Tobacco

Tobacco

Tobacco comes from leaves of the tobacco plant and is used mostly in cigarettes. Tobacco contains the active ingredient nicotine which is highly addictive. Tobacco comes as cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, chewing tobacco, and wet and dry snuff. It’s usually smoked but sometimes chewed or sniffed.

OTHER NAMES:

Tobacco can also be known as smokes, ciggies, rollies, butts, and darts.

FACTS TO KNOW:

• Nicotine is a stimulant that speeds up your central nervous system and makes you feel more energetic.
• Using tobacco can give you a feeling of relaxation, increased alertness, mild euphoria, dizziness, reduced appetite, make you feel sick, especially if you’re not used to smoking.
• Tobacco can contribute to serious long-term health consequences such as emphysema, heart attack, stroke and cancer.
• Too much nicotine such as combining smoking, nicotine patches and nicotine chewing gum can make people feel confused, have shallow breathing or contribute to seizures. 

DURATION

• The effects of nicotine are felt almost immediately and can last between 15 and 60 minutes when smoked.
• The effects of smoking reduce over time when your body gets used to the chemicals.

STAYING AS SAFE AS YOU CAN:

• Smoke less- try to reduce your use by having your first cigarette later in the day, set limits to the number of cigarettes you smoke.
• Avoid mixing tobacco with cannabis as this can increase nicotine dependence.
• Have smoke-free days or long breaks in between cigarettes.
• Talk to a pharmacist or doctor about using patches or gum to reduce the health risks of smoking
• Smoke outside, in open spaces and open windows to reduce second-hand smoke inhalation
• Contact your local GP or Quit Victoria if you are thinking about stopping your tobacco use.

This is only a little bit of information this Australian Drug Foundation resource has heaps more.