Tobacco

Info

 use a do not No, out of every 100 teens, 87 Do most teens smoke?

tobacco product. Currently, the number of girls who smoke cigarettes 

slightly outnumbers the boys who smoke.16 

To learn more about tobacco, or obtain referrals to 

programs in your community, contact:

SAMHSA’s National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and 

Drug Information 

800-729-6686

TDD 800-487-4889

Linea gratis en español 

877-767-8432

Web site: http://ncadi.samhsa.gov

The bottom line: If you know someone who is using 

tobacco, urge him or her to quit. If you are using 

it—stop! The longer you ignore the real facts, the more 

chances you take with your health and well-being.

It’s never too late. Talk to your parents, a doctor, a 

counselor, a teacher, or another adult you trust.

Do it today!

Curious about the TV ads of the National Youth 

Anti-Drug Media Campaign? Check out the Web 

site at http://www.freevibe.com or visit the Office 

of National Drug Control Policy Web site at 

http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov.

 A& Q 

Q. Isn’t smoking sexy?

A. Only if you think bad breath, 

smelly hair, yellow fingers, 

and coughing are sexy. 

Advertisements often portray 

smoking as glamorous and 

sophisticated, but think carefully 

about who created these ads 

and why. 

SMA—4280

Q. Is smokeless tobacco safe?

A. No. Remember, “no smoke” 

doesn’t mean that smokeless 

tobacco is safe. Even a little 

smokeless tobacco has enough 

nicotine to get you addicted. 

Smokeless tobacco can lead to 

many types of health problems 

as well as cause cancer.15

Q. Doesn’t smoking help you 

relax?

A. No. Smoking can actually 

increase feelings of stress and 

nervousness. Break the cycle: 

Use drug-free strategies to calm 

your nerves like exercise and 

talking to your friends.
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The Truth About Tobacco 

Slang—Cigarettes: Smokes, Cigs, Butts. Smokeless Tobacco: Chew, Dip, Spit Tobacco, Snuff

Get the Facts...

Tobacco—cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, and snuff—

damages your health. Smoking, which is the most common 

cause of lung cancer, is also a leading cause of cancer of 

the mouth, throat, bladder, pancreas, and kidneys. Over 13 

percent—3.3 million—youths aged 12 to 17 used a tobacco 

product in the past month.1 Smokeless tobacco contains 

28 ingredients that can cause cancer in your lips, tongue, 

cheeks, gums, and the top and bottom of your mouth.2

Tobacco affects your body’s development. Smoking 

is particularly harmful for teens because your body is still 

growing and changing. The 200 known poisons in cigarette 

smoke affect your normal development and can cause 

life-threatening diseases, such as chronic bronchitis, heart 

disease, and stroke. 

Tobacco is addictive. Cigarettes contain nicotine—a 

powerfully addictive substance. The younger a person starts 

smoking, the more likely he is to become strongly addicted 

to nicotine.3 Even though it is rare, addiction can occur after 

smoking as few as 100 cigarettes.4 Of the adult tobacco 

users, more than 80 percent report using tobacco regularly 

before age 18.5

Tobacco can kill you. Each year in the United States, 

cigarette smoking accounts for 440,000 deaths.6 More 

deaths are caused each year by tobacco than by all deaths 

from HIV, illegal drug use, alcohol use, motor vehicle injuries, 

suicides, and murder combined.7

 

Before You Risk It...

Know the law. It is illegal for anyone under 18 to buy 

cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, or tobacco-related products.

Stay informed. Addiction to tobacco is hard to control. 

Young people often underestimate the addictiveness of 

tobacco and the effect of tobacco use on their health. 

Studies indicate that most teenage and young adult smokers 

want to quit and try to do so, but few succeed.8

Keep your edge. The poisons in cigarettes can affect your 

appearance. Tobacco stains teeth and nails and, also, dulls 

skin and hair.9 There’s more! Research confirms smoking 

causes skin to age prematurely—wrinkles—and also links 

smoking and hair loss—baldness.

10

Be aware. It can be hard to play sports if you use tobacco. 

Smoking causes shortness of breath and dizziness, and 

chewing tobacco causes dehydration.

Think of others. Anyone who smokes puts the health of 

friends and family at risk—more than 126 million nonsmoking 

Americans are exposed to secondhand smoke in homes, 

vehicles, workplaces, and public places. Every year, about 

3,000 nonsmokers die from lung cancer due to secondhand 

smoke.11 There is no risk free level of secondhand smoke 

exposure; even brief exposures can be dangerous.12

Get the facts. Each day, nearly 4,400 young people 

between the ages of 12 and 17 start smoking.13 Many will 

suffer a long-term health consequence and roughly one-third 

of them will eventually die from a tobacco-related disease.14 

Know the Signs...

How can you tell if a friend is using tobacco? Sometimes 

it’s tough to tell. But there are signs you can look for. If your 

friend has one or more of the following signs, he or she may 

be regularly using tobacco:

Wheezing	

Coughing	

Bad	breath	

Smelly	hair	and	clothes	

Yellow-stained	teeth	and	fingers	

Frequent	colds	

Decreased	senses	of	smell	and	taste	

Difficulty	keeping	up	with	sports	and	athletic	activities	

Bleeding	gums	(smokeless	tobacco)	

Frequent	mouth	sores	(smokeless	tobacco).

What can you do to help someone who is using 

tobacco? Be a real friend. Encourage your friend to quit. 

For	information	and	referrals,	call	the	National	Clearinghouse	

for	Alcohol	and	Drug	Information	at	800–729–6686.

For more information or for references to facts found in this Tips for Teens, go to www.ncadi.samhsa.gov.

Revised in 2007