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TOBACCO
FACT SHEET
Lungs
 
The lung
on the left shows a healthy lung. The lung on the right shows a lung
with Emphysema. This lung shows damage caused by smoking.
Emphysema
begins with the destruction of air sacs in the lungs. As air sacs
are destroyed, the lungs are able to transfer less and less oxygen
to the bloodstream, causing shortness of breath. Years of exposure
to the irritation of cigarette smoke are usually precede the development
of emphysema.
Smoking is directly responsible
for 87 percent of lung cancer cases and causes most cases of emphysema
and chronic bronchitis
Smokers gets more nose and
throat inflammations, respiratory infection and chronic bronchitis than
non-smoker.
FETAL SMOKING SYNDROME: 
Fetal
Smoking - When the mother smokes, the baby smokes,too.
A woman who smokes while pregnant smokes for two - herself and her baby.
This affects the unborn child in many ways. Because smoking causes blood
vessels to become narrower, the baby gets less of the mother’s
blood supply. This increases the risk of miscarriage and low birth weight.
A baby born at a lower-than-normal weight is more likely to have health
problems. Further, a newborn child in the care of a mother who smokes
is at risk for lung problems caused by cigarette smoke. In some infants
of mothers who smoke, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) may also be
a risk.
Heart
Nicotine in cigarettes can
raises blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen demands for muscles.
Carbon monoxide in the cigarette
smoke increases the amount of cholesterol clogging the arteries
Blood clots are more common
in smokers
Smoking can damage blood
vessel walls, making it difficult for the heart to pump blood to the
extremities. In serious cases Buergers disease can lead to gangrene
(death of body tissue) and even amputation of a limb
Aging
Women smokers enter menopause
an average of 5 yrs earlier that nonsmokers
Women who smoke are at an
increased risk for osteoporosis
Women who smoke have more
excessive (7 times) facial hair and wrinkles than in women who do not
smoke
Smoking depletes the skin
of vitamin A and restricts blood flow. Smokers skin is dry, leathery,
and etched with tiny lines especially around the eyes and lips.
Skin
If you smoke, your cigarette
isn’t the only thing that burns up! Poisons in cigarette smoke
age your skin and dry it out, causing wrinkles. Smoking not only robs
your health, it makes you look older than you otherwise would.
Mouth
Smoking causes halitosis,
otherwise know as BAD BREATH!
Smoking interferes with
the mouth's chemistry, creating excess plaque, yellowing teeth and tooth
decay.
Teeth 
Cigarette smoke is damaging
to your teeth and gums. Further, any injuries to your mouth take longer
to heal because of the presence of smoke. Gum Ulcer - You may think
that smokeless tobacco is safer than cigarettes. Think again. The damage
to this person’s teeth and gums is typical of smokeless tobacco
users.
Yellow Fingernails
Tar in cigarette smoke collects
on the fingers and fingernails, staining them a yellowish brown
Kidneys
Smoking doubles the risk
of getting kidney cancer
Some signs and symptoms
of kidney cancer:
Blood in the urine
Low back pain ( not from
injury)
Mass or lump in the belly
Weight loss (rapid, and
without a know reason)
Fever ( not from a cold,
the flu, or other infection)
High blood pressure
IMPOTENCE:
Are you ready for the cigarette
health warning that could turn millions of men into non-smokers overnight?
Smoking will reduce the size of your penis.
A potent new weapon is surfacing
in the battle against smoking: impotence . . . Scientists have known
about links between smoking and sexual problems for several years. But
doctors and health-advocacy groups in some cases emboldened by the global
publicity for the drug Viagra are just now beginning to trumpet the
warnings.
OTHER FACTS
As smoking has declined
among the White non-Hispanic population, tobacco companies have targeted
both African Americans and Hispanics with intensive merchandising, which
included billboards, advertising in media targeted to those communities,
and sponsorship of civic groups and athletic, cultural, and entertainment
events
The prevalence of smoking
is highest among Native Americans/Alaskan Natives (34.1%), next highest
among African Americans (26.7%) and whites (25.3%) and Asians and Pacific
Islanders (16.9%), followed by Hispanics (20.4%)
More that half of all smokers
begins smoking before the age of 14, and 90% begin by the age of 19.
The average age of first use is 13-14 years of age
73% of daily teen smokers
who say they will not be smoking in 5 years are still smoking 5-6 years
later
70% of teen smokers say
that if that had the chance to do things differently, the wouldn't have
started smoking
the tobacco industry sells
$1.26 billion dollars worth of products to youth under 18 years of age
Teens are twice as likely
to be influenced to smoke by advertising and promotion of cigarettes
than by pressure from peers and family members, demographic characteristics,
school performance. In fact, possession of, or willingness to use, a
tobacco promotional item is one of the best predictors of smoking
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