WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE/HOW IT'S TAKEN
- Tobacco contains a drug called nicotine which is very addictive.
- It is illegal for shopkeepers to sell tobacco to under-16s.
THE EFFECTS
- Nicotine is a powerful and fast-acting drug.
- When smoke is inhaled, the nicotine effects hit the brain about 8 seconds later.
- Nicotine speeds up the heart rate and increases blood pressure.
- First-time users may feel sick.
THE RISKS
- It's VERY EASY TO GET HOOKED. Most smokers wish they'd never started.
- Smoking is expensive. Ten cigarettes a day will cost upwards of £500 a year.
- Tobacco contains over 4000 chemicals, many of which are harmful to health.
- Smokers are more likely to suffer coughs and chest problems. A long-term tobacco habit can lead to cancer, emphysema and heart disease - all of which can kill.
- Breathing in other people's smoke (passive smoking} can cause breathing difficulties, asthma and even cancer.
- Tobacco contributes to at least 2000 limb amputations and 111,000 premature deaths in the UK each year.
THE LAW
Illegal to sell to under-16s
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