The Facts About Tobacco and Nicotine

• Tobacco and its smoke contain over 400 noxious chemicals, including 200 known poisons and 50 carcinogens.
• Nicotine is the addictive component of tobacco.
• Smokeless chewing tobacco is as addictive (and maybe more so) as smoking and produces the same kind of withdrawal symptoms upon quitting.
• Nicotine has varying effects on mood and arousal.

The Health Risks of Tobacco: The Facts

• Smoking is the most preventable cause of death in our society.
• The health risks from tobacco are directly related to overall exposure.
• Cigar and pipe smokers have lower death rates than cigarette smokers but still are at great risk.
• All smokers pollute the air that everyone must breathe.
• Secondhand smoke poses a significant health risk.
• Smokeless tobacco has similar health risks as other forms of tobacco.

Facts about Tobacco Usage

• Smoking was an accepted part of our culture but the social norm has changed greatly in recent years.
• Most tobacco users begin "using" during adolescence and find it hard to quit.
• Health-problems associated with tobacco use have resulted in legal settlements for damages.
• A variety of factors have been found to influence a person’s decision to begin or quit smoking.
• Weight loss is not a good reason for smoking.
• There is a tendency for those who smoke cigarettes to also use alcohol, marijuana, and hard drugs.

Strategies for Action: The Facts About Quitting

• The addictive nature of nicotine makes it difficult to quit tobacco. For most users, it is not easy to quit tobacco because nicotine is highly addictive, but there are some techniques and strategies that make it easier.
• The good news is that when you quit, you may feel better right away and your body will eventually heal most of the damage