Introduction

Tobacco-related illnesses are the most preventable causes of death in our society. Every year, about three million people around the world die as a result of smoking. Tobacco use is to blame for nearly one in three cancer deaths in the United States every year. Because tobacco is smoked, chewed, held in the mouth, and sometimes swallowed, it affects almost every system of your body.

A survey was done recently of 23,000 students in 255 schools in 49 counties in Florida. Almost one out of four middle school students and over 35% of high school students reported using some form of tobacco right before the survey. Scientists call tobacco use a pediatric disease because of the number of young people who begin to use tobacco and become addicted before the age of 18.