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The truth about tobacco............................................................. 4The tobacco industry ................................................................. 6Cigarettes ................................................................................ 8Chew/spit tobacco .................................................................. 10Other forms of tobacco ............................................................ 12Sacred tobacco ...................................................................... 14Global impact ........................................................................ 16Tobacco & Hollywood ............................................................. 18Environmental impact .............................................................. 20Health effects .......................................................................... 22Second-hand smoke ................................................................ 24Quitting .................................................................................. 26What you can do ..................................................................... 28Websites and resources ............................................................ 30Meet Fresh Heir ....................................................................... 31

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For decades, the tobacco industry has presented itself as a normal, legitimate business, selling a “legal” product. However, this industry markets a lethal product that addicts children before the age of responsibility and kills on a

chilling scale. Unlike legitimate business, its products have no safe level of use, and kill and disable when used exactly as the manufacturer intends.

The tobacco industry needs to replace the thousands of people who quit or die each year as a result of using these deadly products, so it targets minorities, women and youth! In fact, the average age that a young Canadian has his or her first cigarette is 12.8 years. Know the facts. Make responsible decisions. Don’t be a target for the tobacco industry!

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The Tobacco Industry (or Big Tobacco) refers to the tobacco companies, most of which are large international firms, who manufacture, market and sell tobacco products. The tobacco industry has continuously lied to the public about the risks of smoking, addiction, nicotine manipulation and its marketing towards youth.

Impact:Tobacco products entered the market at a time when the risks of use were •unknown.By the time these risks became understood, much of the population was •addicted.It is the addiction factor that has now made it extremely difficult for •governments to remove the product from the market.

What to Remember:Studies show that 90% of smokers begin before the age of 20, so if the tobacco industry hasn’t got you addicted by then, it likely won’t.

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Manufactured cigarettes are made of shredded tobacco processed with hundreds of chemicals, and usually include a filter made of cellulose acetate (a synthetic fibre that is not biodegradable). Tobacco companies produce approximately 5.6 trillion cigarettes each year, nearly 900 cigarettes for every man, woman and child on the planet.

Impact:Cigarettes and cigarette smoke contain more than 4,000 chemicals including:

Formaldehyde (used to preserve dead bodies).•Arsenic (used in rat poison).•Cadmium (found in batteries).•Methanol (found in rocket fuel).•Hydrogen Cyanide (used as gas chamber poison).•

What to Remember:Despite progress in Canada, cigarettes remain among the most heavily advertised and promoted products in the world.

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Chew/spit tobacco is shredded or ground up tobacco leaves mixed with sweeteners, salts, chemicals and abrasives. The tobacco industry uses bright, candy-shaped packages and kid-friendly flavours such as cherry, citrus, peach, vanilla and apple cinnamon, which may explain why most spit tobacco users start around the age of 9 or 10.

Impact:Recedinggums. •Uncontrollabledrooling.•Disfiguringoralcancer. •Badbreath.•Stainedanddecayingteeth. •Fatigue,moodswings,depression.•Muscle weakness and dizziness.•Leukoplakia (white, leathery patches in mouth).•

What to Remember:Chew or spit tobacco is not a safe alternative to cigarettes. One tin of chew/spit tobacco contains the same amount of nicotine as smoking 60 cigarettes.

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There are many forms of tobacco besides cigarettes and chewing tobacco. Cigars, pipes, cigarillos, hookahs (water pipes, shisha), snüs (a form of smokeless tobacco from Sweden and Norway), kreteks and bidis (originating from Southern Asia) are all alternative methods of tobacco delivery, and all cause serious damage to your health.

Impact:Bidis release higher amounts of nicotine and other poisons than regular •cigarettes.One session of hookah, about 45 minutes, delivers the same amount of tar and •nicotine as an entire pack of cigarettes.The average user keeps snüs in his or her mouth for 11 to 14 hours per day.•Cigarillos have all the same health effects as cigarettes, but no warnings on the package.•

What to Remember:The tobacco industry continues to develop new products and spend heavily on research into new “reduced-harm” products, all of which are still untested for long-term health effects. Meanwhile, users become addicted and the industry’s market increases.

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Sacred or traditional tobacco is the original, natural plant form of tobacco, and is different from commercial tobacco (cigarettes, chew/spit tobacco, etc.), which has many harmful chemical additives. It is used by many Aboriginal people in traditional ceremonies, rituals, prayers and for a variety of medicinal uses.

Impact:The smoke from sacred tobacco carries prayers into the sky to the spirit world.•Sacred tobacco can be used daily to give thanks to the Creator by being set on •the ground, cast into the air, placed on water or burned in sacred fires.Historically, sacred tobacco has been used with other plants/herbs to treat some •illnesses.Sacred tobacco is also used during rites of passage, such as births, deaths, •weddings and funerals.

What to Remember:Elders teach that tobacco was one of the four sacred medicines (sacred tobacco, cedar, sage and sweetgrass) given to many Aboriginal Nations.

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More than 10 million cigarettes are smoked every minute of every day worldwide. Tragically, the epidemic is shifting towards the developing world, where 80% of tobacco-related deaths will occur within a few decades, as a result of the tobacco companies targeting these nations.

Impact:Land is used to grow tobacco in developing countries instead of much-needed food.•Tobacco tends to be used more by those with lower incomes and, as a result, •they have even less to spend on food, shelter, education and health care.Although most governments collect tax revenue from tobacco products, •this money is not enough to cover the massive health care costs and lost productivity due to tobacco-related illnesses.

What to Remember:Tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of death in the world today. It is important for developed nations to help other countries reduce the global impact of the tobacco industry.

