Teens and Tobacco Unit 1

Why Teens Use Tobacco Influence of friends: Friends can be a positive or a negative influence on tobacco use. Teens who have friends that use tobacco are more likely to use tobacco. If teens have friends that do not use tobacco, they are less likely to use it. Most people become addicted when they are a teen.

Influence of Family: Parents often make their children aware of the dangers and negative health effects of tobacco use. Older brothers or sisters may be a positive role model to not use tobacco. Even if parents who use tobacco tell their teens about the dangers of tobacco, the teen is more likely to use tobacco.

Influence of Media: Advertising tobacco on television and the radio has been banned for over 30 years. Tobacco ads are not allowed near schools or to use cartoon characters. Despite all of these regulations, they still find way to advertise to teens. Anti-Tobacco ads can be found all over the media. They gear their advertisements towards teens because that is when people typically begin using tobacco products.

Tobacco Products Tobacco products are made from dried, processed leaves of tobacco plants. Tobacco naturally produces a chemical called nicotine that acts as an insecticide to protect the plants from insects. Nicotine is a very addictive chemical. Nicotine in its pure liquid form is extremely poisonous. Each year, thousands of young children die from eating cigarettes and cigars. Tobacco users are not immediately positioned by nicotine because only a small amount enters the body at a time.

Tobacco Products that are Smoked Cigarettes; most frequently used. Bidis; imported from India Kreteks; imported from Indonesia Cigar and pipe tobacco; less processed than cigarettes, but contains more nicotine.

Smokeless Tobacco Consists of tobacco that is chewed, placed between the lower lip and teeth or sniffed. Chewing tobacco, also known as “dip” or “chew”, consists of poor-quality, ground tobacco leaves mixed with flavorings, preservatives, and other chemicals. Snuff is finely ground, powdered tobacco. It may be a dry powder, or oil may be added to make the snuff moist.