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ACTIVITY 2: Tobacco & Nicotine Use–The Health Consequences

ACTIVITY 2: Tobacco & Nicotine Use–The Health Consequences

CHEMICAL REACTION: COUNT TO 10

After smoke is inhaled, it only takes 10 seconds for nicotine, an addictive chemical found in tobacco, to reach the brain.15 Cigarettes, vapes and smokeless tobacco both contain nicotine.18 Over time, the nicotine in tobacco can change the way your brain works.18 Nicotine can also narrow a person's blood vessels, making it tougher for the heart to work.17

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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Smoking: what it means to you.

U.S. 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, 2004. Referenced 2012.

www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/
sgr/2004/pdfs/whatitmeanstoyou.pdf

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CDC. Smoking & Tobacco Use. Information Sheets. You(th) and Tobacco—What Youth Should Know About Tobacco. Referenced 2012.

www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/youth/information-sheet/

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NIDA for Teens. The Science Behind Drug Abuse. Mind Over Matter: The Brain's Response to Nicotine. Referenced 2009.

https://teens.drugabuse.gov/teachers/mind-matters/nicotine

ACTIVITY 2: Tobacco & Nicotine Use–The Health Consequences

ACTIVITY 2: Tobacco & Nicotine Use–The Health Consequences

WHAT ABOUT OTHER NICOTINE PRODUCTS?

Chew, dip, snuff, or spit tobacco—it's all smokeless tobacco. But, it's not a safe alternative to smoking cigarettes.16 There are health risks with using smokeless tobacco.

  • It is a known cause of cancer—increasing a user's risk of oral cancer.
  • It can cause bleeding gums and mouth sores.
  • It can lead to nicotine addiction.
  • Youth and young adults are also uniquely at risk for long-term, long-lasting effects of exposing their developing brains to nicotine. These risks include nicotine addiction, mood disorders, and permanent lowering of impulse control. Nicotine also changes the way synapses are formed, which can harm the parts of the brain that control attention and learning.

Still not convinced it's harmful?

According to the CDC, a high school athlete who used spit tobacco died of oral cancer when he was 19! 17

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CDC. Smoking & Tobacco Use. Fact Sheet—Smokeless Tobacco Facts.
Referenced 2012.

http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/index.htm

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CDC. Smoking & Tobacco Use. Information Sheets. You(th) and Tobacco—What Youth Should Know About Tobacco. Referenced 2012.

 

www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/youth/information-sheet/

ACTIVITY 2: Tobacco & Nicotine Use–The Health Consequences

ACTIVITY 2: Tobacco & Nicotine Use–The Health Consequences

MORE HEALTH PROBLEMS

Smoking also damages the immune system, which increases a person's risk of getting infections. And, once they get sick, smokers often take longer to recover than people who don't smoke. 15

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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Smoking: what it means to you.

U.S. 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, 2004. Referenced 2012.

 

www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/
sgr/2004/pdfs/whatitmeanstoyou.pdf

ACTIVITY 2: Tobacco & Nicotine Use–The Health Consequences

ACTIVITY 2: Tobacco & Nicotine Use–The Health Consequences

MORE HEALTH PROBLEMS

Stroke

Cataracts


(which can cause blindness)

Gum Disease

Pneumonia

Bronchitis

Emphysema

Chronic Coughing

Wheezing

Heart Disease

Hardening of the Arteries

(which affects blood flow)

Roll over the boxes to see more health problems smoking causes.

ACTIVITY 2: Tobacco & Nicotine Use–The Health Consequences

ACTIVITY 2: Tobacco & Nicotine Use–The Health Consequences

CANCER OF THE

RDRN Body Parts
PHARYNX (Mouth & Throat)
ESOPHAGUS
STOMACH
KIDNEY
LARYNX (Voice Box)
LUNGS
PANCREAS
BLADDER
Roll over the boxes to see some of the types of cancer smoking causes.

