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• What is Tobacco?
  • Tobacco is a plant whose leaves are dried and processed into cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, chewing tobacco, and snuff.
  • Tobacco can be smoked, chewed, or sucked.
  • Tobacco contains thousands of poisonous chemicals; probably the most dangerous is nicotine.
• What is Nicotine?
  • Nicotine is one of the most heavily used addictive drugs in the United States.
  • Cigarette smoking has been the most popular method of taking nicotine since the beginning of the 20th century.
  • When a person smokes a cigarette, cigar, or pipe, the nicotine contained in the smoke enters the lungs and passes through cell lining into the bloodstream.
  • Once in the bloodstream nicotine quickly reaches the brain.
  • Although nicotine only takes seconds to reach the brain, it has a direct effect on the body for up to 30 minutes.
  • Nicotine from smoking reaches the brain faster even faster than it would be if it were injected with a needle.
  • Regardless of the method used, when nicotine gets to the brain it affects the way that billions of brain cells, or neurons, communicate with each other.

• Short term effects of Tobacco use:
  • Bad Breath
  • odor to hair and clothes
  • Yellow and brown stains on teeth
  • Damage to respiratory System
  • Addiction
  • Risk of other drug use
  • Chronic cough
  • Increased incidence of bronchitis
  • Increased incidence of asthma

• Short term effects of smokeless tobacco use:
  • Bad breath
  • Excess saliva production
  • Stained teeth
  • Receding gums
  • Permanent gum loss
  • Sensitive teeth
  • Increased risk of tooth decay
  • Sores, white and red patches, and lumps in mouth that may be precancerous.

• Long term effects of tobacco use:
  • Heart Disease
  • Cancer
    • Larynx
    • Mouth
    • Throat
    • Stomach
    • Cervix
• Long term effects of smokeless tobacco use:
  • Mouth cancer
  • gum disease/ loss
  • tooth decay
  • Stomach Cancer

• effects of second hand smoke:
  • Lung cancer
  • Bronchitis
  • Asthma

• American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org )
• In the Know (www.intheknowzone.com)
• National Institute of Drug Abuse (www.drugabuse.gov)