Why is Smoking Bad for You? How Does it Cause Heart Disease and Cancer?

What is Smoking? Inhaling tobacco smoke into lungs through a pipe, cigar, or cigarette, and exhaling through nose or mouth.

The Origin of Smoking First began when Native Americans used Peace Pipes. Became popu lar in 1900s in U.S. People didn’t know that smoking was harmful until 50 years ago.

Why Do Smokers Start At Young Ages? Peer pressure Parents or relatives smoke Ignorance Curiosity Weight loss

How is Nicotine Harmful? A chemical found in cigarettes Extremely addictive Alters neurotransmitter's ability to send messages to brain Brain adjusts to nicotine level When not smoking, it causes imbalance and anxiety

How is Addiction Harmful? Becomes a habit Causes chemical imbalance in brain Feeling of anxiety Smoke more often, worsens health

What Is In A Cigarette? Ammonia Benzene Acetone Tar Formaldehyde Nicotine Carbon Monoxide Arsenic Hydrogen Cyanide

Health Consequences (Short Term) Health Consequences (Short Term) Yellowing of teeth Gum decay Eye/throat irritation Nausea Headache Coughing

Health Consequences (Long Term) Health Consequences (Long Term) Respiratory infection Blood clots Lung disease Heart disease Stroke/paralysis Cancer

How Does Smoking Cause Heart Disease? Allows tar present in smoke to enter bloodstream

Tar clots arteries and main valves How Does Smoking Cause Heart Disease?

Chemicals in smoke damage ventricles How Does Smoking Cause Heart Disease?

Creates infection in blood cells How Does Smoking Cause Heart Disease?

Heart must work harder to pump How Does Smoking Cause Heart Disease?

Heart is weakened and failure is possible

How Does Smoking Cause Cancer? Harmful chemicals enter bloodstream

Irregular cells appear in organs How Does Smoking Cause Cancer?

Cells multiply How Does Smoking Cause Cancer?

Create tumors (generally in lungs) How Does Smoking Cause Cancer?

How Does Smoking Cause Lung Disease? Tar inhaled, builds on lungs

Damages air sacs How Does Smoking Cause Lung Disease?

Damages cilia How Does Smoking Cause Lung Disease?

Airways tighten How Does Smoking Cause Lung Disease?

Difficulty breathing How Does Smoking Cause Lung Disease?

What is Secondhand Smoke? Smoke from a smoldering cigarette, cigar, etc. More toxic chemicals than exhaled smoke Causes nausea/headaches in nonsmokers Causes lung cancer in 3000 nonsmokers each year

Bibliography Author Unknown. “Chemicals in Cigarettes.” Harmful Chemicals in Cigarettes and Tobacco Smoke. Sept. 29, /26/04. Author Unknown. “Health Effects of Smoking Among Young People.” June 15, Tobacco Information and Prevention Source (TIPS). 4/26/04.

Bibliography Author Unknown. “Sports and the Arts Without Tobacco.” Health Hazards of Tobacco. December 16, /26/04. Glantz, Stanton A. “Smoking.” World Book Encyclopedia. Chicago: Scott Fetzer Company, 2003 ed. Levitsky, Michael G. “Emphysema.”World Book Encyclopedia. Chicago: Scott Fetzer Company, 2003 ed.

About the Author My name is Caitlin Hines. I am 13 years old and I live in Winston Salem, NC. I enjoy playing the clarinet in band and dancing on the competition team at In Motion Dance Center.

Smoking is an addictive, unhealthy habit, and the effects are irreversible. The best choice to make is to never start smoking.