What is Tobacco?

1. Tobacco is a plant whose leaves are dried and processed into cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, chewing tobacco, and snuff.
2. Tobacco can be smoked, chewed, or sucked.
3. Tobacco contains thousands of poisonous chemicals; probably the most dangerous is nicotine.

What is Nicotine?

1. Nicotine is one of the most heavily used addictive drugs in the United States.
2. Cigarette smoking has been the most popular method of taking nicotine since the beginning of the 20th century.
3. When a person smokes a cigarette, cigar, or pipe, the nicotine contained in the smoke enters the lungs and passes through cell lining into the bloodstream.
4. Once in the bloodstream nicotine quickly reaches the brain.
5. Although nicotine only takes seconds to reach the brain, it has a direct effect on the body for up to 30 minutes.
6. Nicotine from smoking reaches the brain faster even faster than it would be if it were injected with a needle.
7. Regardless of the method used, when nicotine gets to the brain it affects the way that billions of brain cells, or neurons, communicate with each other.

Facts about Tobacco

1. In 1998, 60 million Americans were current cigarette smokers and 4.1 million between the ages of 12 and 17.
2. Cigarettes kill more Americans than alcohol, car accidents, suicide, AIDS, homicide, and illegal drugs.
3. Cigarettes are perhaps the only legal product whose advertised and intended use is harmful to the body is a proven cause of cancer.
4. The tobacco industry knew in 1964 that nicotine was addictive, but they withheld that information for 30 years. During that time, 9 million Americans died from tobacco use.
5. Nearly all-first use of tobacco occurs before high school graduation.
6. Young people are the chief source of new consumers for the tobacco industry, which each year, must replace the many consumers who quit smoking and those who will die from smoking-related diseases.

Short-term Effects

• Nicotine causes the heart to beat faster and makes it more difficult for the lungs, stomach and kidneys to perform efficiently.

Other short-term effects include:

1. Bad Breath
2. Smelly hair and clothes
3. Yellow and brown stains on teeth
4. Damage to respiratory System
5. Addiction to nicotine
6. Risk of other drug use
7. Chronic cough
8. Increased incidence of bronchitis
9. Increased incidence of asthma

Long-term Health Consequences

1. Heart Disease
2. Cancer
3. Larynx
4. Mouth
5. Throat
6. Stomach
7. Kidney
8. Bladder
9. Cervix

Lung Diseases Caused by Tobacco:

1. Emphysema
2. Chronic Bronchitis

Reproductive Damages

1. Abnormal Sperm Cells
2. Impotence
3. Difficulty Maintaining Pregnancy

Birth Defects
Smoking during pregnancy can cause:

1. Miscarriage or stillbirth
2. Low birth weight
3. Premature birth

Tobacco Advertising

• The tobacco industry spends $700,000 per hour on tobacco advertising, most of which is directly marketed to youth under the age of 18.
• A 1991 study showed that 91% of 6 year olds could match Joe Camel to his product and that Joe Camel was recognized by as many preschoolers as Mickey Mouse.

Tobacco Spending

• The average tobacco user spends over $1800 a year on tobacco.
• According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), $16 billion Medicare dollars are paid each year for smoking-related disease and disabilities

Smokeless Tobacco

• The two types of smoking tobacco are chewing tobacco and snuff.
• There are approximately 10 million users of smokeless tobacco, and 3 million are under the age of 21.
• Almost 25% of young users started by the 6th grade, almost 75% start by the 9th grade.
• Chewing tobacco also contains nicotine and has a least 28 cancer causing chemicals

Short-term Effects of Chewing Spit Tobacco

• Bad breath
• Excess saliva production
• Stained teeth
• Receding gums
• Permanent gum loss
• Sensitive teeth
• Increased risk of tooth decay
• Sores, white and red patches, and lumps in mouth that may be precancerous.

Information on Second Hand Smoke

• Just like smokers, nonsmokers breathing second hand smoke are exposed to roughly 3,700 different chemicals (many of which are poisonous, others are cancer causing substances.
• In November 1999, the National Cancer Institute released the most comprehensive study done on second hand smoke.
• The study confirms the link to lung cancer, heart disease, and a range of other disease.
• Among children, the study found second hand smoke is linked to SIDS, middle ear infections, asthma, bronchitis, and pneumonia.
• The EPA estimates that 3,000 nonsmokers die of lung cancer annually as a result of inhaling someone else's cigarette smoke.

Sources:

1. American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org )
2. In the Know (www.intheknowzone.com)
3. National Institute of Drug Abuse (www.drugabuse.gov)