The dangers of tobacco use have become more well know as campaigns such as TRUTH and DARE attempt to spread the word. Despite their efforts, 4,000 kids under the age of 18 begin smoking each day, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Smoking may be attractive to kids because it is seen as a cool and grown-up thing to do. Warning kids about the dangers of smoking and tobacco use may help them resist temptations to succumb to peer pressure.
Statistics
More than 8 percent of high school student in the United States use some form of smokeless tobacco. Students who use smokeless tobacco products are more likely to begin smoking than students who have not previously used a tobacco product, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Tobacco use that begins at an early age is more likely to cause cancer and other tobacco-related diseases such as asthma and chronic bronchitis, according to the Surgeon General's report. Children who begin smoking in their youth are more likely to become lifetime users than their older counterparts.
Cost
Tobacco use is an expensive habit. The average cost for a pack of cigarettes in 2010 is $6. Minimum wage in the United States in 2010 averaged $6 per hour. That means every pack of cigarettes costs approximately one hours worth of labor. Most nicotine-dependent smokers smoke at least one pack of cigarettes per day. The cost for cigarettes is also increasing as states increase tobacco taxes. Health care for smoking-related diseases generates expenses upwards of $50 billion annually.
Ingredients
Tar, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, cyanide and arsenic are just a few of the harmful ingredients contained in each puff of smoke. Cigarette smoke contains more than 4,000 harmful ingredients -- 43 of those ingredients are considered carcinogens or cancer causing agents. Nicotine is a highly addictive substance found in tobacco. When consumed in small doses nicotine acts a stimulant, exciting the brain. In large doses, nicotine is a central nervous system depressant, slowing the transmission of nerve impulses throughout the body. Tar released in cigarette smoke collects in clumps within the lungs, causing disease. Nickel and formaldehyde increase the incidence of lung cancer. Cadmium increases the chance of prostate cancer. Filters only provide a false sense of security to smokers because they do not prevent these harmful ingredients from reaching the lungs.
Disease
There are many harmful effects of cigarette smoking and smokeless tobacco use. Smokeless tobacco increases blood pressure and heart rate, which leads to long-term cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack, stroke and high blood pressure. Smokeless tobacco use also puts users at higher risk for mouth, esophgeal and throat cancers. Cigarette smoking leads to lung diseases such as cancer and chronic obstructive diseases. Excessive exposure to carbon monoxide in smoke can decrease respiratory drive, leading to shortness of breath and dizziness. Long-term cigarette smoking triples your risk of death due to cardiovascular diseases such as aneurysms, stroke and heart attack.
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