ACTIVITY 2: It’s Your Health

ACTIVITY 2: It’s Your Health

IT'S YOUR HEALTH

Shortness of breath. Heart disease. Cancer. These are just a few of the health consequences of using tobacco products.17
Think they can't happen to you if you use tobacco? Guess again. If you use tobacco or nicotine, you are at risk for many health consequences or diseases. Think you would quit before the consequences set in? Some of the effects happen fast. Young people who smoke report experiencing coughing, wheezing, and phlegm production.18 If you currently smoke, this may all sound familiar. If you don't smoke, don't start - it's that simple!

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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Smoking—50 Years of Progress: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta:
U.S. 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, 2014. Referenced 2017.



https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/sgr/50th-anniversary/

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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Preventing Tobacco Use Among Youth and Young Adults: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, Georgia: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health; Washington, D.C., 2012. Referenced 2017.



https://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/reports/preventing-youth-tobacco-use/full-report.pdf

ACTIVITY 2: Tobacco & Nicotine Use–The Health Consequences

ACTIVITY 2: Tobacco & Nicotine Use–The Health Consequences

TOBACCO AND NICOTINE USE
THE HEALTH CONSEQUENCES

You've probably heard that using tobacco and nicotine is unhealthy. Take a look at some of the diseases and health problems using tobacco and nicotine products causes.18.

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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Smoking—50 Years of Progress: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta: U.S. 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, 2014. Referenced 2017.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK179276/pdf/Bookshelf_NBK179276.pdf/

ACTIVITY 2: Tobacco & Nicotine Use–The Health Consequences

ACTIVITY 2: Tobacco & Nicotine Use–The Health Consequences

TOBACCO & NICOTINE USE -
THE HEALTH CONSEQUENCES

You've probably heard that using tobacco and nicotine is unhealthy. This activity outlines many of the health consequences of smoking cigarettes and using nicotine products like vapes and smokeless tobacco.

ACTIVITY 2: It’s Your Health

ACTIVITY 2: It’s Your Health

Keeping Healthy

This section includes a survey to determine students' perceptions about tobacco and nicotine, their understanding of its effects, and their experience with it. In addition, it includes activities to educate students about the health consequences of tobacco and nicotine use.

SKILLS

SKILLS: Assessing Risks and Consequences

Suggested Time Consideration

Suggested Time Consideration: 20 mins

RATIONALE

Your students know that there are health consequences with tobacco and nicotine use, but do they know the specifics? Do they think smoking and vaping-related diseases and side effects can affect only adults or people who have smoked for years?

The risks are serious! Health consequences of smoking, such as cancer, heart disease, emphysema,11 and nicotine use consequences to brain development including nicotine addiction, mood disorders, permanent lowering of impulse control, and impact to attention and learning 4 will give your students something to think about—especially if they are considering or currently using tobacco or nicotine.

GETTING STARTED

To introduce this activity, ask students what they think of when they hear the words “tobacco, nicotine or vaping.” Refute any notions that smoking or vaping is “appealing” by referencing the health consequences listed under “Talking About It.”
 
For example, if a student says smoking or vaping is appealing because it makes people look “cool,” ask what’s cool about a person who reeks of smoke - or who’s addicted to nicotine?
 
Share the digital activity link and ask students to answer the questions independently.

LAUNCH ACTIVITY
TALKING ABOUT IT

Review the answers as a class.

Answers, Numbers 1–8

1) Using tobacco can cause me to have bad breath (halitosis), stained teeth, and__________.
a. Oily skin
b. Bleeding in the mouth
c. Acne
Stained teeth, bad breath, and bleeding in the mouth are all consequences of using tobacco.8

2) If I smoke, I am at risk for the following disease(s):
a. Heart disease
b. Lung cancer
c. Emphysema (a lung condition resulting in labored breathing and susceptibility to infection)
d. All of the above
All of the diseases listed are health consequences of tobacco use. 

