1. What Tobacco Does To Your Body Can you imagine if the air in our school were polluted with 4000 chemicals? What would teachers, parents, and others in the community do? What would you do? Tobacco smoke contains more than 4000 chemicals- at least 43 of them are known to cause cancer. Three of the most dangerous chemicals are nicotine, tar, and carbon monoxide.

2. Tobacco’s Most Lethal 1.Nicotine- A stimulant drug that is one of the most addictive drugs known to science. Nicotine increases heart rate and blood pressure, places an increased strain on the heart. 2.Tar- A thick, dark liquid formed when tobacco burns. Tar coats the insides of the lungs and can cause disease (COPD, emphysema, cancer). Tar is a known carcinogen (cancer-causing substance). 3.Carbon monoxide- A poisonous gas (also found in car exhaust) that is produced when tobacco burns. It replaces oxygen in the bloodstream.

3. Why Do Young People Smoke? They want to fit in with their friends. However, only about 1 in 12 teens smokes. They are trying to seem older and more adult. However, the number of adults who smoke has steadily declined over the last 2 decades.

4. Why Do Young People Smoke? They believe that smoking won’t hurt their health- or won’t have an effect on them fro many years. But the harmful effects start with the first cigarette… They are persuaded to smoke by advertising. Cigarette companies spend a whopping 6 billion per year to promote their products.

5. The Harmful Effects of Smoking on the Body 1.Skin- Smoking makes people look older because it prematurely ages their skin. 2.Mouth, Teeth, and Throat- Smoking causes bad breath and stains the teeth. Chemicals in the smoke can cause cancer of the mouth and/or throat. 3.Lungs- Smoking can cause emphysema (where the lungs lose their elasticity, making it hard to breathe) and/or lung cancer. Nearly 87% of all lung cancers are smoking-related.

6. The Harmful Effects of Smoking on the Body (cont.) 4. Heart- The extra strain that nicotine places on the heart and blood vessels can lead to a premature heart attack. 5. Fingers- Smoking leaves the fingers yellow and stained. 6. Stomach, Bladder, and Colon- Smoking can lead to stomach ulcers, as well as bladder and/or colon cancers. Smoking doubles the risk of bladder and/or colon cancers.

7. The Harmful Effects of Smoking on the Body (cont.) 7. Brain- Nicotine makes it way from the lungs to the brain within 7 seconds. Nicotine releases chemicals in the brain that cause the smoker to want more nicotine and to become addicted.

8. Secondhand Smoke Secondhand smoke is smoke in the air that is inhaled by nonsmokers. Studies show that nonsmokers who breathe in secondhand smoke are just as likely as smokers to develop some of the health problems associated with smoking.

9. Secondhand Smoke (cont.) Secondhand smoke may also lead to a bad cough, burning eyes, a headache, upset stomach, bronchitis, or pneumonia. Children under 18 months of ages are especially vulnerable- 150,000 to 300,000 cases of bronchitis and pneumonia occur each year due to the inhalation of secondhand smoke. Because of the known dangers of secondhand smoke, smoking has been banned in most offices, factories, restaurants, and government buildings.

10. Smokeless Tobacco As its name implies, smokeless tobacco is not smoked like a cigarette. It is chewed in coarsely ground form. This type of tobacco leads to serious health problems, especially in the mouth and stomach. When smokeless tobacco is placed in the mouth, its harmful substances mix with saliva. The saliva comes into contact with the sensitive tissues of the mouth (irritating them), and some of the swallowed saliva enters the stomach.

11. Smokeless Tobacco (cont.) Smokeless tobacco can be dangerous for many reasons: It is just as addictive as smoked tobacco. Tobacco juice can cause white spots on the gums and inside the cheeks. These spots can become cancerous. Swallowed tobacco can cause sores in the stomach.

12. Smokeless Tobacco (cont.) Smokeless tobacco causes bad breath and stains the teeth. Grit and sugar in the tobacco can damage gums and cause tooth decay and tooth loss. People who use smokeless tobacco usually lose their sense of taste and sense of smell.