Nicotine- is an addictive drug found in tobacco. Nicotine makes tobacco users crave even more nicotine.
Tar- is a thick, dark liquid that forms when tobacco burns. This liquid coats the lining of the lungs and causes diseases.
Carbon monoxide- is a colorless, odorless, poisonous gas produced when tobacco burns.
Tobacco smoke from a cigarette, cigar, or pipe contains all the substances: nicotine, tar, and carbon monoxide.
Cigarettes- are made from shredded tobacco leaves. Some cigarettes contain filters, which reduced the amount of nicotine and tar in cigarette smoke. However, filters do not decrease the amount of harmful chemicals that pass through to a smokers lungs. Flavored cigarette's taste and smell sweet, but they produce even more nicotine, tar, and carbon monoxide than regular cigarettes do.
Cigars and pipes- shredded tobacco leaves are also used in cigars and pipes. Cigar smoke contains 25 times more carbon monoxide and up to 400 times more nicotine than cigarette smoke. People who smoke cigarettes or a pipe are more likely to develop cancer of the lip, mouth, and tongue that non-smokers are.
Smokeless tobacco- chewing tobacco and snuff are placed in the mouth rather than smoked. Snuff may also be in inhaled. The nicotine in smokeless tobacco is just as harmful and addictive as that in cigarettes. Users of smokeless tobacco face a higher risk of cancer of the mouth, esophagus, larynx, and pancreas. They can also develop gum disease and stomach ulcers.
The government has developed regulations to protect the public from the dangers of tobacco use. Cigarette packs must have warnings on the health hazards of smoking. Cigarette advertisements are banned from radio and television. It is the illegal to sell tobacco products to anyone under the age of 18, in some states, that age is even higher. Clothing and other souvenir items cannot feature the name or logo of a tobacco brand. Tobacco companies cannot sponsor sporting events and teams.
Benefits of saying no to tobacco:
Second-hand smoke- is air that has been contaminated by tobacco smoke.
Mainstream smoke- is the smoke that a smoker inhales and then exhales.
Sidestream smoke- is smoke the comes from the burning end of a cigarette, pipe, or cigar. Sidestream smoke contains twice as much tar and nicotine as mainstream smoke because sidestream smoke enters the air directly from the burning tobacco.
Passive smokers- are non-smokers that breath in secondhand smoke. Passive smoking is harmful because, just like any other kind of smoking, it contributes to respiratory problems, including lung cancer. Passive smoking irritates the nose and throat and causes itchy watery eyes, headaches and coughing.
Rights of non-smokers- as a nonsmoker you have the right to breathe air that is free of tobacco smoke. You also have the right to express your preference that people not smoke around you. Starting in the late 1980's, the federal government passed laws to help reduce people's exposure to secondhand smoke. In 1989 the government banned smoking on all domestic airline flights. Almost every state government has put restrictions on smoking. Employers now have a legal right to restrict smoking in the workplace, and many have banned smoking. It has become common for restaurants to ban smoking completely instead of creating nonsmoking sections that can be contaminated by nearby smokers.