3) If I smoke, the toxins released from cigarette smoke travel_________.
a. To my heart
b. To my lungs
c. Everywhere the blood flows in my body
The toxic ingredients in cigarette smoke travel throughout the body.9

4) If I use a smokeless tobacco, I am at risk for the following disease(s):
a. Gum disease
b. Mouth sores
c. Cancer of the mouth
d. All of the above
All of these diseases can be caused by smokeless tobacco.11 

5) In the U.S., ______ is the leading preventable cause of death.
a. Alcohol
b. Cigarette smoking
c. Drugs
Cigarette smoking is responsible for about 1out of 5 deaths per year in the U.S., or about 480,000 deaths.9 

6) Second hand smoke exposure harms and kills people in the U.S.
a. True
b. False
Since 1964, about 2,500,000 people who did not smoke died from health problems caused by second hand smoke exposure. 6

7) Throughout the world, tobacco use results in approximately _____deaths per year.13 
a. 1 million
b. 5.4 million
c. 10 million
Worldwide, approximately 5 million people die each year resulting from tobacco use.13 

8) Nicotine is a chemical found in tobacco that is__________.6 
a. Not harmful
b. Addictive for adults only
c. Addictive for adults and young people
Nicotine is an addictive drug that can affect adults and young people. Most young people who smoke regularly are addicted tonicotine.6 

Answers and Correct Statements, Letters A—F

A) TRUE. Nicotine is a drug.
B) TRUE. A person’s blood sugar and breathing rate are both increased by nicotine.
C) FALSE. In order to be “True,” the statement should say: Neurons are also referred to as brain cells.
D) TRUE. The limbic system is the brain’s pleasure and reward circuit.
E) FALSE. In order to be “True,” the statement should say: Without nicotine, a smoker feels irritable and depressed.
F) TRUE. Nicotine causes the same changes in the brain as heroin and cocaine.

WRAPPING UP

Review the information about nicotine addiction with your students.

When a person is dependent on (or is addicted to) nicotine and stops using it, their body and brain must get used to not having nicotine. This can result in temporary symptoms of nicotine withdrawal. People might keep using tobacco products, like vapes, to try to make these symptoms feel better. Nicotine withdrawal symptoms include:

  • Irritability
  • Restlessness
  • Feeling anxious or depressed
  • Trouble sleeping
  • Problems concentrating
  • Craving nicotine
  • Youth might turn to vaping to try to deal with stress or anxiety. This can create a cycle of nicotine addiction, which can also be a source of stress.

Youth vaping and cigarette use have also been linked to mental health symptoms, such as depression.7

Emphasize that nicotine addiction is real that it can and does happen to young people-it’s not just an adult issue. The safest way to avoid addiction is never to use tobacco or nicotine products.

FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITY

Have your students research testimonials from people who smoked, vaped or used other tobacco/nicotine products and have tried to quit—successfully or unsuccessfully. Understanding the plight of others may deter some students from using tobacco and nicotine.

SOURCES

LAUNCH ACTIVITY

GO!

ACTIVITY 2:  Tobacco & Nicotine Use–The Health Consequences

ACTIVITY 2:  Tobacco & Nicotine Use–The Health Consequences

Keeping Healthy

This section includes a survey to determine students' perceptions about tobacco and nicotine, their understanding of its effects and their experience with it. In addition, it includes activities to educate students about the health consequences of smoking, vaping and use of other tobacco and nicotine products.

SKILLS

SKILLS: Assessing Risks and Consequences

Suggested Time Consideration

Suggested Time Consideration: 25 mins

RATIONALE

Young people often feel invincible. They may think smoking or vaping causes health problems for adults, but that those same health risks won’t apply to them. According to the CDC, “many children and adolescents do not understand the nature of tobacco addiction and are unaware of or underestimate the important health consequences of tobacco use.5 Therefore, they need to be reminded that health consequences of tobacco and nicotine use affect everyone. This activity outlines and explains some of the health consequences caused by cigarettes, vapes and smokeless tobacco. Knowing the facts may prevent students from experimenting or stop them if they’ve already tried tobacco or nicotine. 

The CDC reports each year that more deaths are caused by tobacco use than by all deaths from motor vehicle injuries, illegal drug use, alcohol use, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), suicides, and murders combined.7 Share this statistic with your students.

Ask your health teacher or school nurse to join you for this activity. Have a dictionary or health textbook on hand so students can look up unfamiliar terms and share them with the class.

