Effects of Tobacco and Staying Tobacco Free Tyler Scherer and Katie Seleskie Overview Grade: 8 Area: Alcohol, Tobacco and Drugs Emphasis: Decision Making, Analyzing Influences Objectives: Students will explain the effects of tobacco on the body. Students will identify 6 effects of tobacco on the body. Students will identify 4 hazards of exposure to secondhand smoke. Students will identify 3 reasons why people use tobacco products. Students will identify 3 factors that influence tobacco usage. Students will identify 3 reasons why people do not use tobacco products. Students will identify 3 strategies for staying tobacco free. Affect Students will understand the importance of abstaining from using tobacco products throughout their lives. Indiana s Academic Standards Performance Indicators: 8.1.8 Describe how pathogens, family history, and other risk factors are related to the cause or prevention of disease and other health problems. 8.1.9 Explain key health terms and concepts. 8.3.5 Demonstrate the ability to analyze a personal health assessment to determine health strengths and risks. 8.4.1 Describe how the family, school and peers influence the health and health behaviors of adolescents. 8.5.6 Demonstrate refusal and negotiation skills to enhance health. Time Requirements: 44 minutes
Materials & Preparation Materials: Blank copies of the It s My Body worksheet (1 per student) Transparencies of Why Use Tobacco? overhead Tobacco Scenarios group worksheets (6 scenarios per class) Preparation: Duplicate the It s My Body worksheet Duplicate the transparency of Why Use Tobacco? Overhead Duplicate the Tobacco Scenarios group worksheets Teaching Steps 1. Introduction to the effects of tobacco and ways to stay tobacco free. Review of Previous Lesson Tell: Today we are going to continue talking about tobacco. We will discuss what tobacco does to your body and how you can stay tobacco free throughout your life. Ask and Discuss: On Wednesday you talked about drugs, medicines and side effects. What are some examples of drugs? What is a side effect of a drug? What are some side effects? Bite: Examples of drugs include over the counter medicines, vaccines, antibiotics, illegal drugs. A side effect is any reaction to a medicine other than the one intended. Some common side effects are drowsiness, headache, etc. Overview of Today s Lesson and Why it is important Tell: For today s lesson we will be talking about the harmful effects of tobacco and why it is important to stay tobacco free. As you will soon learn, if you want to live a long and healthy life, you should not use tobacco products of any kind. 2. Harmful Substances in Tobacco Ask: What are some of the harmful substances in tobacco smoke? Note: Students will give various answers Tell: Harmful substances in tobacco smoke include: Bite: Nicotine- a stimulant that speeds up the heartbeat, it causes the addiction. Tar- thick, dark liquid formed when tobacco burns. Tar coats the inside of the lungs and can cause disease. Carbon monoxide- a poisonous gas produced when tobacco burns. This gas is also found in car exhaust.
Tell: Smoking cigarettes is harmful to many parts of the human body. Ask: How can smoking cigarettes affect the smoker s physical appearance? Bite: Stained teeth, wrinkly skin, yellow fingers, smelly clothes Tell: Smoking also has a harmful effect on the inside of the body. Tell: Tar build-up on the inside of the lungs can lead to emphysema. Ask: What is emphysema? Bite: Emphysema is a disease that occurs when tiny air sacs in the lungs are damaged. Tell: Nicotine from cigarettes increases the heart rate and causes blood vessels to become narrower. Ask: What affect does this have on the heart? Bite: (1) Narrower blood vessels cause the heart to work harder to pump blood through the body. (2)This strains the heart and can lead to a heart attack. Tell: Nicotine is active ingredient in cigarettes that releases chemicals in the brain that cause the smoker to want more nicotine. Ask: Do you think smoking is an addictive habit? Bite: The drug nicotine, which is in cigarettes, has been found to be a very addictive substance. 3. Effects of Secondhand Smoke and Smokeless Tobacco Tell: Secondhand smoke is tobacco smoke in the air that is inhaled by non-smokers.
