Tobacco Chapter 11

All Tobacco Products Are Dangerous Nicotine is the addictive drug found in all tobacco products. Cigarette smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals. Of these, at least 40 are carcinogens. Carcinogens are chemicals or agents that cause cancer.

All Tobacco Products Are Dangerous Tar is a sticky, black substance in tobacco smoke. Tar contains the following carcinogens: Cyanide Formaldehyde Lead Vinyl chloride

All Tobacco Products Are Dangerous Smokeless tobacco products, such as chewing tobacco and snuff (dip), also contain nicotine and tar. Smokeless tobacco products also contain other carcinogens, such as arsenic, nickel, benzopyrene, and polonium.

All Tobacco Products Are Dangerous Snuff and chewing tobacco lead to mouth sores and oral cancer. Pipe tobacco, cigars, and even herbal cigarettes also contain nicotine and tar, and therefore contain a large number of carcinogens.

Why Young People Start Smoking Tobacco Use Why Young People Start Smoking * An estimated 1 in 5 American teens smokes, and one million start each year. * Everyday in the U.S. 6,000 teens light up their first cigarette and another 3,000 teens become regular smokers. * Approximately 9 in 10 adults began smoking as teens and continue into adulthood, unable to stop. *Of those, one-third will eventually die from smoke-related causes. About 2.6 million packs of cigarettes are sold illegally to minors in this country everyday.

Why Teens Smoke Some teens believe that puffing on a cigarette will remove their fears or insecurities. They mistakenly believe it will make them seem older or more sophisticated then they are. They start because of peer pressure or because of advertising. They believe they can drop the habit any time they want.

Nicotine Is Addictive Like all addictive drugs, nicotine affects the brain and other parts of the body and leads to physical dependence and addiction. Quitting tobacco use is difficult and withdrawal is unpleasant, but the dangerous effects of tobacco are far worse than the trials of quitting.

What is in Cigarettes There are at lease 43 chemicals in cigarettes that are known to cause cancer. Among these are cyanide, arsenic, and formaldehyde. Tobacco contains nicotine, the addictive drug in cigarettes. People smoke to reduce the craving for nicotine, a poisonous stimulant. Nicotine raises blood pressure and increases heart rate. The flavor in a cigarette is due mostly to the tar in tobacco. Tar is a sticky, dark fluid produced when tobacco is burned.

What is in Cigarettes (cont) Tar contains several substances known as carcinogens, cancer-causing substances. Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, poisonous gas in cigarette smoke that passes through the lungs into the blood. This is the same gas in automobile exhaust fumes that, if inhaled, could prove fatal. It unites with the hemoglobin in red blood cells, preventing them from carrying the oxygen needed for energy to the body’s cells.

Smokeless Tobacco What is smokeless Tobacco? Tobacco that is sniffed through the nose or chewed. What are the health risks? It carries many of the same health risks as smoking cigarettes, including addiction to nicotine. Other health risks include mouth sores, damage to teeth and gums, and damage to the digestive system.