GETTING STARTED

To introduce this activity, show your students the consequences of tobacco and nicotine use listed below. Display the list on an interactive whiteboard or with a projector, or write the terms on the board.4,8

Tobacco-Related Health Consequences

  • Halitosis (bad breath)
  • Throat cancer
  • Shortness of breath
  • Kidney cancer
  • Stained teeth
  • Gum disease
  • Cracked lips
  • Stroke
  • Mouth sores/bleeding in the mouth
  • Heart disease
  • Coughing/wheezing
  • Emphysema
  • Smelly hair (non-health related)
  • Lung cancer
  • Oral cancer
  • Nicotine addiction
  • Tooth loss 


Vaping and Nicotine Use Side Effects 

  • Nicotine addiction
  • Mood disorders
  • Permanent lowering of impulse control
  • Impact to attention and learning

Ask the students to review the list. Use the internet to define any unfamiliar terms. Then, ask students which issues on the board they believe are health consequences of tobacco use. Check each one the students suggest. Next, tell them that all of the items on the list are health consequences of tobacco use—and they are real. Some students might be concerned about consequences such as bad breath and the smell, while others may be more concerned about the diseases. 

Share the activity link with your class or open the activity on your interactive whiteboard. Click the thumbnail below for the link. Then, review the information provided in the activity. 

TALKING ABOUT IT 

After students complete the activity, take a class poll to see which of the health consequences students were familiar with and which ones they were not. They may be surprised to learn how quickly a young person can be affected by using tobacco and nicotine. 

WRAPPING UP

Before completing this activity, display the health consequences poster, “Look What Tobacco Will Do.” It is included in the “Activity Resources” section below. Read the facts with your students. Remind them that these are real issues that affect people who use tobacco and nicotine. Deciding to be tobacco and nicotine free will help them stay healthy.

As a class, visit the CDC’s website for additional information on health consequences. 

FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITY

Use the supplemental “Totally Caught” video, in the “Materials” section below, to complement this section. 

Students will discover this fact at the completion of Activity Two: Cigarette smoking is responsible for about one in five deaths in the U.S. per year.7 Have students work in teams to research this fact and prepare presentations or reports to encourage people to be tobacco and nicotine free. Along with their presentations or reports, have the students create a digital poster representing what they’ve learned about tobacco and nicotine and its health consequences. The materials for the digital poster are provided below. 

To create their presentations or reports, students might use photos or images, Internet resources, books, or interviews with smokers who quit as their resources, along with their digital posters. They will then create a slideshow, handouts for their peers, or any presentation method of their choice to accompany their digital posters and demonstrate the health consequences of tobacco and nicotine use that generate the statistic above. 

Determine a timeframe that is appropriate for your group. Let students get creative and use whatever aids they find most effective to do their reports/presentations. Schedule each pair/group for a different day during the unit to present its findings so your students have enough time to prepare their projects. Invite other classes in to see the presentations. 

LAUNCH ACTIVITY
SOURCES

4 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Preventing Tobacco Use Among Youth and Young Adults: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, Georgia: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health; Washington, D.C., 2012. Referenced 2023. http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/reports/preventing-youth-tobacco-use/full-report.pdf 

5  CDC. Guidelines for School Health Programs to Prevent Tobacco Use and Addiction. MMWR 1994; Vol. 43, No. RR-2; 1-18. Referenced 2023. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/RR/RR4302.pdf 

7 CDC. Smoking & Tobacco Use. Fact Sheet—Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking. Referenced 2017. http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/health_effects/effects_cig_smoking/index.htm 

8 NIDA for Teens. (2016, May). Drug Facts: Tobacco, Nicotine, & E-Cigarettes. Referenced 2023. https://teens.drugabuse.gov/drug-facts/tobacco-nicotine-e-cigarettes 

9  https://e-cigarettes.surgeongeneral.gov knowtherisks.html#:~:text=Youth%20and%20young%20adults%20are,permanent%20lowering%20of%20impulse%20control

LAUNCH ACTIVITY

GO!