Tobacco

Tobacco and You


Did you know that 80% of teens don't smoke!

It's NOT cool to smoke

It's NOT healthy

It's NOT easy to quit if you start

It is ADDICTIVE

It is a KILLER

 

 

                                                      

What is in Tobacco?

  

Do you know what's in tobacco?

  • Nicotine - the addictive chemical
  • Formaldehyde - preservative
  • Arsenic - rat poison
  • Acetone - nail polish remover
  • Methane - sewer gas
  • Ammonia - cleaning chemical
  • Plus 4,000 more very scary chemicals

 

So why don't they just call them what they are:

  • Money Suckers
  • Breath Rotters
  • Cancerettes
  • Tumor Causers
  • Phlegm Balls

 


 

Thinking about Quitting?

Ask yourself three questions:

  • Why do I want to quit smoking?
  • What method might work best for me?
  • How do I stay smoke-free?

    •  


Most people who smoke wish they could quit. The secret is dealing with the addiction.

 

Withdrawal symptoms start within a few hours. Coping with the cravings for a cigarette and the stress they causes is the key to staying smoke free.

 

Some of the common ways to quit:

  • Quit cold turkey

     

  • Gradually reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke

     

  • Try nicotine replacement therapy:

     

Nicotine gum-is chewed to reduce cravings

Nicotine patches-give a steady supply of nicotine

Nicotine inhalers-look and act like a cigarette and you choose when to breathe in the nicotine

Using a nicotine replacement can double you chances of staying smoke free.

  • The cravings are only temporary and last only 7 minutes
  • If you can make it through the first day without a cigarette, you are very likely to succeed
  • Drink lots of water
  • Exercise can help - go for a walk
  • Join a support group
  • Avoid coffee, tea and pop
  • Ask a friend for help

     

Resources to quit: (plus other links)

 

Secondhand Smoke

  • Also causes cancer 
  • Non-smokers who breathe in secondhand smoke, take in nicotine and other toxic chemicals just like smokers do
  • The more secondhand smoke you are exposed to, the higher the level of these harmful chemicals in your body
  • Scientific evidence shows that there is NO safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke

Protect yourself:

  • Ask your parents to smoke outside, increase ventilation in the smoking area or quit smoking completely.

     

  • Ask your friends not to smoke around you and encourage them to quit.
  • Let your friends and family know that you care--help them quit! It will help your health AND theirs
  • Enjoy the smoke-free air in all work sites and public buildings since the Freedom to Breathe Act was passed in Minnesota in 2007.