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 run slower and can't run as far, affecting overall athletic performance. Cigars and spit tobacco are NOT safe alternatives.
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. Know the truth.