Nicotine Health Hazards

Nicotine isn’t just a chemical in tobacco. It’s a deadly drug sold on virtually every street corner. The health impact of nicotine is serious.

In 1988, the Surgeon General declared that nicotine is as addictive as heroin and cocaine.

From the instant it enters the bloodstream, nicotine affects virtually every organ in the body. Over time, it re-programs the nervous system, leading to addiction and cravings. For many, it’s a shortcut to death.

Follow nicotine’s trail of destruction.

Dangers of E-cigarettes for Youth

Thanks to vaping and e-cigarettes, youth nicotine abuse is a growing epidemic. Young brains are especially vulnerable to its effects. There are many unseen dangers of nicotine.

DID YOU KNOW

More than 1 in 3 high school students has tried e-cigarettes.

E-cigarettes are a gateway, leading young people down the path to the cancer-causing harms of cigarettes. To adults, young smokers are more likely to become dependent. Tobacco companies know young addicts become lifelong smokers, so they market to children aggressively with candy flavors and colorful packaging.

If nothing changes, 1 in 13 kids alive today will die early from tobacco use.

Dangers of Nicotine for Adults

Neurotransmitters are chemicals produced by the human body. They play a major role in regulating bodily functions and everyday life. Neurotransmitters are especially important in the brain, where they influence thinking and emotions.

DID YOU KNOW

Nicotine hijacks and rewires neurotransmitter systems in the brain.

Repeated nicotine exposure alters important brain structures. Along with the intense pleasure of smoking, these changes tighten the noose of addiction. New pathways in the brain put adults on a path to cancer, heart disease, emphysema, diabetes, and death.

Smoking accounts for 1 in 5 deaths each year in the U.S.

Nicotine Health Hazards for Native Americans

Tobacco use originated thousands of years ago in the sacred rituals of Native peoples. After European contact, merchants spread tobacco around the world, igniting a global health pandemic. The result for Native Americans was catastrophic.

DID YOU KNOW

Native Americans have the highest cigarette smoking prevalence of any racial group.

The lethal effects of commercial tobacco can’t be overstated. Today, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among Native Americans. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths, and diabetes prevalence has skyrocketed. All of these conditions are caused or worsened by smoking.

Honoring Sacred Tobacco

TSET and the Oklahoma State Department of Health respect the traditions of Oklahoma’s Native peoples. When used in sacred rites and ceremonies, tobacco promotes peace, unity and spiritual health. Working together, we can restore the sacred status of tobacco while eliminating the threat of commercial tobacco to American Indians.

2 out of 5 Native American adults smoke cigarettes.

Let’s Choose a Better Path

Smoking is a dead end, but it’s not a one-way street. Together, we can turn things around for ourselves and our children. Let’s blaze our own trail of hope, health and happiness.