Young Wrexham

Smoking

Smoking is something that almost a quarter of people do in Wales. Most people start as a teenager or younger, usually with friends or family. A lot of people try smoking because of peer pressure and because they want to look ‘cool’ but they don’t think about the addiction that will follow.

One thing is for sure about smoking however – it will kill half of its users. 5,450 people in Wales will die each year because of it. And who do you think is going to replace these people? You. Tobacco companies’ aka Big Tobacco specifically target you as their ‘replacement smoker’ - they need new, young people, not these old, dying ones.

14,500 young people each year in Wales try smoking and if you’re going to be one of them, just know what you’re doing. Everyone knows the health impact but do you know about the child labour cost or the poor beavers?

What is it?

Smoking is the burning of tobacco or another substance, which is inhaled into the lungs as smoke, absorbed, then exhaled. This can be as a cigarette, rollie, spliff, bong or shisha pipe.

What does it do?

Most tobaccos have an ingredient called nicotine. This is the thing that makes smoking addictive as it gives a ‘happy’ feeling for a few seconds. There are over 4,000 chemicals in a cigarette, most of them poisonous.

Quick facts

• Smoking isn’t vegetarian – there’s a flavouring in there from a beaver’s bum!
• Smoking doesn’t relieve stress, the stress is caused by needing a cigarette
• 90% of people with lung cancer got it because of smoking

This page is sponsored by Ash Wales and its youth project The Filter

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