Tobacco Products Facts

6 years ago



  • Tobacco facts

    • Smoking is the #1 preventable death in the US, causing over 393,000 deaths every year.
    • Marijuana smoke contains more carcinogens than tobacco smoke.
    • Cigarette smoke contains over 7,000 chemicals, 69 of which are known to cause cancer.27 
    • Smoking is directly responsible for approximately 90 percent of lung cancer deaths and approximately 80-90 percent of COPD (emphysema and chronic bronchitis) deaths.2
    • Smokers die significantly earlier than nonsmokers: 13.2 years for men and 14.5 years for women.6

     

     
    FACTS ABOUT SMOKED TOBACCO
     

    How do you add even more chemicals to a cigarette? Light it. Cigarette smoke is a toxic mix of more than 7,000 chemicals.1 Many of the dangerous chemicals in cigarette smoke are formed through the many chemical reactions that occur as the cigarette burns.2

     

    MENTHOL CIGARETTES

    New research shows that menthols may be even more addictive than other cigarettes.

     

    What’s different about menthol cigarettes? A mint flavor additive with cooling properties. A menthol cigarette is still a cigarette — complete with all the chemicals and addictiveness of any other tobacco product. Flavoring isn’t going to make it any safer. In fact, new research shows that menthol cigarettes may be more addictive than non-menthol cigarettes and could make it even harder for smokers to quit.3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

     

    CIGARS, CIGARILLOS AND LOOSE TOBACCO

    In recent years, smoking cigars and loose tobacco in roll-your-own cigarettes or pipes has become more common.14 Flavors like strawberry and grape can mask the harshness of cigars,15 cigarillos and little cigars,16 but don’t be fooled. The flavoring doesn’t make them less harmful.

    All of these products can lead to nicotine addiction and contain toxic, cancer-causing chemicals that can cause serious health problems.17

     

    WATER PIPES (HOOKAH, SHISHA, NARGHILE)

    Water pipes (also known as hookah, shisha or narghile) are used to smoke specially made tobacco that comes in a variety of flavors like mint, cherry and licorice.18 Water pipe smoking delivers the addictive drug nicotine and is at least as toxic as cigarette smoke.19 In fact, research shows that water pipe smokers may absorb even more of the toxins found in cigarette smoke because smoking sessions are longer and smokers puff more frequently.20A typical 1-hour hookah session involves inhaling 100–200 times the volume of smoke from a single cigarette! So water pipe smokers are at risk for the same kinds of diseases caused by cigarette smoking.21

     

    ELECTRONIC CIGARETTES

    Electronic cigarettes, also known as e-cigarettes, are battery-operated products that deliver nicotine, flavor and other chemicals. They turn nicotine, which is highly addictive, and other chemicals into a vapor that is inhaled by the user. Most e-cigarettes are manufactured to look like conventional cigarettes, cigars or pipes. Some people believe that e-cigarettes are safer than traditional cigarettes, but their safety has not been fully studied. People who currently use e-cigarettes have no way of knowing how much nicotine or other potentially harmful chemicals they are inhaling.22

     

    Sources: http://therealcost.betobaccofree.hhs.gov/facts/no-safe-tobacco/smoked-tobacco/index.html

     
Last Modified on March 23, 2015




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District Wellness Goal

6 years ago

District Wellness Goal:

All students in Long Beach School District shall possess the knowledge and skills necessary to make healthy choices that promote healthy lifestyles.

   
The Wellness Policy:

Prohibits students from possessing tobacco on any educational property, Criminal Code 97-32-9 (2000). Code 97-32-29 (2000) further prohibits the use of tobacco on any educational property for adults who, if in violation, would be subject to a fine and issued a citation by a law enforcement officer. Educational property is defined as any public school building or bus, campus, grounds, athletic field, or other property used or operated during a school-related activity.

 
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You(th) & Tobacco

6 years ago


  • What You(th) Should Know About Tobacco

    Tobacco and Athletic Performance

    ·         Don't get trapped. Nicotine in cigarettes, cigars, and spit tobacco is addictive.

    ·         Nicotine narrows your blood vessels and puts added strain on your heart.

    ·         Smoking can wreck lungs and reduce oxygen available for muscles used during sports.

    ·         Smokers suffer shortness of breath (gasp!) almost 3 times more often than nonsmokers.

    ·         Smokers run slower and can't run as far, affecting overall athletic performance.

