Tobacco is a plant that grows in many of the southern states of the U.S. It is a large leafed plant that is dried and either smoked (cigarettes, cigars and pipes) or placed in the mouth (chewing tobacco and dip or snuff). Nicotine is the poisonous, psychoactive drug contained in all tobacco products. It stimulates the central nervous system and is highly addictive. Approximately 365,000 people die every year from tobacco related diseases.

Cigarettes, Cigar and Pipe Tobacco Facts:

Smoke from burning tobacco contains more that 3,000 chemicals. Three of the most poisonous chemicals are:

* Tar:
Tar is a sticky, gummy residue created by burning tobacco. It damages a smoker's lungs and respiratory system. If a person smokes one pack of cigarettes a day, he will accumulate up to 8 ounces of tar in his lungs in a year. Damage to a smoker's lungs can lead to lung cancer, emphysema, and acute bronchitis.

* Carbon Monoxide:
Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, poisonous gas. It enters the bloodstream and replaces some of the oxygen in a smoker's bloodstream. Carbon Monoxide damages a smoker's circulatory system and can lead to heart disease.

* Hydrogen Cyanide:
Hydrogen cyanide is a poisonous gas that temporarily paralyzes the cilia (tiny hairs that line the nose and bronchial tubes). Cilia help to keep the lungs free from germs. Long term smoking results in the permanent destruction of the cilia. Damage to the lungs can lead to lung cancer, acute bronchitis, emphysema and other lung ailments.

Method of Ingestion:
Smoked.

Short- and Long-Term Effects of Smoking Tobacco:

* Increased blood pressure and heart rate
* Acute/chronic bronchitis
* Diminished sense of smell/taste
* Gastric ulcers
* Premature and increased facial wrinkling
* Emphysema
* Heart disease
* Cancer of the mouth, larynx, pharynx, esophagus, lungs, pancreas, cervix, uterus, and bladder

Chewing Tobacco and Dip (Snuff) Facts:

Chewing tobacco and dip (snuff) are smokeless products made from crushed, ground tobacco leaves that have been sweetened or flavored. These products are placed in the mouth between the cheek and the gums and mix with a "dipper's" or "chewer's" saliva. Tobacco's psychoactive drug, nicotine, is absorbed into the bloodstream through the blood vessels of their mouth lining. Smokeless tobacco products are just as addicting as cigarettes, cigars and pipe tobacco.

Method of Ingestion:
Smokeless tobacco is placed between the cheek and gum in the mouth. It mixes with a user's saliva.

Short- and Long-Term Effects of Smokeless Tobacco:

* Increased blood pressure and heart rate
* Tooth decay
* Discolored teeth and gums
* Bad breath
* Gum ulcers
* Gingavitis (gum disease)
* Tooth loss
* Pre-cancerous lesions (white patches) on cheek and gums
* Cancers of the mouth, tongue, lips, gums, throat, esophagus

Taken from www.straightedgeonline.org