Be Smart, Don't Start Smoking - Irish Cancer Society

A Brief History of Tobacco

Probably first used by American Indians. In the late 16th century, Sir Walter Raleigh introduced pipe smoking to Western European countries. It wasn't until the 1950s that medical evidence showed the link between smoking and disease.

Tobacco and the environment

Tobacco damages not just the smoker, it also damages the environment. One hectare of forest is needed to dry one hectare of tobacco. Nearly 5 million hectares (600 million trees) of forest are destroyed a year to provide trees to dry tobacco.

Second-Hand Smoke

Children who are exposed to
second hand smoke are at greater risk of the following:

Coughing and wheezing, chest infections
Severe asthma, ear infections
Absence from school due to ill-health

Immediate Effects

Smelly hair
Less oxygen to the brain
Bad skin, smelly breath and stained teeth
More coughs and colds
Increased heart rate and blood pressure
Less oxygen to the lungs causing
shortness of breath, reduced
fitness and asthma attacks

Long term effects

Stroke
Blindness
Gum disease, leads to tooth loss
Mouth and throat cancer
Heart disease
Lung disease and lung cancer
Stomach ulcers
Bladder cancer
Poor muscle tone

Don’t be a Target of the Tobacco Industry

The tobacco industry uses many different ways and means of attracting young smokers
to their nasty lethal products - shops, movies, the internet. Don’t fall for their tricky tactics. Be aware - don’t be a target!!

Out of Pocket

Think of all the good things that you could spend your pocket money on - music, clothes, movies. What a waste spending money on cigarettes, all that money going
up in smoke!!

Smoking and Sport

Smoking affects sports performance and fitness
in the following way:

Pressure on the heart to work harder
Reduction in oxygen to the muscles
Less air being breathed in and out of the lungs

What’s in a Cigarette?

Arsenic = Ant Poison
Ammonia = Cleaning Agent
Acetone = Nail Polish Remover
Benzene = Petrol Fumes
Butane = Lighter Fuel
Carbon Monoxide = Car Exhaust Fumes
DDT = Insecticide
Methanol = Aviation Fuel
Nicotine = Weedkiller
Polonium 210 = Radioactive Material
Toluene = Explosives

Smoking and Addiction

Nicotine is the poisonous and highly addictive drug in tobacco. It reaches the brain in seven seconds. Experimenting with smoking can quickly lead to addiction. Not starting is the best option.