Tobacco

Know It

• Tobacco contains a drug called nicotine, which is very addictive.
• It is illegal for shopkeepers to sell tobacco to under-16s

The effects

• Nicotine is a powerful and fast-acting drug.
• When smoke is inhaled, the nicotine effects hit the brain about 8 seconds later.
• Nicotine speeds up the heart rate and increases blood pressure.
• First-time users may feel sick.

The Risks

• It’s very easy to get hooked. Most smokers wish they’d never started.
• Smoking is expensive. Tem cigarettes a day will cost upwards of £500 a year.
• Tobacco smoke contains over 4000 chemicals, many of which are harmful to health.
• Smokers are more likely to suffer coughs and chest problems. A long-term tobacco habit can lead to cancer, emphysema and heart disease- all of which can kill.
• Breathing in other people’s smoke (passive smoking) can cause breathing difficulties, asthma and even cancer.
• Tobacco contributes to at least 2000 limb amputations and 111,000 premature deaths in the UK each year.