1. 1 The Truth About Tobacco

2. 2 Tobacco Truths LONG TERM: Cancer Respiratory disease Heart attack When used as directed – kills people Texas School Safety Center // www.txssc.txstate.edu SHORT TERM: Makes your teeth yellow and clothes smell Extremely addictive Very costly – to all of us Legal problems

3. 3 More Tobacco Truths Tobacco kills more people each year than – Alcohol – AIDS – Car crashes – Illegal drugs – Murders – Suicides – Homicides COMBINED! Texas School Safety Center // www.txssc.txstate.edu

4. 4 Tobacco Myths It’s relaxing Everyone’s doing it, so I should too You’re only hurting yourself if you use I’m 18, I have the right to choose to smoke Texas School Safety Center // www.txssc.txstate.edu

5. 5 More Tobacco Myths Smokeless is safer than smoking It is not as addictive as… People can quit anytime they want THE TRUTH IS… Nicotine is more addictive than alcohol, heroin, or cocaine Texas School Safety Center // www.txssc.txstate.edu

6. 6 Why Do People Even Start? The Tobacco Industry knows how to market! They spend over $12.8 BILLION in the U.S. each year That’s $35 MILLION A DAY on advertising! Texas School Safety Center // www.txssc.txstate.edu

7. 7 Marketing Works! Research shows that youth are 3 times as sensitive to tobacco advertising that adults 1/3 of underage experimentation is attributable to tobacco advertising 81% of youth smokers prefer Marlboro, Camel and Newport- the 3 most heavily advertised brands Texas School Safety Center // www.txssc.txstate.edu

8. 8 They NEED it to Work! They know that 90% of smokers started in their teens They MUST get replacement smokers. Their customers DIE! Texas School Safety Center // www.txssc.txstate.edu

9. 9 Youth Tobacco Use Over 3.5 Million youth under 18 are current tobacco users 1/5 are current smokers by the time they leave high school 13.1% of 10 th graders & 6.5% of 8 th graders are current smokers Texas School Safety Center // www.txssc.txstate.edu

10. 10 Youth Tobacco Use 3,500 youth under age 18 try smoking for the first time each day 1,000 of them become regular daily smokers Youth consume 800 Million packs of cigarettes each year ($2 Billion in revenue) Texas School Safety Center // www.txssc.txstate.edu

11. 11 What’s in the Stuff Anyway? 599 ingredients that when burned ignite over 4,000 dangerous chemicals Over 50 of which are KNOWN to cause cancer Texas School Safety Center // www.txssc.txstate.edu

12. 12 What’s in the Stuff Anyway? Some of the common ingredients include: – Ammonia – Acetone – Arsenic – Cyanide – Formaldehyde – DDT – Cadmium Texas School Safety Center // www.txssc.txstate.edu

13. 13 Tobacco’s Toll on US 400,000 smokers die each year 50,000 nonsmokers die each year 1,200 people will lose their lives TODAY because of tobacco That’s one person every 72 seconds Texas School Safety Center // www.txssc.txstate.edu

14. 14 Secondhand Smoke 15.5 Million kids in the U.S. are exposed to secondhand smoke in the home Waiters and Waitresses who work in a smoke-filled restaurant or bar inhale enough 2 nd hand smoke to have smoked 2 packs during an 8-hr shift! Texas School Safety Center // www.txssc.txstate.edu

15. 15 Secondhand Smoke Contains all the same harmful chemicals as the smoke from the cigarette Chemicals stay in air, and in fabric, etc for extended period of time Third-hand smoke is becoming a problem! Texas School Safety Center // www.txssc.txstate.edu

16. 16 For more information… Texas School Safety Center: – www.txssc.txstate.edu/si – 877-304-2727 Ruby Moore – Program Manager, Student Initiatives – rm72@txstate.edu For statistical information: – www.tobaccofreekids.org Texas School Safety Center // www.txssc.txstate.edu