1. Tobacco kills By matt doll

2. Where it comes from Tobacco is a tall, leafy annual plant, originally grown in South and Central America, but now cultivated throughout the world There are many species of tobacco; Nicotiana tabacum is used to produce cigarettes. Info from tobacco truth

3. The short term effects When a person smokes a cigarette, the body responds immediately to the chemical nicotine in the smoke. Nicotine causes a short-term increase in blood pressure, heart rate, and the flow of blood from the heart This, combined with the effects produced by nicotine, creates an imbalance in the demand for oxygen by the cells and the amount of oxygen the blood is able to supply.

4. The long term effects It is now well documented that smoking can cause: chronic lung disease coronary heart disease stroke cancer of the lungs, larynx, esophagus, mouth, and bladder. In addition, smoking is known to contribute to cancer of the cervix, pancreas, and kidneys.

5. The Facts Each day in the United States, approximately 4,000 adolescents aged 12-17 try their first cigarette.1 Each year cigarette smoking accounts for approximately 1 of every 5 deaths, or about 438,000 people.

6. Smoking in Schools Although the percentage of high school students who smoke has declined in recent years, rates remain high: 20% of high school students report current cigarette use.

7. High School Smoking Fifty percent of high school students have ever tried cigarette smoking, even one or two puffs. Fourteen percent of high school students have smoked a whole cigarette before age 13. Nearly eight percent of high school students used smokeless tobacco on at least 1 day during the 30 days before the survey. Adolescents who use smokeless tobacco are more likely than nonusers to become cigarette smokers.

8. High school smoking continued… Nearly eight percent of high school students used smokeless tobacco on at least 1 day during the 30 days before the survey. Adolescents who use smokeless tobacco are more likely than nonusers to become cigarette smokers. Fourteen percent of high school students smoked cigars, cigarillos, or little cigars on at least 1 day during the 30 days before the survey.3

9. Effects on kids The nicotine found in cigarettes and in smokeless tobacco is a powerful, addictive drug that acts on several parts of the body A few of the oral health problems smokers or smokeless tobacco users can develop are — bad breath brown, stained teeth ground-down teeth black hairy tongue gum disease and loss of teeth receding gums cancers of the cheek, esophagus, lip, palate and tongue

10. Real story Dad Was a Tough Man My dad was a very tough man. He would have lived to 100 if he hadn't smoked. The last 10 years of his life were terrible as he suffered four heart attacks, the last one taking his life. by Stefan Sojka, Lismore NSW

11. Resources http://www.tobaccofacts.org/tob_truth/index.html American Heart Association (AHA)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC Prevalence of Current Cigarette Use Among High School Students, 20073 services- smoker stories