Although you may see people using tobacco in movies, tv, and advertisements, most teens, adults, and athletes don’t use it. The nicotine in tobacco products is addictive. The best way to be tobacco free is not to start.
Nearly all tobacco use begins in youth and young adulthood—88% of adult daily smokers smoked their first cigarette before turning 18. Approximately 18% of high school students smoke cigarettes. Nearly 10% use smokeless tobacco, and young people who use smokeless tobacco are more likely to become cigarette smokers as adults.
By helping teens and young adults avoid using tobacco, we will help them live longer and healthier lives. We can make the next generation tobacco free.
Learn the basics and start a conversation with your kids about the dangers of tobacco, alcohol, and drugs. Use this healthfinder.gov resource as your guide.
Use this lesson plan from the CDC to demonstrate what goes into a person's lungs with each puff of a cigarette and how that smoke affects a person's body.
Seriously - Why Start?
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