7 Questions Adolescents Have About Tobacco

The National Institute on Drug Abuse recently offered adolescents the first ever "Drug Facts Chat Day." Students from high schools and middle schools across the country submitted anonymous questions online—about alcohol, the brain, addiction and everything in between—to NIDA scientists, including some of the nation's top experts in substance abuse. The scientists then responded with personalized, nonjudgmental answers. Below is a sample of the inquiries that relate specifically to tobacco. All the questions and answers below are unedited.

Among the scientists were Larry Stanford, deputy director of NIDA's Division of Clinical Neuroscience and Behavioral Research; Steve Gust, director of NIDA's international program, research and training activities; Lisa Onken, a psychologist in NIDA's Division of Clinical Neuroscience and Behavioral Research who conducts research to develop treatments for people with drug dependence and associated mental disorders; Barry Hoffer, a neuropharmacologist and director of NIDA's Intramural Research Program; Kevin Conway, deputy director of NIDA's Division of Division of Epidemiology, Services, and Prevention Research; and Ivan Montoya of NIDA's Division of Pharmacotherapies and Medical Consequences of Drug Abuse. —Compiled by Sarah Baldauf

7 Questions Adolescents have about Tobacco:

faris - Manhattan jr.high - Both of my parents smoke am I at risk of lung cancer?
Larry Stanford - That's a very good question. That both of your parents smoke probably means that you are being exposed to what is termed as "second-hand smoke" and there is some scientific evidence that such exposure can lead to health problems in the people that are exposed. How serious those problems might be,are going to depend on a lot of things, though, including how much exposure there might be and for how long, For more information about smoking and its health effects, you might want to look at www.drugabuse.gov

dm5003 - bms - how does diping give you gum and lip kansur
Steve Gust - There are many cancer causing substances in tobacco and having them in contact with your gums over time can cause cancer.Tobacco is also addictive.Did you know that tobacco is linked to an estimated 440,000 deaths per year?For more information about tobacco, go to http://www.drugabuse.gov/researchreports/nicotine/nicotine.html.

soccerfreak - East Leyden - HOW COME IT'S SO HARD 2 QUIET SMOKING
Lisa Onken - It is hard to quit smoking because cigarettes are addictive - and it isn't just the nicotine in the cigarettes that is habit-forming. People get very used to smoking at certain times of the day, and in certain situations, and this habit is hard to break, even when the nicotine addiction is diminished (that may be why it is hard to quit smoking, even with nicotine replacement therapy!). But there are behavioral interventions that can help quite a bit. There are methods that people can learn, that are specific to their situation, about how to avoid the urge to smoke, and what to do when that urge is unavoidable. It is very important to learn these behavioral techniques - even if medications are also being used. For more information, check out http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/. And most importantly, please don't get discouraged!

Marie - Jacksonville - can smoking casually still have bad effects on your body?
Barry Hoffer - We would need to define the word "casually" first, but regardless, nicotine is so addictive that it is like playing russian roulette with your body. Nobody can predict whether he or she will remain a casual smoker forever, and those addicted to tobacco were usually casual smokers at some point. To learn more about smoking and nicotine addiction please visit http://www.drugabuse.gov/DrugPages/Nicotine.html

Alexis - Saint Stephen - Why is it that after just one cigarette, you become addicted?
Kevin Conway - Well, we don't know that this is really what happens. We do know that nicotine (the drug in cigarettes) is very addictive — perhaps more so than any other drug. So, it is dangerous to start smoking because it could quickly become an addiction.For more information about smoking and its effects, go to: http://www.smoking.drugabuse.gov

Sal - Ephrata - Does chew or smoking affect your body more
Ivan Montoya - This is a really good question! Both chewing and smoking affect your body. Nicotine is the drug in tobacco leaves. Whether someone smokes, chews, or sniffs tobacco, he or she is delivering nicotine to the brain. Chewing tobacco can cause damage to gum tissue and even loss of teeth. It also reduces a person's ability to taste and smell. Most importantly, smokeless tobacco contains cancer causing-chemicals that can cause cancers of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, and esophagus. This can even happen in very young users of chewing tobacco. In fact, most people who develop these cancers were users of chewing tobacco. While inhaling a cigarette, smokers are pulling more than nicotine into their lungs. Tobacco smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals. Besides nicotine, the most dangerous chemicals in cigarette smoke are tar and carbon monoxide. Tar causes lung cancer, emphysema, and bronchial diseases. Carbon monoxide causes heart problems; smokers are at high risk for heart disease. For more information on smoking or tobacco please go to: http://teens.drugabuse.gov/facts/facts_nicotine1.asp#what_is_it

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa - Marlington local - Can you get high off of secondhand smoking?
Ivan Montoya - Good question. You can have effects due to secondhand smoking. It has been reported that secondhand smoke exposure causes disease and premature death in children and adults who do not smoke. Secondhand smoke contains hundreds of chemicals known to be toxic or carcinogenic (cancer-causing) and can irritate and damage the lining of the airways. Even brief exposure can result in upper airway changes in healthy persons and can lead to more frequent and more asthma attacks in children who already have asthma. You can find more information about secondhand smoke at: http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/secondhandsmoke/factsheets/factsheet6.html