Dangers of Tobacco
Choose to Live Tobacco-Free
Why Some Teens Use Tobacco
- Believe it will help control weight
- Believe it will help them cope with stress
- Believe it makes them seem more mature and independent
- Media Messages (movies, TV, and advertisements)
- Peer Pressure
an estimated 23% of high school students nationwide smoke
Ricks Involved with Smoking
Short-Term Use:
- Brain Chemistry changes
- Respiration & Heart Rate Increase
- Taste buds dull & appetite reduced
- Users have bad breath and yellow teeth
Long-Term Use:
- Chronic Bronchitis
- Emphysema
- Lung Cancer
- Coronary Heart Disease & Stroke
- Weakened Immune System
tobacco use causes more than 5 million deaths per year
Strategies to Help You Avoid Tobacco Use
- Surround yourself with positive influences
- Reduce peer pressure
- Be prepared with refusal skills
Risks of Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS)
- ETS contains more than 50 chemicals that are known cancer-causing carcinogens
- Lung Cancer
If nonsmoker is pregnant:
- Constricts the blood vessels of an unborn child
- Miscarriage
- Premature Delivery
- Low Birth Weight