AVOIDANCE OF HIGH RISK BEHAVIORS

Health Unit Five

Smoking and Disease

Tobacco

Smoking can cause lung and heart diseases

Lung Cancer is highly related to smoking and is one of the leading killers of Americans

Smokeless Tobacco (dip, snuff, chewing tobacco) can cause gum disease, tooth loss, and oral cancer

Adolescents that Smoke

Tobacco is addictive Nicotine gives the body a tingly or

elevated sensation The body begins to crave this sensation

and in order to satisfy the body a person has to smoke another cigarette or put another “dip” in their mouth

Some reasons teens begin to smoke are it makes them feel cool, it is dangerous, and it makes them feel grown up

Dangers of Tobacco

Hard to play sports because it is hard to breathe

Breath will stink Teeth turn yellow People won’t want to be around you

because of secondhand smoke Health problems later in life

Dangers of Secondhand Smoke Being around someone who is smoking

can damage your health 21 million children or 35% live in homes

where people smoke Secondhand smoke can contribute to

heart disease and can affect people with asthma

Can even cause lung cancer

Protect Your Health

Don’t Smoke! Smoking is not cool; it is a killer! Don’t eat in the smoking sections at

restaurants Stay away from people who smoke

Tobacco Statistics

27% of Americans are smokers 80% of smokers began before the age of 21 45% of teenagers try smoking by the 12th

grade 20% of high school students smoke 21% of 8th graders have tried smoking 7% of 8th graders have smoked in the last

month

The 2008 National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Monitoring the Future Study

You have the POWER!

Drugs

Drugs can be legal or illegal Legal drugs are drugs that are

prescribed by a doctor or over the counter drugs

Illegal drugs are drugs that the government has outlawed

Legal drugs can be just as dangerous as illegal drugs if they are abused or used in a way that they were not intended for

Drugs

Drug use harms your body by changing your body’s normal functions

Drugs can alter brain function or elevate or decrease your heart rate or blood pressure

Drugs can be fatal at the time of use, not just in the future

Overdosing on a drug is taking too much of the substance

Drugs

Drugs

People who are addicted to drugs have a hard time breaking the habit

Many drug addicts never finish high school

Many other problems are related to drug use (assaults, homicides, automobile accidents, etc.)

Did you know that 6% of 8th graders used marijuana in the last month?

Alcohol

Impairs the senses as well as judgment and reasoning skills

People who drink have a tendency to have accidents because their motor skills are impaired.

Alcohol can lead to risky behaviors Damages the liver and brain Too much alcohol can be fatal

Alcohol

Alcohol

16% of 8th graders have drank alcohol in the last month

39% of 8th graders have drank alcohol in the past

72% of high school students have consumed alcohol before graduation

55% of 12th graders have been drunk 18% of 8th graders have been drunk The 2008 National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Monitoring the Future Study

Dangerous Supplements and Substances

Weight Loss and Fat Burning Products

Most people maintain a healthy weight through healthy diet and physical activity

Some people try to lose weight by taking supplements (weight loss or fat burning products)

These products can cause problems with the heart, nervous system, and the gastrointestinal system

Energy Drinks

Contain caffeine and other stimulants May give you energy for a short time Can lead to dehydration Can have serious side effects

Shaky and irritable Negative effect on your heart Energy Crash

Energy Drinks

Anabolic Steroids

Federal law placed anabolic steroids in Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) as of February 27, 1991

Promoted as athletic enhancement and performance supplements

Dangerous side effects

Side Effects of Steroids

Affects the heart and can lead to heart attacks or strokes in young athletes

Affects body features (baldness, cysts, acne, and oily hair and skin)

Males can develop breasts and females can start to grow facial hair

Can cause mood swings and make people very angry and hostile

Side Effects of Steroids

Can increase the risk of infection, hepatitis, or HIV through the use of shared needles

They are illegal unless prescribed by a doctor

They are addictive and can lead to withdrawal symptoms when someone quits using them

Can be taken orally, injected in the muscle, or rubbed on the muscle via a cream