

Tobacco is a harmful herbaceous plant. The leaves are rolled into cigars, shredded for uses in cigarettes and pipes, and processed for chewing or snuff. 70% of teen smokers say that given the chance to do things differently they wouldn't have started smoking. However, most that have are still smoking 5-6 years later, even though they said they could quit. Tobacco use remains the leading preventable cause of death in the US. It causes 440,000 deaths a year. There are about 5,000 chemical components in tobacco smoke, 69 can cause cancer. The decision to use tobacco is almost always made as a teen. More than 3,000,000 young people smoke 1/2 billion cigarettes each year.
Here are some links to websites where you can get additional information on the terrible effects of tobacco:

Tobacco Info & Prevention Source (TIPS)
Tobacco Control-Quitting Smoking
Action on Smoking & Health (ASH)
Greene Co. Mental Health
82 Woodland Ave.
Catskill, NY 12414
Phone: 622-9163
Columbia Memorial Hospital
71 Prospect Ave.
Hudson, NY 12463
Phone: 828-8039
Twin County Alcohol & Substance Abuse
47 N. 5th Street
Hudson, NY 12463
Catholic Charities
82 Woodland Ave.
Catskill, NY 12414
Phone: 943-1462
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Tobacco Information and Prevention (TIPS)
Tobacco Facts
National Hotline
800-227-8922
The Truth