Tobacco – cigs, fags, rollies

What is it?

Tobacco is a plant of which the leaves are dried to produce tobacco. Tobacco contains nicotine, which is a highly addictive drug. Tobacco is most commonly smoked in the form of cigarettes.

What are the effects?

Nicotine is a powerful and fast acting drug. Inhaled nicotine takes about eight seconds to reach the brain. It has a stimulant effect which means it speeds up the heart rate and increases blood pressure.

What are the risks?

It is easy to get addicted to nicotine. Tobacco contains over 4.000 chemicals in the form of particles and gases, 60 of which are known to cause cancers. Smoking long term can lead to cancer, emphysema and heart disease, all of which can cause death. Passive smoking, where someone breathes in the smoke from someone else’s cigarette, is far more toxic than the inhaled smoke. This can also lead to breathing difficulties, asthma and even cancer.

The law

It is illegal for tobacco products to be sold to anyone under the age of 18 years.

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