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Cigarettes

Also known as:
FAGS – SMOKES – CIGGIES – ROLLIES

WHAT IS IT?

Cigarettes contain tobacco (dried leaves of tobacco plants) and tobacco contains the drug nicotine, which is highly addictive. When you begin to smoke tobacco it can be very difficult to stop.

WHAT THE LAW SAYS.
It is illegal for shop-keepers to sell cigarettes or tobacco to people under 18 years old. Otherwise, smoking tobacco is legal, but in many cities worldwide and in the UK smoking is banned in public places.

THE EFFECTS.

• At first, the nicotine in the tobacco can make you feel sick and dizzy.
• Nicotine is a stimulant! Many people say that smoking helps them to calm down, but it is actually having the opposite effect on their brain.
• Nicotine acts very quickly (around 8 seconds) and is very powerful.
• Nicotine increases your heart rate and blood pressure.
• Nicotine is very addictive both physically and psychologically, and smokers often feel desperate to have a cigarette when they have not had one for a few hours.

THE RISKS.

• Most smokers wish they had never started because they are so addicted to cigarettes and nicotine.
• Tobacco smoke contains more than 4000 chemicals, many of which are extremely toxic.
• Smokers often suffer with more health problems than non-smokers, especially chest, breathing, heart and lung diseases. Long-term smoking can lead to you developing cancer, emphysema and heart problems, and they can all kill you!
• Smoking can make your fingers and teeth turn yellow/brown and make your breath smell. Over time, smoking can also damage your skin and hair condition.
• Smoking is very expensive. Ten cigarettes a day will cost you around £500 a year.
• Breathing in other people’s smoke (known as ‘passive smoking’) can cause breathing and chest problems, including asthma and cancer.
• Smoking kills thousands of people prematurely every year.

PLAY IT SAFE.
All drugs can severely damage your physical and/or mental health. They can get you in to trouble with the law and even kill you.

But if you do decide to use drugs, reduce the risks by finding out as much as you can about the effects, risks, etc. and then decide if it’s really worth it.

If you would like more information on how to quit or reduce smoking, or general information on tobacco contact:

NHS Smoking Helpline – 0800 169 0 169 (Free phone)

FIRST AID.
If your mate collapses call 999.
Get help to put them into the recovery position.
Tell the medics what they have taken.
IT COULD SAVE THEIR LIFE.

This information leaflet has been put together by:
FUSION Young People’s Drug & Alcohol Service, an initiative of the Gwent Council on Alcohol and Drug Misuse.

The information on this leaflet is correct at the time of

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