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Tobacco

Cigarettes
Aka: Baccy, Ciggies, Fags, Rollies, Shisha, Smokes.

The Drug

The Effects

The Risks

The Law

The Drug
Overview Appearance Use
Overview

What is tobacco? Tobacco comes from the leaves of the tobacco plant. It contains a drug called nicotine, which is highly addictive, and it's nicotine that gives smokers their 'hit'. The key effects and risks of tobacco include:

  • Regular smokers say it helps them relax and feel less hungry.
  • Smoking can cause serious damage to your health – smoking is a risk factor for emphysema, heart attacks, strokes and lung cancer. It's estimated smoking contributes to 120,000 premature deaths in the UK every year.
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Appearance

The leaves of the tobacco plant are picked, dried and then rubbed to produce a brown, flaky mixture.

It can be bought loose as rolling tobacco or in ready-made cigarettes.

There are many different brands of cigarettes, but most come in packs of ten, 14 or 20.

The cost depends on the scale of a smoker's habit, but as a guide, smoking 20 a day for five years will cost £8,000.

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Use

Tobacco is most often smoked as a cigarette or pipe, but some people chew it. Some people use a shisha, a water pipe, to smoke fruit flavoured tobacco. Shisha is part of Middle Eastern and Indian culture, but is becoming popular in the UK.

The Effects

Smoking any drug gets it to the brain quickly. When a smoker inhales, the nicotine reaches the brain in around 8 seconds. Regular smokers say it helps them relax and feel less hungry.

The Risks
What are the risks? Impurities Getting hooked
What are the risks?

What are the risks of tobacco?

  • Tobacco smoke contains over 4,000 chemicals and many of them are known to do nasty things to the human body including causing cancer. Nicotine speeds up the heart rate and increases blood pressure.
  • First time smokers often feel sick and dizzy.
  • Smokers are more likely to get coughs and chest infections.
  • Long-term addiction could leave you with cancer, emphysema or heart disease.
  • Smoking has been linked to the amputation of 2,000 limbs a year.
  • It's estimated smoking contributes to 120,000 premature deaths in the UK every year.
  • Other people breathing in your smoke could end up with breathing difficulties, asthma or even cancer.
  • Smoking can make your clothes smell.
  • Smoking using a shisha has the same risks and health problems as smoking a cigarette.
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Impurities

Tobacco smoke contains over 4,000 chemicals and many of them are known to do nasty things to the human body including causing cancer.

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Getting hooked

Can you get addicted to Tobacco?

Yes. Tobacco contains nicotine, a highly addictive drug. Smokers can get hooked very quickly and it can take years and a huge effort to kick the habit.

Not many people are able to remain occasional smokers.

For friendly and practical advice on giving up smoking call the NHS Smoking Helpline on 0800 169 0 169.

The Law

It's illegal for shopkeepers to sell tobacco or tobacco products to anyone under 18.

Cigarettes must be sold in their original packaging and it is illegal to sell single cigarettes to anyone, adult or child.

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Stories

SMOKING MAKES ME FEEL COOL, BUT I'M SCARED THAT I'M ADDICTED.

I first started smoking cigarettes only a few months ago, during summer. I am 15 years old, and me and some friends tried it simply out of curiousity. I was eager to try smoking to see what everyone is doing, but also afraid that it may taste horrible or that I will become addicted from the first touge. I tried it and didn't think it was too bad, so had the whole fag. I felt fine during and afterwards and to be honest felt quite pleased with myself.

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633 people found this helpful

Tobacco - I won't take a drag

I don't have a health problem, nothing like that, but I can never ever smoke anything, not even a cigarette.

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386 people found this helpful

The Tobacco Dragged Me On!

I was with a friend one morning and decided i would tell her that i smoked before just so I could try it for myself. I thought i'd be able to handle the hook of the drug and i'd be able to stop when i liked but that was very hard. I suddenly found myself smoking at school sneakily on the field and other places and in-front of a lot of people that my friend hung around with that also smoked and they were influencing me to smoke more and more. I told my Dad and he didn't mind as long as i never did it in-front of him but i was hiding it from my Mum.

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229 people found this helpful
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