Health Effects
This is the smoke that people breathe in when someone nearby is smoking; it can still harm people even if they did not choose to smoke.
Secondhand smoke
This single word names tobacco you put between your cheek and gums or hold in your mouth.
Chewing tobacco (also: chew).
Smoking is when tobacco is burned and the user inhales the ______.
smoke (or smoke/vapor)
What addictive chemical is the main active ingredient in tobacco?
Nicotine
Name one short-term effect nicotine has on the body that can make it addictive.
increased heart rate, stimulation of reward pathways, cravings, heightened alertness.
What do people commonly call electronic devices used to inhale flavored nicotine vapor? Give two slang terms.
Examples: e-cigs, vape pens, Juuls, mods, e-hookahs, tank systems.
Name two ways people use tobacco without smoking it.
Chewing (chew, dip), snuff (sniffed or placed in mouth), pouches (oral nicotine pouches)
What is tar in the context of smoking?
Tar is the resinous, particulate residue produced by burning tobacco and plant material.
Explain why tar is harmful to the lungs in one sentence.
Tar is particulate residue from burning tobacco that coats airways and damages lung tissue, making breathing harder and increasing disease risk.
What is Zyn, and how is it different from traditional chewing tobacco or snuff?
Zyn is a tobacco-free oral nicotine pouch containing nicotine salts and designed to be spit-free; unlike chewing tobacco or snuff, it contains no tobacco leaf.
Describe how vaping delivers nicotine to the user (one sentence).
Vaping heats a liquid containing nicotine and flavoring to make a vapor the user inhales.
Nicotine can be used outside of tobacco products. Name one other use mentioned in the lesson.
Nicotine is used in some insecticides (pesticides).
Describe one reason nicotine is dangerous even though it can act as a stimulant in small doses.
Nicotine is toxic; in larger amounts it interferes with nerve and muscle cell function and can cause poisoning.
Define "smokeless tobacco" in one sentence that a classmate can understand.
Smokeless tobacco is tobacco that people chew or sniff instead of burning and inhaling; it still delivers nicotine and causes health risks.
Explain what "secondhand smoke" means and why it can be dangerous for children (two sentences).
Secondhand smoke is smoke inhaled unintentionally by people near someone smoking. It’s dangerous for children because their lungs are still developing and they are more vulnerable to infections and asthma triggers.
Explain in one sentence why nicotine salts (as found in some pouches like Zyn) might affect how quickly nicotine acts in the body.
Nicotine salts are chemically different from freebase nicotine; they can be absorbed more smoothly and often faster, which can speed nicotine delivery and reduce harshness.
List two long-term health risks associated with regular cigarette smoking.
lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart disease, stroke.
What is "snuff" and how is it commonly used (two short details)?
Snuff is finely ground tobacco that is sniffed or placed in the mouth; it may be dry or moist and is often used by placing it in the nostril or between cheek and gum.
Compare and contrast chewing tobacco and snuff in two clear bullet points.
Chewing tobacco: loose leaf or plugs placed between cheek and gum and often spat out; Snuff: finely ground tobacco that can be sniffed into the nose or placed in the mouth; both deliver nicotine and can cause oral health problems.
Describe how inhaling cigarette smoke exposes the body to more than nicotine — name two other harmful things the smoke contains.
Carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, heavy metals, thousands of other chemicals and particulates; many are carcinogens or damage the heart and lungs.