1.) It is estimated that every cigarette you smoke takes 12 minutes off of your life.

2.) Smoking causes more than eight of every 10 cases of lung cancer. There is no cure for lung cancer and the Victims usually die within five years.

3.) Tobacco contains a poison called nicotine. An injection of one drop of nicotine in its purest form (70 mg) will kill an average-sized man. Cigarettes contain a very small amount of nicotine (between .1 and 2.2 mg). This amount will not kill you, but will make your heart beat faster and can make your hands shake.

4.) Smoking increases your risk of getting many serious diseases including cancer, heart disease, emphysema and bronchitis

5.) Fires started by cigarettes cause 25,000 deaths each year in the United States alone.

6.) Smoking is dangerous for nonsmokers who breath the smoke from smokers' cigarettes. During the 12 minutes a cigarette burns, smoke from the cigarette fills the room with poisonous gases.

7.) Smokeless tobacco increases the risks of mouth cancer and other diseases of the mouth like tooth decay and gum recession. Early signs of mouth cancer may occur after just a few years of use.

8.) Smoking during pregnancy can harm the developing baby, it can cause conditions such as low birth weight and premature birth. As the child grows older it may develop problems such as the ability to process what they are hearing and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder).

9.) Over 400,000 Americans die each year from smoking-related diseases. That's more than from AIDS, alcohol, car accidents, fires, illegal drugs, murders and suicides combined.

10.) A very strong relationship exists between smoking and academic performance. Of all high school seniors with an A average in their senior year, only 7% were currently daily smokers; of those with a D average, 46% were daily smokers.

via: http://mason.k12.il.us