Facts About Smoking
What chemical in cigarettes makes them addictive?
What is Nicotine?
What does smoking do to your lungs?
It damages lung tissue and reduces breathing capacity.
What happens to your breathing when you quit?
It improves as lungs begin to heal.
True or False: Light cigarettes are safer.
False – they are just as harmful.
What year did the U.S. require warning labels on cigarettes?
1965
True or False: Cigarette smoke contains over 7,000 chemicals.
What is True?
Name one disease caused by smoking.
Lung cancer, COPD, emphysema, heart disease, stroke
Name one benefit within 24 hours of quitting.
Blood pressure drops, carbon monoxide levels normalize.
“I’ve smoked too long to quit.” True or False?
False – it’s never too late to quit.
What famous doctor first linked smoking to lung cancer?
Dr. Ernst Wynder (or Dr. Richard Doll in the UK)
What part of the body is most affected by smoking?
What is the Lungs?
How does smoking affect your heart?
It raises blood pressure and increases risk of heart attacks.
How does food taste after quitting?
Taste and smell improve.
“Quitting will make me gain too much weight.” Myth or Fact?
Myth – Some people gain a little weight, but health benefits far outweigh it.
Name one TV show or movie that glamorized smoking.
Mad Men", old Westerns, or 1950s–70s movies
Name one ingredient in cigarettes that is also found in car batteries.
What is Lead or Cadmium?
True or False: Secondhand smoke can harm others.
True
What happens to your risk of stroke after 5 years smoke-free?
It drops to that of a non-smoker.
True or False: Vaping is completely safe.
False – it still contains harmful substances.
What was the Marlboro Man?
A tobacco company’s cowboy-themed advertising icon
How many minutes of life are estimated to be lost per cigarette smoked?
What is 11 minutes?
How does quitting smoking help your body heal?
It allows the lungs, heart, and blood vessels to begin repairing themselves.
True or False: It’s too late to quit after age 60.
False – quitting at any age has health benefits.
“Quitting is too hard.” What can help make it easier?
Support groups, medications, counseling, nicotine replacement therapy
What law helped ban smoking in public places?
The Clean Indoor Air Act (varies by state, e.g., 1990s–2000s)