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This page in SpanishFacts You Should Know


Most Teens Don't Smoke

Graph showing the prevalence of non-smokers across genders and races
If most teens don't smoke, why should you?

Teen Opinions on Smoking

Way more young people don't smoke than do. And most consider it a foul, unattractive habit. In fact, smoking is about the least popular thing you can do if you want to hang out with other teenagers. Here's what teens across the USA said in response to these statements about tobacco:

All numbers are percentages

AGREE DISAGREE NO OPINION
or DON'T KNOW
Seeing someone smoke turns me off 67 22 10
I'd rather date people who don't smoke 86 8 6
It's safe to smoke for only a year or two 7 92 1
Smoking can help you when you're bored 7 92 1
Smoking helps reduce stress 21 78 3
Smoking helps keep your weight down 18 80 2
Chewing tobacco and snuff cause cancer 95 2 3
I strongly dislike being around smokers 65 22 13


Secondhand Smoke FactsScared face animated image

Secondhand smoke is the name for the sickening, poisonous smoke given off by a burning cigarette, cigar, or pipe. Smokers may claim to have a right to smoke, but nonsmokers have a more important right to breathe safe air. So the next time one of your friends lights up in front of you, fire off these facts about secondhand smoke.
 

 Secondhand smoke can produce six times the pollution of a busy highway when in a crowded restaurant.
 Secondhand smoke causes 30 times as many lung cancer deaths as all regulated pollutants combined.
 Secondhand smoke makes clothes and hair stink.
 Secondhand smoke causes wheezing, coughing, colds, earaches, and asthma attacks.
 Secondhand smoke fills the air with many of the same poisons found in the air around toxic waste dumps.
 Secondhand smoke wrecks the smell and taste of food.
 Secondhand smoke causes reddening, itching, and watering of the eyes.
 Secondhand smoke kills about 3,000 nonsmokers each year from lung cancer.
 Secondhand smoke causes up to 300,000 lung infections (such as pneumonia and bronchitis) in infants and young children each year.

 

TIPS4Youth


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This page last reviewed April 08, 2003

United States Department of Health and Human Services
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Office on Smoking and Health