The Real Cost
FACT: More than 7,000 chemicals are found in a single puff of cigarette smoke.
FACT: Nicotine takes less than 10 seconds to reach the brain.
FACT: Smoking as a teen can stunt lung growth.
FACT: Smoking accelerates skin aging, which can lead to premature wrinkles.
FACT: Smoking causes gum disease, which could cost you your teeth.
FACT: Nearly 9 out of 10 smokers started before they were 18.
FACT: Just a few cigarettes per month can lead to cravings in some teens.
FACT: 3 out of 4 teen smokers who think they will stop smoking within 5 years don’t.
FACT: In the U.S., more than 1300 people die each day due to smoking.
In an unprecedented move, the FDA has launched a youth Tobacco campaign, The Real Cost, targeting at-risk youth aged 12-17 who are open to smoking or already experimenting with cigarettes. About 10 million youth in the United States fall into this category.(1) The goal is to educate youth about the harmful effects of tobacco use and reduce the rates of youth experimenting with cigarettes which eventually progress to regular use.
Experimenting with cigarettes is a slippery slope, and first-timers often underestimate how addictive it can be. There are a number of factors or triggers that increase the risk that you try smoking — social smoking, dealing with difficult situations, having a parent or a friend who smokes, body image concerns or smoking by role models.
It’s time to create a generation of non-smokers.
If you smoke or have experimented with smoking OR know someone who has, there are many resources to help provide the support you need. Start by visiting The Real Cost and see for yourself the effects smoking can have on you. Now is the time to STOP, get the facts and be the one in control.
(1) Based on data from 2011 National Youth Tobacco Survey and 2011 youth population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau
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