The Effects of Tobacco Use
Bellwork:
Most people know that using tobacco
is harmful. Why do you think some
people continue to use tobacco
products? Make a list.
Tobacco Use – A Serious Health Risk
• Tobacco use (smoking, chew, or dip) #1
cause of preventable disease and death in
the US
• One of the reasons that tobacco users find
it difficult to quit is that tobacco contains
an addictive drug, a substance that
causes physiological or psychological
dependence.
• All tobacco products contain nicotine, the
addictive drug found in tobacco leaves.
Nicotine
• Nicotine is classified as a stimulant – a drug
that increases the action of the central
nervous system, the heart, and other
organs.
• Nicotine raises blood pressure, increases
heart rate, and contributes to heart disease
and stroke.
• Once addicted, people need more and more
tobacco to satisfy the craving for nicotine.
Cigarette Smoke – A Toxic Mixture
• Not only is tobacco addictive, but the
smoke from burning tobacco is toxic.
• 1992 – The Environmental Protection
Agency classified environmental tobacco
smoke, or secondhand smoke, as a Group
A carcinogen. This is the most dangerous
class of carcinogen.
• A carcinogen is a cancer-causing
substance.
Cigarette Smoke – A Toxic Mixture
• Tobacco smoke contains other harmful compounds.
• Cigarette smoke contains tar, a thick, sticky, dark
fluid produced when tobacco burns.
– Tar destroys cilia, tiny hairlike structures that line the
upper airways and protect against infection.
– Tar damages the alveoli, or air sacs, which absorb
oxygen and rid the body of carbon dioxide.
– Tar also destroys lung tissue making them more
susceptible to diseases such as bronchitis, pneumonia,
emphysema, and cancer.
• Cigarette smoke also contains carbon monoxide, a
colorless, odorless, and poisonous gas that is taken
up more readily by the blood than oxygen.
– When carbon monoxide replaces oxygen in the blood, it
deprives the tissues and cells of oxygen.
– Increases risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and
hardening of the arteries.
Chemicals Contained In Cigarettes
• Cigarettes contain 43 known carcinogens.
They also contain poisonous chemicals.
Harmful Effects of Pipes and Cigars
• Smoking pipes or cigars presents
major health risks just like cigarettes.
• Cigars contain significantly more
nicotine and produce more tar and
carbon monoxide than cigarettes do.
• One cigar can contain as much nicotine
as a pack of cigarettes.
• Pipe and cigar smokers have an
increased risk of developing cancers of
the lip, mouth, and throat.
Harmful Effects of Smokeless Tobacco
• Smokeless tobacco is tobacco that is
sniffed through the nose, held in the
mouth, or chewed.
• These products are NOT a safe
alternative to smoking.
• Like tobacco that is smoked, smokeless
tobacco contains nicotine in addition to
28 carcinogens, all of which are
absorbed into the blood through the
mucous membranes and the digestive
tract.
Harmful Effects of Smokeless Tobacco
• Smokeless tobacco delivers both nicotine and
carcinogens to the body at levels that can be two
to three times the amount delivered by a single
cigarette because it is often held in the mouth for
a length of time.
• People who chew eight to ten plugs a day take in
the same amount of nicotine as a two-pack-a-day
smoker.
• Smokeless tobacco is as addictive as smoked
tobacco.
• Cancers of the mouth, throat, larynx,
esophagus, stomach, and pancreas are common
among users of smokeless tobacco.
How Tobacco Affects the Body
Short-Term Effects
• Changes in brain
chemistry. Causes the
body to crave more.
• Increased respiration and
heart rate.
• Dulled taste buds and
reduced appetite.
• Bad breath and smelly
hair, clothes, and skin.
Long-Term Effects
• Chronic bronchitis.
• Emphysema. This disease
destroys the tiny air sacs
in the lungs.
• Lung cancer.
• Coronary heart disease
and stroke.
Other Consequences
• Legal Consequences
• Selling tobacco products to persons under the age of 18 is illegal in all
states.
• Schools prohibit the use of tobacco products on school property, and a
student may be suspended or expelled for breaking these rules. Adults
and students using tobacco products on school property will also face
legal consequences with local law.
• Social Consequences
• Many people find secondhand smoke and the smell of tobacco
offensive.
• Having bad breath, yellowed teeth, and stained fingers may also harm
a tobacco user’s social life.
• Financial Consequences
• Use of tobacco products can be very expensive.
• Someone smoking a pack of cigarettes a day can spend more than
$2,000 each year just on cigarettes.
Choosing to Be Alcohol Free
Bellwork:
Make a list of reasons why drinking
alcohol is risky.
The Facts About Alcohol
• Alcohol is a powerful and addictive
drug.
• Ethanol – the type of alcohol in
alcoholic beverages; can be produced
synthetically and naturally through
fermentation of fruits, vegetables, and
grains
Immediate Effects of Alcohol
Consumption
• At first, drinking alcohol may provide a kind of energy
“rush”.
• This initial reaction masks alcohol’s true effects as a
depressant, a drug that slows the central nervous
system.
• Quickly affects a person’s motor skills by slowing
reaction time and impairing vision.
• Clear thinking and good judgment also diminish.
• Alcohol’s effect is determined by many factors
including a person’s body size and stomach contents,
which is why the amount of alcohol that leads to
intoxication varies from person to person.
• Intoxication is the state in which the body is poisoned
by alcohol or another substance and the person’s
physical and mental control is significantly reduced.
