Is
Tobacco a dangerous substance?
Yes, tobacco is a dangerous substance. It is addictive, it destroys
health and it causes many debilitating and life-altering diseases that
can kill. Tobacco is wrapped and sold as cigarettes.
What's in a Cigarette?
One cigarette contains:
Nicotine
Nicotine is a poison. Swallowing two of three drops of pure nicotine
can kill a person. It acts as a stimulant speeding up activity in the
brain. Nicotine is considered more addictive than heroin, and the younger
a person starts smoking, the less likely they are to quit.
Tar
Tar is the main cause of cancers in smokers. It also aggravates bronchial
and respiratory diseases.
Carbon monoxide
Carbon monoxide is a very toxic gas. It is found in car exhaust fumes
and smoke from fires. Smoking causes a greater concentration of carbon
monoxide in the lungs than breathing polluted air.
Other chemicals
Amounts of more than 4000 other substances can be found in cigarette
smoke. Some are toxic and 43 have are known to cause cancer. Some of
these substances are acetone, ammonia and hydrogen cyanide.
What are the immediate effects of Smoking?
raised heart rate
bad breath
smelly clothes
decreased fitness and sports performance
weakens taste and smell
What are the long-term effects of smoking?
stained teeth
high risk of bronchitis and respiratory diseases,
high risk of lung cancer,
acne and skin problems, wrinkles and dry skin
addiction to nicotine
affects female fertility
impotence
Tolerance & Lifetime Addiction
Tolerance to Nicotine means that a person needs greater quantities of
nicotine to get the same effect. Addiction to smoking is very hard to
beat and the more a person smokes, the more he suffers. Also, the earlier
a person begins to smoke, the more difficult it is for them to quit.
Other Drugs
Tobacco, like Ganja is considered a 'gateway' drug because people who
smoke are much more likely to try illegal substances.
Passive Smoking
Passive Smoking is a term used to describe the effects of tobacco smoke
on people who don't smoke but spend time with smokers. Passive Smokers
may be exposed to greater concentrations of poisons than smokers themselves.
Passive Smoking is a significant cause of lung cancer, asthma attacks
and other respiratory illnesses.
Non-smokers that live with smokers have a greater chance of
developing respiratory illnesses than people that live in smoke-free
environments.
Unborn babies: Exposure to prenatal smoking may diminish pulmonary function
at birth and airway size.
Children: Bronchitis, pneumonia and other respiratory diseases
occur twice as often in children of parents who smoke than in children
of non-smokers.
Tips to Remain Smoke-free
Make a commitment to be smoke-free
Remind yourself often of your smoke-free commitments
Participate in sports
Let others know what you think about smoking
How to say NO to smoking
"I'm not into that"
"No thanks"
"I don't want to smell like smoke"
"I want to stay in good shape"
"I chose not to smoke"