FACTS ABOUT TOBACCO:

• Tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of death in the United States

• It causes heart disease, cancers and strokes.

FACTS ABOUT CIGARETTE SMOKING:  

• Nicotine in cigarettes, cigars and spit tobacco is addictive.

• Tobacco smoke contains more than 7,000 chemical components, and at least 250 of these chemicals are harmful to human health. Some of those chemicals are: 

NICOTINE: a deadly poison
ARSENIC: used in rat poison
AMMONIA: a powerful toilet cleaner

FACTS ABOUT CIGAR SMOKING:

• Many people think that little cigars are safer because they look more natural, when in fact they contain the same  harmful chemicals as in cigarettes.

• Smoking little cigars increases the risk of mouth, throat, voice box and lung cancers.

• Cigar smoke is very harmful  even to non-smokers around you.

FACTS ABOUT SMOKELESS TOBACCO:  

• Spit tobacco and cigars are not safe alternatives to cigarettes; low-tar and additive-free cigarettes are not safe either.

• Smokeless tobacco (a.k.a. chew, dip, snuff) causes leukoplakia, which looks like white patches and sores on your cheeks, gums, and/or tongue and puts you at risk for mouth cancer.

• Spit tobacco is jam-packed with nicotine, sweeteners, abrasives and over 3,000 chemicals (at least 28 of them cause cancer).

References: Office on Smoking and Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers For Disease Control and Prevention. www.cdc.gov/tobacco

ABOUT TOBACCO-FREE COLLEGES 

Tobacco-Free Colleges is the NC Division of Public Health’s program that provides assistance to all NC campuses in adopting and implementing tobacco-free policies and in promoting cessation.