Smoking and Your Health

Ch a p t e r 1 3 -2
Chemicals in Tobacco Smoke
 Some of the most deadly chemicals in tobacco
smoke are tar, carbon monoxide, and nicotine
 Tar- the dark, sticky substance that forms when
tobacco burns
 Tar lines the trachea and other respiratory
organs
 Tar makes cilia clump together
 Tar has been shown to cause cancer
 Carbon monoxide is produced when tobacco is
burned
 Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas
 Carbon monoxide bonds to hemoglobin in red
blood cells and takes the place of oxygen
Nicotine
 Nicotine is a drug that speeds up the activities
of the nervous system, heart, and other
organs
 Nicotine causes the heart rate and the blood
pressure to increase
 Addiction- physical and psychological
dependence that nicotine produces

Respiratory System Problems
 Because tobacco clumps the cilia
together, it can’t sweep away
mucus, giving many smokers a
frequent cough
 Mucus buildup also limits the space
for air flow and oxygen intake
 Smokers may not be able to
participate in sports
 Bronchitis- irritation of the breathing
passages in which the small
passages become narrower than
normal and may be clogged with
mucus
 Emphysema is a serious disease
that destroys lung tissue and
causes difficulty in breathing
 Smoking also causes lung cancer
Circulatory System Problems
 Chemicals in tobacco smoke harm the lungs
and circulatory system
 Chemicals from tobacco contribute to the
buildup of fatty material that causes
atherosclerosis, which leads to heart attacks
 Smokers are more than 2X as likely to have a
heart attack

Passive Smoking
 Long-term exposure to cigarette smoke
increases people’s risks of heart disease and
cancer
 90% of smokers began smoking as teenagers
 Lungs of teenagers who smoke develop more
slowly than those of nonsmokers and may
never reach the same peak functioning
Review
 Name 3 harmful substances in tobacco smoke.
Describe the effects of each substance.


 Identify 3 respiratory problems causes by

smoking.

 Describe the effect of smoking on the
circulatory system

 Identify two factors that may pressure teens to
try smoking.

 Scientists estimate that about 3,000
nonsmoking Americans die every year from