus reports that both cigarettes (smoking tobacco) and chewing (smokeless) tobacco are bad for your health, and cause multiple and often fatal health problems. Cardiovascular Disease One negative effect that tobacco and nicotine addiction has on the health of the body is cardiovascular disease. AHA reports that cigarette smokers are two to three times more likely to develop cardiovascular disease than people who do not smoke. Also according to AHA, of the 440,000 deaths each year caused by cigarette smoking, 135,000 are due to smoking-related cardiovascular diseases. Nicotine in tobacco products causes an increase in blood pressure and heart rate, and a narrowing of the arteries. Carbon monoxide that is inhaled when tobacco is smoked decreases the amount of oxygen carried by the blood to feed the body's tissues. The AHA reports that carbon monoxide and nicotine damages the artery walls, which leads to the deposition of fat and narrowing of arteries, which further increases blood pressure. Damaged vessels and high blood pressure are all risk factors for heart failure. Furthermore, smoking tobacco causes the blood to clot more easily, which may cause a heart attack or stroke. see survivor stories & chat online with our oncology info specialists Cancer Another negative effect caused by smoking or chewing tobacco is cancer. MedlinePlus reports that cigarette smoking causes 87 percent of lung cancer cases in the United States. According to the American Lung Association (ALA) cigarette smoke contains 69 chemicals that are known to cause cancer. Smokeless tobacco is also a known cause of cancer, and is the leading cause of cancer in the mouth. Lung Disease A third negative effect of tobacco is lung disease, caused by the cigarette smoking. The ALA reports that smoking cigarettes are responsible for 80 to 90 percent of COPD (including emphysema and chronic bronchitis) deaths. Emphysema is a condition where the tissue in the lungs becomes stretched out and lacks the elasticity of normal lung tissue. This prevents breathing air from efficiently transferring oxygen into the blood stream. Long-term swelling of the tissue in the airways and an overproduction of mucus characterize chronic bronchitis. Both the swelling and the mucus make it difficult to breath, causing even normal activity to be difficult. Thus, tobacco and nicotine invariably lead to heart disease, cancer, and chronic lung disease. Even though these are very real threats, million of Americans find that nicotine addiction is hard to break.

Sunday, January 5, 2020

Helath Promotion Eassy - 792 Words

Heritage Assessment Heritage Assessment An individual has their own ethnic, religious and cultural background and they share the thoughts among families or the same ethnic background and take over the tradition and culture from generation to generation. Looking at someone’s heritage, it includes traditional health methods how a particular ethnic background people to maintain health, protect health and restore health. I would like to discuss about health traditions; health maintenance, health protection and health restoration among with three different culture; Philippine, Hispanic and Japanese. Health Maintenance Health maintenance deals†¦show more content†¦In Japanese culture, they believe some foods are categorized hot and cold. For instance, the vegetable with roots like radish and ginger are considered to be a hot food and consuming those food to maintain the body temperature warm and keep a good blood circulation. On the other hand, some vegetables make the body temperature cooler are cucumber, lettuce and tomatoes. More Japanese eat those vegetables making some salad and consume more during a hot summer moth to lower the body temperature. Hispanic classifies diseases â€Å"hot† and â€Å"cold.† The examples of â€Å"Hot† diseases are diabetes and hypertension verses â€Å"Cold† diseases are mistral cramps and pneumonia. (Maria Hernandez, personal communication, April 29, 2014). People believe that they can avoid illness by balancing and maintaining between. Moreover, in Hispanic culture, there is a belief called â€Å"evil eye† that uses turq uoise to eliminate bad stuff, protect their health and avoid harmful event to them. People in the Philippine are very religious and their dominant religion is Catholic. They go to church and attend mass weekly. They pray diety and worship for (Mary Smith, personal communication, April 30, 2014). Health Restoration Health Restoration deals with beliefs and home remedies that people would use to help restore their health. This means that once a person is diagnosed with some illness, how they approach and treat illness. â€Å"Asian folk