Test Yourself!
1. When you smoke a cigarette, it's just like inhaling car exhaust.
a)
True b) False
2. You'll also find cyanide, formaldehyde and toilet bowl cleaner in cigarettes.
a) True b) False
3. Tobacco can be harder to quit than heroin or cocaine.
a) True b) False
4. In all, tobacco smoke contains about 400 different chemical compounds.
a) True b) False
5. In Canada, 49% of teenagers don't smoke.
a) True b) False
6. Of every 10 people who try smoking, eight get hooked.
a) True b) False
7. If you are taking birth control pills, smoking will
increase your chances for serious heart
disease, stroke and high blood pressure.
a) True b) False
8. Smoking causes early tooth decay and gum disease.
a) True b) False
9. Deep breathing and exercise could help you quit smoking.
a) True b)
False
10. How toxic is nicotine?
a) Not toxic at all
b) Causes severe abdominal cramps and bloating in some cases
c) Only toxic if in conjunction with other substances found in tobacco
products
d) Deadly in high doses
11. Red blood cells carry oxygen through your body. How
much does carbon monoxide found in
cigarettes reduce red blood cells' ability to perform this task?
a) By 2%
b) By 6%
c) By 12%
d) By 28%
12. How many cigarettes a year do Canadian teenagers smoke?
a) Eight million cigarettes
b) Over a billion cigarettes
c) Approximately 740 million
d) About 200 million cigarettes
Adapted from Health Canada’s Tobacco Control Program, “You
and Me Smokefree!”
Answers
1. When you smoke a cigarette, it's just like inhaling car exhaust. The
correct answer is 'a) True' That's right -- the same thing that sputters
out of a car's tail-pipe, carbon monoxide, is found in cigarettes, and
ends up in your lungs.
2. You'll also find cyanide, formaldehyde and toilet bowl cleaner in cigarettes.
The correct answer is 'b) False' Sure, when you smoke, you're inhaling
cyanide (a little poison anyone?) and formaldehyde (I see dead people.
Dead embalmed people, that is.) but no toilet bowl cleaner.
3. Tobacco can be harder to quit than heroin or
cocaine. The correct answer is 'a) True' Makes you think twice before "experimenting" doesn't
it?
4. In all, tobacco smoke contains about 400 different chemical compounds.
The correct answer is 'b) False' Four hundred? Try 4,000! How can inhaling
tar, carbon monoxide, cyanide and other chemicals be safe? And here's a
little bonus info -- at least 50 of those chemical compounds are known
to cause cancer.
5. In Canada, 49% of teenagers don't smoke. The
correct answer is 'b) False' We've got great news. Teen smoking is on
the decline. In fact 77%
of teens 15-19 today are saying "no thanks" to smoking.
6. Of every 10 people who try smoking, eight get hooked. The correct answer
is 'a) True' Think the number is high? Unfortunately it's true. If you
start smoking, chances are the nicotine will make you want to keep at it.
But why even go there?
7. If you are taking birth control pills, smoking will increase your chances
for serious heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure. The correct
answer is 'a) True' The pill and smoking don't mix.
8. Smoking causes early tooth decay and gum disease. The correct answer
is 'a) True' Popping a mint will freshen your breath but it won't get rid
of the other problems. Yellow teeth, rotting and smelly gum disease are
just a few. Butt out and smile.
9. Deep breathing and exercise could help you quit smoking. The correct
answer is 'a) True' A lot of people who smoke say they do it because they're
stressed. But actually, smoking just makes it worse. Your heart races and
your breathing gets shallow after taking a puff or two. Try the deep breathing
test to see if smoking really does help you relax. Take your pulse (count
the beats per minute), have a cigarette and then take your pulse again.
Still think smoking helps you relax? Concentrate on deep breathing to relax
instead. Or get outside and get active. A sure-fire way to feel great.
10. How toxic is nicotine? The correct answer is 'd) Deadly in high doses'
It's poison, people. Most people don't realize that nicotine is actually
deadly. In fact pure nicotine can kill you. For every cigarette a person
smokes, he or she likely inhales about 3mg of nicotine. Fortunately, the
body quickly breaks down this nicotine to keep it from building to a fatal
dose.
11. Red blood cells carry oxygen through your body. How much does carbon
monoxide found in cigarettes reduce red blood cells' ability to perform
this task? The correct answer is 'c) By 12%' Wonder why smokers get winded
going up a flight of stairs? Carbon monoxide in cigarettes reduces up to
12% the amount of oxygen normally carried by red blood cells. Less oxygen
makes breathing and physical activity difficult -- and even though 12%
might not seem like a lot, it's certainly enough to make you breathe harder
when climbing stairs or going for a run. Smoking also raises blood pressure
10 to 15 percent, increasing the risk of stroke.
12. How many cigarettes a year do Canadian teenagers smoke? The correct
answer is 'b) Over a billion cigarettes' Teenagers smoke more than 1.6
billion cigarettes each year -- resulting in retail sales worth more than
$330 million. Just think about what else could be done with that money.
For more information, please contact Smoke-Free Nova Scotia at P.O. Box
822, Lr Sackville, NS B4C 3V3 (902) 864-9633 (toll free) 1-866-777-7374
www.smokefreens.ca
