Drugs & Alcohol > Straight Talk About Tobacco Did you know that tobacco is responsible for the largest number of all deaths in our country each year? And that about 90 percent of adult smokers started smoking as teens? Most current smokers want to quit because smoking is hurting their health –– but they find that it is really hard stop. What’s the deal? Don’t smoke. Here’s why. There are lots of reasons why someone might start smoking –– maybe they see their parents smoke or maybe their friends smoke. But there is no good reason to start smoking. Tobacco is addictive. It contains nicotine, a drug that affects the brain. It goes through your bloodstream and reaches your brain in seconds. At first, it makes you feel good, but in less than an hour these pleasurable feelings go away and you start to feel nervous or moody. Since you want to feel good, you reach for another cigarette. Just like you crave a pizza or a chocolate bar, your brain begins to crave nicotine. But even though you are usually able to resist your cravings for your favorite foods, it is much harder to stay away from another cigarette. Eventually, you become hooked. This may not be the first time you’ve heard that smoking can make you sick. It can cause lung diseases like cancer, make your bones weak, and keep your heart from working right. But did you know that some symptoms start as soon as you smoke your first cigarette –– no matter how young you are. How Tobacco affects your body Brain Nicotine, the drug that makes tobacco addictive, goes to your brain. It makes you feel good when you are smoking, but it can make you anxious, nervous, moody and depressed after you smoke. Using tobacco also causes headaches and dizziness. Mouth Tobacco stains your teeth and gives you bad breath. You won't be able to taste your favorite foods as well either, because some of your taste buds are ruined. Tobacco use also causes bleeding gums (gum disease) and cancer. Heart Smoking increases your heart rate and blood pressure. If you try to do activities like exercise or play sports, your heart has to work harder to keep up. Lungs Smokers have trouble breathing because smoking damages the lungs. If you have asthma, you can have more frequent and more serious attacks. Smoking causes a lot of coughing with phlegm (mucous). Tobacco can also increase emphysema (lung disease) and lung cancer. Skin Smoking causes dry, yellow skin and wrinkles. The smell sticks to your skin too. Muscles Less blood and oxygen flow to your muscles, which causes them to hurt more when you exercise or play sports. Do you play sports? Are you a dancer? Do you sing or play an instrument in the band? Well, guess what? If you smoke, you will not be able to do any of these things very well. It doesn’t matter if you smoke only one cigarette a week or one pack day——damage starts right away and gets worse as you keep smoking. Smokers can’t get as much oxygen to their muscles so their muscles hurt more when playing sports or exercising. They also run slower and can’t run as far. You will have trouble breathing, which is definitely not a good thing if you are active or play an instrument. Did you know? Females who smoke are more than twice as likely as men to get lung cancer from smoking. Many people think breast cancer is the most deadly cancer for women not true! Each year, lung cancer kills more women than any other cancer. “Light” Cigarettes Aren’t Safe. You may think that “light” cigarettes aren’t as bad as regular cigarettes. Thin again! Light cigarettes put smokers at the same risk for smoking-related health problems as regular cigarettes. Some cigarette packs say that light cigarettes have lower tar and nicotine. Don’t let these claims fool you! Tobacco companies use smoking machines to figure out the amount of tar and nicotine in the cigarettes. These machines “smoke” every brand of cigarettes the same way. However, people don’t smoke cigarettes the same way machines do. People who smoke light cigarettes may inhale more deeply, take longer or more frequent puffs, or smoke extra cigarettes to satisfy their nicotine craving. They may inhale just as much tar, nicotine, and other chemicals than people that smoke regular cigarettes. Smokeless (spit) Tobacco Aren’t Safe Either. Many people think smokeless tobacco (also known as chewing or spit tobacco or snuff) is safe. Smokeless tobacco can cause bleeding gums (gum disease) and sores in the mouth that never heal. Eventually it could cause cancer in your mouth, your throat, and even your stomach! Just like cigarettes, it is addictive because it has nicotine. It stains your teeth a yellowish-brown color. It gives you bad breath. It can make you dizzy, give you the hiccups, and even make you throw up. (Definitely NOT cool!) Being Around Others Who Are Smoking Hurts You, Too Even if you don’t smoke, it’s not good to hang around others who smoke around you. This is called second hand smoke, and it can cause some of the same problems for you as it does for people who actually smoke. Your teeth won’t turn yellow and your breath won’t stink, but the smoke can get on your clothes and on your skin. Others who smell smoke on your clothes might think you’re the one smoking! Second hand smoke can cause your eyes to water and hurt, can make you cough, and if you have asthma, it can trigger an asthma attack. People who are exposed to other’s smoking have a greater chance of developing lung cancer than those who are not around smokers. Approximately 3,000 of nonsmokers die of lung cancer each year from breathing other peoples' smoke!  Are You Convinced Yet? Don’t let anyone tell you that everyone lights up, or that smoking will make you popular. Even though some teens smoke, the good news is that many more are choosing NOT to smoke. Most teens realize that smoking cigarettes is really not cool, and they are finding lots of friends who think the same way. Besides, there are much better ways to spend your time and money than wasting it with cigarettes! Fast Facts About Tobacco Know the Law. It is illegal for anyone under 18 to buy cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, or tobacco-related products. If you are caught, you can get a ticket, you may have to pay a fine (over $200 in some states!), or be ordered to take a class to help you stop smoking. Understand the Link. Smoking does not relieve stress, sadness, or depression. Actually, it increases these feelings and causes you to want to smoke more, causing more damage to your health. It’s a bad cycle that is hard to break! Don’t be Fooled. Many girls think that smoking is a good way to lose weight, but this is not true. Eating healthy foods and exercising are the only ways to stay fit and keep your body healthy and beautiful! Source: 4girls.gov < Back to Drugs & Alcohol Main Page