Facts about Alcohol and Tobacco

• Alcohol affects the body’s ability to cope with stress.
• Alcohol affects the brain and the body’s sleeping rhythm.
• Alcohol delays wound healing and reduce the immune system’s protective functions.
• A small amount of red wine protects the heart. This is not due to the alcohol, but other ingredients in the red wine which have a protective effect.
• Alcohol is a carcinogenic substance.

Health damage caused by smoking does not only affect adults – but teenage smokers as well:

• Coughing, mucus and increased risk of colds, sore throats and pneumonia.
• Asthma.
• Poor physical shape.
• The lungs do not develop fully into adult size.
• Alteration of fats in the blood with increased risk of arteriosclerosis.

Teenage brains are very sensitive to nicotin and other stimulants:

• 90 % of all smokers began smoking before the age of 21.

Most teenagers who have smoked 100 cigarettes or more want to quit but find it difficult.

Nicotin increases the risk for addiction to other substances:

• The risk for addiction to alcohol increases 3 times.
• The risk for adiction to marijuana increases 8 times.
• The risk for addiction to cocaine increases 22 times.
• Teenage smokers have an increased risk of being exposed to violence and unsafe sex.
• The risk of becoming a smoker is greatest when your friends smoke.