Tobacco Documents Online

f ='7 WHY SMOKE Some facts YOU should know abou~ne of the greatest ~azards to Health ¢J

/ Do YOU know that - • Smoking contributes to the death of 3O0,O0O Americans each year-- more than die in auto accidents and wars? • The average smoker loses 8 to 12 years off his life? • T}~e average smoker )oses 15-18 min- utes off his llfe per cigare~to? • The average smoker spends $8,000 to $1g,000 for his hablt during his lifetime? • Smoking is the g~eatest preventable cause of death and disease? • A smoker has a 70 times greater chance of having cancer and a go flings greater chance of heart disoase than a non-smoker? Then why do people start smoking or c£}ntJn~Je to smoke? Most people take up the smoking habit when they are of school age. A recent survey of Colorado youth in grades four through twelve ahswered same of the questions about why and how much Coloo r~da's young people smoke . , . \ -3 b. ~D G~

f f 1. How many Colorado school students in grades four through twelve have ever smoked a dgarette? I " 2. Row many are regular smokers? ~ i'~'~ ;'1 3. How does smoking vary by age and sex among regutar, occasional and ~_ experlmental smokers? Ez~y IJ~ ~hl S,. H~ 4. Why do students begin smoking? a. "Th~ ~ ~fr~nd~" "Just to ~y/t" 5, Why do they continue to smoke? a. "Because my fr/ends s,no~" 6'. "I cannot stop" 6. Do the regular smokers surveyed really eni<~y smoking? t~ g~ t,,'t

f 7. Do the students plan to smoke five years from now? 75~ per cent said NO 8. Do the students want their own chil- dren to smoke? : Smokers and non-s~,kers agreed- NO 9, Do the students feel thai smoking helps to assure being liked by friends? S~ .~---:~ (30 per cent of the smokers and 32 per cent of the non-smokers said that - ' smoking may cause a person to be disliked. • i 10. Are the students aware of the health hazards of smoking? (Number of cor- rect answers out of 20 questions.) N N 1 1. Hew does knowledge of smoking haz- ards vary by grade level? (Number of correct answers out of 20 questions.) Highl Sr.High J

rf SO WHY SMOKE? • Is bad breath attractive? • Are bad teeth attractive? • Is shortness of breath attr~ctlve? • Is bad health attractive? • Is the odor of tobacco smoke attractive? • Isn't there a better way to spend money? • Why turn people OFF when it isn't necessary? ~tvdents ~chool$ s, ed : random ;~mpl ng ~;~echnlque participated rn the survey: 7he stu- dents completed a 97L~iern ques- tlon'naire under th~ ~d~0ervision of :iPAC staff rnembers and with the cooperation of sch~l officials. • J J g~ 0

_J Colorado Interagenc¥ Council 011 Health • Catholic Schools, Archdlocese of Denver • Colorado DtvisIo~, Ame¢lC~n Cancer Society • ~olora~o Heart Asaoc~al.,on • cblorado Tubercurosis and RespTralory Disease Association • Colorado Medical Society • C¢4¢*ia¢~o ~tate DepBitrc~t Of Educal{o~ • Cororado Slate DepBrlment of Health • CQ[ora~c~ Congress ~{ P~re~t-Te~c}~er • ~4soclafio ns ,J Coloreda Wyoming Regional Medical Progra~ • Denver Publlc Schomls • Denver DepadmenI of Health and Hospi$a[s~' - • Filzsimons General Hospltal • National Jew;sh Hospital -- ~' • Porter Memodar Hospilal • Rocky" Mountain pedialric Society • School Nurse Conference Group, Colorado Nurses' As~oclatlon TrJ-County. D~strict Heahh Deparlment • University of Colorado MgdicaI Center • U. S. Public Health Servlce • Velerans' Admlniscration Hospltal • Webb-Waring Inst#ufe for Medical Research KICK THE HABIT l O~