Ask: Do you think people that are exposed to secondhand smoke can develop the same health problems? Bite: Non-smokers who breathe secondhand smoke are likely to develop some of the same health problems as those who smoke. Tell: Secondhand smoke causes 3,000 lung cancer deaths each year. Tell: Because of the dangers of second hand smoke many buildings no longer allow smoking. Because so many buildings have banned smoking there has been a direct increase in the use of smokeless tobacco. Tell: Smokeless tobacco, or snuff is finely ground tobacco that is held in the mouth. Ask: Why is snuff so dangerous to the mouth and stomach? Bite: The harmful substances in snuff come into direct contact with the sensitive tissues of the mouth Tell: Smokeless tobacco is just as addictive as smoked tobacco. Tell: Tobacco juice can cause white spots on the gums and inside the cheeks. These spots can become cancerous. Ask: What are some side effects of using smokeless tobacco? Ex: People who chew often lose their sense of taste and smell, develop bad breath, stained teeth, weak gums and oral cancers. Tell: Now each student is going to respond to the Dear Gabby letter. Individually the students need to read the letter and respond. Students must demonstrate the understanding that tobacco smoke is harmful to nonsmokers. Distribute: Dear Gabby letter (1 per student) Performance Task: Dear Gabby letter Note: Allow students time to complete their Dear Gabby letter. Ask: Would anyone be willing to share their Dear Gabby letter with the class?
Note: Allow 1-3 students to share their letter with the class. Tell: Now we will be talking about why people use tobacco products. 4. Why People Use Tobacco Products Ask: Why would someone choose to use tobacco? Put up the overhead, Why Use Tobacco. Bite: People use tobacco products because they claim that it reduces stress, makes them feel more attractive, look older, it is fun, they are addicted, advertising, it will help them fit in, it won t hurt their health, or it is a family tradition. Ask: Do you think these are good reasons to jeopardize your health and appearance? 5. Factors that Influence Your Decision to Use Tobacco Products Tell: There is no question that using tobacco products is harmful to your health. People are influenced by a variety of factors. Ask: Who or what pressures us to use tobacco products? Bite: Pressure from the media, peers, and family. 6. Why People Do Not Use Tobacco Products Tell: There are many reasons to say no to tobacco. It damages all body systems in increases your risk of developing cancer and other serious diseases. Ask: What are some reasons why people choose NOT to smoke? Put up overhead Why People Don t Use Tobacco. Cue: People don t use tobacco because it is expensive, makes your breath, clothing, skin and hair smell bad, stains your teeth, makes your face wrinkle and burns holes in your clothing.
7. Ways to Say NO to Tobacco Ask: Let s pretend that after school, someone offers you tobacco. What would you say to that person to help you stay tobacco free? Cue: Using tobacco is illegal for people under 18, my grandpa died of cancer and I don t want to go through that, my parents would be mad, I m on the team and smoking would hurt my lungs, it is expensive. 8. Performance Event-Tobacco Scenarios Tell: I would like you to get in groups of 4 or 5 people for this next activity. Now that we have learned about ways to say NO to tobacco, we are going to practice what we would do in certain real life situations. Discuss the scenario with your group. Decide what you should do in the situation and write your response. Be prepared to present your work to the class. Distribute: Tobacco Scenarios worksheet (1 per group) Note: Allow groups time to complete the scenarios Ask: Are their any groups that would like share their scenario with the class? Note: Allow some groups to share their scenarios with the class. Tell: Great job with that group activity. You all came up with some great refusal strategies for tobacco products. 9. Summarize and Debrief Debriefing Review and Discussion Points Check for Understanding: Explain the effects of tobacco products on the body. Check for Understanding: What are 6 effects of tobacco on the body? Check for Understanding: What are 4 hazards of exposure to secondhand smoke? Check for Understanding: List 3 reasons why people use tobacco products. Check for Understanding: List 3 factors that influence tobacco usage. Check for Understanding: List 3 strategies for staying tobacco free. Affect
Check for Understanding: Why is it important to abstain from using tobacco products throughout your lives? Assessment Assessment Activities Checks for Understanding Checks for Understanding Performance Event: It s My Body worksheet Performance Event: Tobacco Scenarios group worksheet Affect Checks for Understanding