Fast Facts About Smoking

Tobacco smoke can be devastating to your health and the health of the people around you. However, smoking tobacco is addictive and many people find it nearly impossible to quit once they have started. If you don't smoke, don't start!

History

• The concept of the cigarette dates back to the ninth century, when the Mayan and Aztec populations smoked them for religious rituals. The cigarette wrap has evolved from reeds and dried leaves to the thin paper used today. Tobacco has always been a huge industry for The United States.

Tobacco Laws in The U.S.

• To purchase tobacco in the United States, you must be at least 18 years old. Smoking has been banned in public places in many states. These bans include one or more of the following places in the affected states: restaurants, bars and non-hospitality workplaces.

Some Nasty Ingredients

• Cigarette smoke contains acetone, the chemical that takes removes nail polish. Urea, found in urine, is also a cigarette ingredient.

Health Effects

• Smoking causes cancer in many forms. Each cigarette contributes to the blockage of your airways by nicotine and tar. Second-hand contributes to the death of more than 40,000 non-smoking Americans each year.

What A Costly Habit

• The average price of a pack of cigarettes in 2008 was $4.35. If the average smoker smokes a pack of cigarettes per day, he spends $30.45 per week, $131.95 per month and $1,583.40 per year!