By Stan Davis Tobacco is the leading preventable cause of death, killing more people each year than car crashes, suicide, homicide, alcohol, AIDS, and all illegal drugs combined. Preventing first use of tobacco by young people is most important, because once young people begin smoking they are unlikely to stop.
All educators can play a positive role in prevention.
The lung's capacity to exchange oxygen for carbon dioxide is impaired. That's how fire fighters die of smoke inhalation. In smoking, the damage is more gradual but still the same. Tobacco smoke contains carbon monoxide. That interferes with the blood's ability to transport oxygen to the body's cells.