Smoking Cigarettes Smoking Cigarettes The main addictive drug

Smoking Cigarettes

Smoking Cigarettes • The main addictive drug in cigarettes is nicotine. Studies have shown that nicotine is harder to give up than heroin. It causes changes in the brain and makes people want to use it more and more.

What are the effects of smoking on the mind and body? • Increases alertness • People thinks it helps them relax but in fact it speeds up the heart • Highly addictive • Expensive • Can cause: – – Lung cancer Throat cancer Loss of smell and taste Premature ageing

What are the risks associated with smoking? Emphysema (also called lung rot) Heart attack Stroke – blood clot in the brain Lung cancer More wrinkles – especially around the mouth. Gangrene – where the hands and feet start to rot.

What other risks are there? Yellow teeth and sore gums Hairy tongue Rotten teeth Bowel cancer Smoking can make you go blind Addiction

What other risks are there? Get colds and coughs more often Lose your sense of taste Smoker’s cough Smoking makes your heart beat faster and makes you feel stressed Smelly! Less oxygen all around your body – making you look pale and making it harder to keep fit.

What has the UK government done to reduce the number of people smoking? Oct 2007 legal age to buy increased to age 18 Tobacco advertising banned – tv, posters, sports events 2013 cigarettes sold from underneath the counter Action 2013 cigarettes not to be displayed in shops Cigarettes heavily taxed April 2007 smoking banned from workplaces