Alcohol’s Role in Unsafe Situations
• Alcohol-related motor vehicle accidents
are the number one cause of death and
disability among teens.
• Alcohol use is linked with deaths by
drowning, fire, suicide, and homicide.
• Even if you are not drinking but are around
people who are, you have an increased risk
of being seriously injured, involved in a
vehicle crash, and affected by violence.
• Alcohol abuse – the excessive use of
alcohol
• Legal consequences for drinking underage
range from being arrested, fined and
sentenced to a juvenile detention center.
Alcohol’s Role in Unsafe Situations (cont.)
• Teens who drink alcohol are more likely to be
victims or perpetrators of violent crimes such as
rape, aggravated assault, and robbery.
• Teens who use alcohol are more likely to become
sexually active at earlier ages, to engage in sexual
activity more often, and to engage in unprotected
sexual activity more often than teens who do not
use alcohol, leading to negative effects such as
unplanned pregnancy, HIV, STDs, and negative
mental and social consequences.
• A student’s current eligibility for participation in
extracurricular activities and future social,
college, and job prospects could be damaged.
Short-Term Effects of Drinking
On the Nervous System
• Brain. It becomes less able to control
the body. Movement, speech, and
vision may be affected.
• Memory. Thought processes are
disorganized, and memory and
concentration are dulled.
• Judgment. Judgment is altered and
coordination is impaired.
Short-Term Effects of Drinking
On the Cardiovascular System
• Heart. With a low intake, alcohol causes
an increase in heart rate and blood
pressure. At higher intake levels, heart
rate and blood pressure decrease and
heart rhythm becomes irregular. Risk of
cardiac arrest increases.
• Blood Vessels. Alcohol causes the blood
vessels to expand. The increased surface
area of the blood vessels allows body heat
to escape and the body’s temperature to
drop.
Short-Term Effects of Drinking
On the Digestive System
• Stomach. Some alcohol passes quickly
from the stomach into the bloodstream.
Stomach acid production increases and
often results in nausea and vomiting.
• Liver. Toxic chemicals are released as the
liver metabolizes alcohol. These chemicals
cause inflammation and scarring.
• Kidneys. Alcohol causes the kidneys to
increase urine output, which can lead to
dehydration.
Short-Term Effects of Drinking
On the Respiratory System
• Lungs. Carbon dioxide formed by the liver
is released through the lungs.
• Breathing. Alcohol depresses nerves that
control involuntary functions such as
breathing. If an excessive amount of
alcohol is consumed, breathing may slow,
become irregular, or stop.
Factors That Influence Short-Term Effects
• Body size and gender
– The smaller you are the faster alcohol affects you.
– Alcohol moves into the bloodstream faster in
females.
• Food
– Food in the stomach slows the passage of alcohol
into the bloodstream.
• Amount and rate of intake
– As the amount of alcohol consumed increases, the
level of alcohol in the bloodstream also rises.
– When a person drinks alcohol faster than the liver
can break it down, intoxication results.
– When blood alcohol levels become too high, alcohol
poisoning can occur.
Long-Term Effects of Alcohol on the
Body
• Excessive alcohol use over a prolonged
period of time can damage most body
systems.
• These effects are more severe in the body
of a young person because it interferes with
growth and development.
• The worst damage occurs after years of
abuse, but some damage occurs with only
moderate drinking.
• Long-term drinking can ultimately cause
death.
Long-Term Effects of Alcohol on the Body
Changes to the Brain
• Addiction – inability to stop
• Loss of brain functions –
loss of verbal skills, visual
and spatial skills, and
memory
• Brain damage – long-term
excessive use of alcohol can
lead to major brain damage
and even to a reduction of
the brain size. Moderate
drinking can also destroy
brain cells.
Cardiovascular Changes
• Heart – damage to
heart muscle
• Enlarged heart – from
increased workload
caused by alcohol
• High blood pressure –
damages the heart and
can cause heart attack
and stroke
Long-Term Effects of Alcohol on the Body
Liver Problems
• Fatty liver – fats build
up in the liver and
cannot be broken
down; excess fat blocks
the flow of blood to
liver cells, leading to cell
death
• Alcoholic hepatitis –
inflammation or
infection of the liver
• Cirrhosis – liver tissue is
replaced with useless
scar tissue; the disease
can lead to liver failure
and death unless a liver
transplant is performed.
Digestive System Problems
• Irritation – digestive lining is
damaged; can lead to stomach
ulcers and cancer of the
stomach and esophagus
Pancreas Problems
• Lining of the pancreas – swells
to block the passage from the
pancreas to the small intestine.
Chemicals in the small intestine
needs for digestion can’t pass
through the blocked area. The
chemicals begin to destroy the
pancreas.
Alcohol and Drug Interactions
• The presence of both alcohol and
medication or another drug within a
person’s body can be very dangerous
leading to illness, injury, and even death.
• Alcohol combined with medicines or
other drugs can result in a multiplier
effect, in which the medication has a
greater or different effect than if it were
taken alone.
• Both prescription drugs and over-thecounter medicines can alter the ways in
which alcohol affects the body.
Effects on Family and Society
• There are an estimated 14 million
alcoholics in the US.
• Alcohol use is a major factor in the four
leading causes of accidental death – car
accidents, falls, drownings, and house
fires.
• Alcohol also plays a major role in violent
crimes, such as homicide, forcible rape,
and robbery.
• Alcoholism has indirect, as well as direct,
effects on people associated with
alcoholics.