Most middle school kids don’t smoke. So don’t think everyone’s doing it. Only 1 out of 10 kids smoke. The sad thing is that about 4,000 kids between the ages of 12 and 17 years old start smoking.

Why Do They Start Smoking In the First Place?

There are more reasons than one that drives kids to smoke. Some of the reasons they start are curiosity, the urge to do something not approved by parents, peer pressure, or simply wanting to fit in.

Long-Term Effects of Smoking

Smoking is very bad for your lungs. The second you take one puff your lungs begin to turn black with tar. Smoking can cause many forms of cancer, especially lung cancer. It also causes heart disease. Smoking kills over 1,200 people a year.

Immediate or Short-Term Effects

Bad breath

Yellow teeth

Smelly clothes

More colds and coughs

Difficulty keeping up with friends when playing sports

Empty wallet-Cigarettes and tobacco products are expensive!

What Is in Cigarettes?

Tobacco is a plant in cigarettes. It can be smoked in cigarettes, pipes, or cigars. It’s the same plant that’s in smokeless tobacco also called dip, chew, snuff, spit, or chewing tobacco.
Smokeless tobacco is not inhaled or lit like cigarettes, pipes, or cigars. It is sucked on instead.

Tobacco contains a chemical called nicotine. Nicotine causes a pleasant or tingling feeling that only lasts a short time. Nicotine is very addictive. It is possible to become addicted right away or after using it for a little while.

There is nicotine and other poisonous chemicals in tobacco that cause a lot of diseases like heart problems and other forms of cancer. When you smoke you hurt your lungs and heart every time you inhale.  It also makes it harder for blood to circulate and people who smoke will often feel tired or cranky. The longer you smoke the worse the damage becomes.

People usually don’t like smoking or chewing tobacco at first. Your body will try and tell you to stop by rejecting it or making you feel sick. When people smoke for the first time they may cough a lot and feel pain or burning in their lungs.