    ·         Cigars and spit tobacco are NOT safe alternatives.

    Tobacco and Personal Appearance

    ·         Yuck! Tobacco smoke can make hair and clothes stink.

    ·         Tobacco stains teeth and causes bad breath.

    ·         Short-term use of spit tobacco can cause cracked lips, white spots, sores, and bleeding in the mouth.

    ·         Surgery to remove oral cancers caused by tobacco use can lead to serious changes in the face. Sean Marcee, a high school star athlete who used spit tobacco, died of oral cancer when he was 19 years old.

    S0. . .

    ·         Know the truth. Despite all the tobacco use on TV and in movies, music videos, billboards and magazines–most teens, adults, and athletes DON'T use tobacco.

    ·         Make friends, develop athletic skills, control weight, be independent, be cool ... play sports.

    ·         Don't waste (burn) money on tobacco. Spend it on CDs, clothes, computer games, and movies.

    ·         Get involved: make your team, school, and home tobacco-free; teach others; join community efforts to prevent tobacco use.

    What Parents Should Know

    Parents—Help Keep Your Kids Tobacco-Free

    ·         Kids who use tobacco may

    o    Cough and have asthma attacks more often and develop respiratory problems, leading to more sick days, more doctor bills, and poorer athletic performance.

    o    Be more likely to use alcohol and other drugs such as cocaine and marijuana.

    o    Become addicted to tobacco and find it extremely hard to quit.

    o    Spit tobacco and cigars are not safe alternatives to cigarettes; low-tar and additive-free cigarettes are not safe either.

    o    Tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of death in the United States, causing heart disease, cancers, and strokes.

    Take a Stand at Home—Early and Often

    o    Despite the impact of movies, music, and TV, parents can be the GREATEST INFLUENCE in their kids' lives.

    o    Talk directly to children about the risks of tobacco use; if friends or relatives died from tobacco-related illnesses, let your kids know.

    o    If you use tobacco, you can still make a difference. Your best move, of course, is to try to quit. Meanwhile, don't use tobacco in your children's presence, don't offer it to them, and don't leave it where they can easily get it.

    o    Start the dialog about tobacco use at age 5 or 6 and continue through their high school years. Many kids start using tobacco by age 11, and many are addicted by age 14.

    o    Know if your kids' friends use tobacco. Talk about ways to refuse tobacco.

    o    Discuss with kids the false glamorization of tobacco on billboards and in other media, such as movies, TV, and magazines.

    Make a Difference in Your Community

    o    Vote with your pocketbook. Support businesses that don't sell tobacco to kids. Frequent restaurants and other places that are tobacco-free.

    o    Be sure your schools and all school events (i.e., parties, sporting events, etc.) are tobacco-free.

    o    Partner with your local tobacco prevention programs. Call your local health department or your cancer, heart, or lung association to learn how you can get involved.

    What Coaches Should Know

    Coaches—You Can Influence Youth

    o    Smoking slows lung growth, decreases lung function, and reduces the oxygen available for muscles used in sports.

    o    Smokers suffer from shortness of breath almost 3 times more often than nonsmokers.

    o    Nicotine is addictive in ways like heroin and cocaine.

    o    Young people who do not start using tobacco by age 18 will most likely never start.

    o    Young people who use tobacco may be more likely to use alcohol and other drugs such as cocaine and marijuana.

    o    Spit tobacco and cigars are NOT safe alternatives to cigarettes; low-tar and additive-free tobacco products are not safe either.

    o    Tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of death in the United States, causing heart and lung diseases, cancers, and strokes.

    Take a Stand—Early and Often

    o    Recognize your influence with young people. Don't use tobacco around players. Remind them of the importance of being tobacco-free.

    o    When talking to players, remember they relate more to messages about the immediate effects of tobacco use (such as poorer athletic performance) than to its long-term health threats.

    o    Adopt and enforce a tobacco-free policy for players, coaches, and referees.

    o    Send a copy of the tobacco-free policy home for parents to review.

    o    Make all practices, games, and competitions tobacco-free—on the field and sidelines and in the stands.

    o    Announce and display tobacco-free messages at games.

    o    Consider partnering with your local tobacco prevention programs. Voice your support for tobacco-free schools, sports, and other community events.

     

    Tobacco and Youth Fact Sheet provided by CDC Youth Tobacco http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/youth/information-sheet/index.htm

Last Modified on March 23, 2015



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