My Pledge My first step towards change: Smoking Myths & Facts - factsheet Smoking helps you relax False it doubles your heart rate Smoking makes giving birth easier because the baby is smaller True but smaller babies have more health problems Cigar smoking is safe because you dont inhale False you are still at risk of mouth cancers because cigars contain the same carcinogens (cancer causing chemicals) as cigarettes The only cancer caused by smoking is lung cancer False smoking causes a range of cancers like mouth, throat and bladder cancer When you stop smoking you feel the benefits almost immediately True within 20 minutes blood pressure is back to normal When inhaled, nicotine reaches the brain faster than any other drug True nicotine reaches the brain in 8 seconds as opposed to 12 seconds for heroin and cocaine Cigarettes contain weedkiller and rocket fuel True there are over 4,000 chemicals in a cigarette Tobacco was once known as herba panacea or herbal cure all True it was thought to cure many diseases including lung problems Stopping smoking causes weight gain True but gaining weight that you can lose later is much healthier than smoking You can smoke and take the pill without any problem False the combination can cause blood clots and even stroke Smokers are generally white middle class men False most smokers are women and young people from low income brackets, especially in the developing world The tobacco plant is poisonous True its often used as a natural pesticide On average, smokers live 7 years less than non smokers True each cigarette takes 5 minutes off your life Workers on tobacco farms can suffer tobacco poisoning True workers can absorb the poison from the leaves through their skin Herbal cigarettes produce tar and carbon monoxide True although they dont contain nicotine they do have all other nasties Second hand smoke causes cancer True 4 of the chemicals in second hand smoke are known to cause cancer Nicotine replacement patches are as bad for you as cigarettes False they dont contain tar, carbon dioxide and the other 4,000 chemicals found in a cigarette 69 of the chemicals used in cigarettes can cause cancer True though nicotine isnt one of them (but it is highly addicitive) Smoking while pregnant can cause miscarriage True all the chemicals in cigarettes are passed to the foetus in the womb Occasional smoking is not harmful False even occasional smoking raises the risk of smoking related diseases like heart trouble and lung disease Session Ideas DIY smoking calculator: Use any of the smoking cost calculators online or ask young people to complete the table below to get an idea of how much you would save a month or a year if you gave up smoking
Among molecules constantly found in the smoke, there are nicotine, tars, and flavoring agents, but also toxic gases such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, hydrocyanic acid, ammonia, and heavy metals like cadmium, lead-210, polonium-210, chromium, and mercury
Established in 1948 with a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation, the interdisciplinary Research Center linked Harvards economics department with the business school and business historians
Risk of Blood Clots and Ulcers Nicotine thickens blood and constricts arteries, increasing clot formation risks
Disable 5G Android uses more power trying to stay connected While offline maps will reduce the amount of data you use while driving, your phone will still use power to maintain a connection to the mobile networks
