I CORINTHIANS 6:19 Tobacco

The number one preventable disease and death in the U.S. is tobacco use.

How Tobacco Effects the Body Short-term Effects  Addiction – tobacco contains nicotine which is highly addictive  Stimulant – increases actions of central nervous system, respiration, and heart rate  Dulled taste buds and reduced appetite  Bad breath, smell

How Tobacco Effects the Body Long-Term Effects  Chronic Bronchitis – build up of tar in lungs, creating chronic coughing  Emphysema – destroys air sacs in lung making it more difficult to absorb oxygen  Lung Cancer – extra mucus cannot be dispelled, creating an environment for cancer to form  Coronary Heart Disease and Stroke – blood vessels constrict, plaque build up in blood vessels

Teens and Tobacco Reports show that teen smoking has greatly decreased in the last two decades  Antismoking campaigns have had a large impact  Financial costs, packs now cost in excess of $4.00 per pack  Society has looked down upon smoking, causing most public places to ban smoking

Why Do Some Teens Use Tobacco? Peer Pressure or Media Pressure  Think it is cool or mature Some think it will help them control their weight  It does suppress appetite, but it also reduces body’s physical capabilities. May lose weight, but will not be physically healthy. May also cause weight gain because you cannot be physically active Some think it will help them cope with stress  Health problems and nicotine dependency will increase stress levels in users

Smoke-Free Environment Both Smokers and Non-Smokers who breathe air containing tobacco smoke are at risk for health problems “Second-Hand Smoke” still contains carcinogens, nicotine, and tar.  There are actually over 4000 chemicals in second-hand smoke  Causes eye irritation, headaches, ear infections, coughing  3000 people each year are diagnosed with lung cancer caused by second-hand smoke

Smoke-Free Environment Children of smokers tend to have higher incidences of sore throats, ear infections, and upper respiratory infections  They also have 2x the risk of developing lung cancer  They are 3x more likely to smoke themselves

Other Tobacco Products Besides smoking cigarettes and cigars, there are other dangerous tobacco products  Smokeless tobacco is sniffed, held in mouth, or chewed  These still contain many of the same carcinogens, but because they are held in the mouth they deliver 2-3x the amount of nicotine and carcinogens  Same addictive properties as smoking  Leukoplakia – thickened, white, leathery spots on the inside of the mouth that leads to oral cancer