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For decades, Big Tobacco has worked with public relations firms, product placement agencies, actors and studios in order to get its products in films. Big Tobacco knows that if it gets its product in a film, more people are likely to pick up that product and try it themselves.

Impact:Non-smoking teens whose favourite stars frequently smoke on screen are 16 times •more likely to have positive attitudes about smoking in the future.As of 2006, tobacco was still depicted in three-quarters of youth-rated movies and •90% of R-rated movies.More than 1,000 teens will start smoking today because of what they saw on screen.•

What to Remember:Smoking in movies is thought to be the most powerful pro-tobacco influence on teens today, accounting for 52% of adolescents who start smoking, an effect even stronger than cigarette advertising.

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From growing tobacco plants to disposing of cigarette butts, the life cycle of tobacco industry products take a huge toll on the environment around the world.

Impact:An estimated 4.5 trillion cigarette butts are littered worldwide every year, with each •butt taking many years to break down.Littered butts leach toxic chemicals into soil and water supply.•Millions of hectares of trees are cut down for land on which to grow tobacco, cure •tobacco leaves, and produce paper and packaging for cigarettes.This deforestation leads to soil erosion, flooding and desertification.•A large number of toxic pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers are used when growing •tobacco.It’s estimated that between 1/4 and 1/3 of fires around the world are caused by •careless smoking.

What to Remember:Tobacco growing, curing (drying), and the smoke produced from smoking cigarettes, all add to the greenhouse effect, contributing to global warming.

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People use tobacco to get a dose of the addictive drug nicotine, but nicotine alone does not cause cancer. The numerous chemicals added to tobacco products, as well as the toxins released when tobacco is burned, are responsible for the long list of associated illnesses and diseases.

Impact:Some effects of smoking:

Vision loss. •Pregnancy complications. •Yellow teeth. •Poor circulation. •Many forms of cancer.•

What to Remember:Using tobacco products harms almost every organ in the body and causes many different types of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases and several other diseases and conditions.

Impotence.•Decreased taste and smell.•Bad breath.•Weakened immune system.•

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Cigarettes produce about 12 minutes of smoke, yet the smoker may inhale only 30 seconds of smoke from his or her cigarette. The rest of the smoke lingers in the air for people to breathe in. As a result, more than 1,000 non-smoking Canadians die every year from second-hand smoke.

Impact:Sore eyes and throat. •Coughing and wheezing. •Asthma attacks and ear infections. •Long-term exposure can lead to lung •cancer, heart disease, nasal sinus cancer and stroke.

What to Remember:Turning on a fan or opening a window is not enough to clear smoke from a room or your car. No method of ventilation has been proven effective in removing the harmful effects of the more than 50 cancer-causing chemicals in second-hand smoke.

Headaches.•Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).•Miscarriages and low birth-weight.•Increased chance of leukemia and •other cancers in pets.

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Nicotine has been found to be as addictive as cocaine. However, every time you try to quit, you boost your chances of breaking the addiction for good and you will begin to see the benefits right away.

Steps To Quit: Pick a “quit day.” Choose a date to quit and give yourself time to plan how you will 1. handle situations that may give you cravings and make you want to smoke. Chose one or more proven quit methods to use. Combining methods will increase 2. your chances for success. Stick with your plan. Stick with your quit date and your plan and remember to stay 3. positive. Celebrate. It is important to believe in yourself and celebrate your success. Remember 4. quitting is a process and it will take time.

What to Remember:If you want to quit using tobacco products, try the “4 Ds”: Drink lots of water, take Deep breaths, Distract yourself and Delay smoking when you face a craving.

27Talk to your doctor or contact the Health Unit if you are looking for more information regarding quitting.Talk to your doctor or contact the Health Unit if you are looking for more information regarding quitting.

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Make change happenSomeone who actively supports and works toward an idea or cause is called an advocate. There are lots of ways you can get involved in your own home, school or community to help prevent people from starting to use tobacco, to help them quit and to stop the tobacco industry from marketing to youth.

How?Know the facts about your issue.•Raise awareness by holding events, activities or campaigns.•Keep your messages simple and based on proven facts.•Get positive media attention.•Be creative!•Build strong relationships with the people who impact your issue.•Use your community support to try to get politicians to change/make laws.•

What to Remember:Don’t ever give up. Successful advocates are persistent in their efforts. Creating change may be challenging and may take some time, but the results of your work make it all worth it in the end.

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For more information and resources, check out these websites:Fresh Heir •www.freshheir.ca

Smoke-Fx•www.smoke-fx.com

The Truth •www.thetruth.com/

Non-Smokers’ Rights Association•www.nsra-adnf.ca

Lost Jaw (chew/spit tobacco site)•www.lostjaw.ca

Aboriginal Tobacco Strategy•www.tobaccowise.com

Tobacco Use and Hollywood •www.scenesmoking.org

Quit For Life•www.quit4life.com

Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids•www.tobaccofreekids.org

Tobacco Atlas•www.cancer.org/docroot/AA/content/AA_2_5_9x_Tobacco_atlas.asp

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Fresh Heir is the Youth Action Alliance from the Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit. Our youth-led group works to educate our peers and the community about the dangers of tobacco products and the lies the tobacco industry is telling you. We

also advocate for tobacco-related changes that benefit the health of our community.

Volunteer with us!Fresh Heir is always looking for volunteers to share its ideas, skills and passion in helping us

protect the health of our peers and community. Ifyouwanttogetinvolved,justsendusanemail at (fresh.heir@hnhu.org) or check out our website (www.freshheir.ca) for more details.

www.freshheir.ca

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