Download Tobacco Review

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Tobacco Review
Smoking is the largest preventable cause of ill health and death in the United States.
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Tobacco smoke is made up of several hundred different chemicals, including some that are poisonous
or damage the respiratory system.
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Nicotine acts on the nervous system as a stimulant. It can cause blood pressure and heart rate to
increase, straining the heart.
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Tobacco use leads to lower life expectancy and to a diminished quality of life.
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The use of spit tobacco leads to nicotine addiction and is linked to oral cancers. Cigars, pipes, clove
cigarettes, shisha and bidis (Indian flavored cigarettes) are not safe.
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Nicotine is a stimulant, rainsing blood pressure and hear rate. It is a chemical in tobacco, leading to
both psychological and physical dependence.
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Tar can damage the lining of the bronchial tubes, leaving a person vulnerable to several respiratory
diseases.
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Carbon monoxide (CO)is a poisonous gas that interferes with the blood’s ability to carry oxygen.
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Secondhand Smoke contains high concentrations of toxic chemicals and can cause headaches, eye and
nasal irritation, sinus problems, lung cancer, and heart disease.
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Tobacco use contributes to more than 400,000 deaths each year = more deaths than AIDS, alcohol/drug
abuse, car accidents, murders, suicides, and fires - combined.
 80% of smokers become addicted before age 18
 70% of High School Seniors who smoked as few as 1-5 cigarettes a day were still smoking five
years later
 Only 3% (yearly) of long-term smokers are able to quit and stay smoke free
Adoption of other risky behaviors
Tobacco is considered to be a "gateway drug", leading to the use of other serious drugs. It is often the first
drug used by young people who later use alcohol, marijuana and other drugs.
 Youth who have as little as one alcoholic drink or one cigarette in a month are ten times more likely
to use illicit drugs.
 12-17 year olds who smoke cigarettes are:
o 14 times more likely to abuse alcohol
o 100 times more likely to smoke marijuana
o 32 times more likely to use cocaine………. than are their non-smoking peers
Vocabulary
Nicotine: an addictive chemical found in tobacco.
Tar: solid material in tobacco smoke that condenses into a thick liquid.
Carbon monoxide: a poisonous gas released by burning tobacco.
Chewing tobacco: a form of smokeless tobacco that is placed between a person’s cheek and gum.
Mainstream smoke: smoke that is inhaled directly into the mouth through a cigarette, pipe, or cigar.
Sidestream smoke: smoke that enters the environment from burning tobacco.
Passive smoker: a non smoker who is exposed to the sidestream smoke of a cigarette, cigar, or pipe.