What are some statistics that tell us the extent to which smoking can lead to premature death?
(If you smoked 20 cigarettes a day, your life would be shortened by about five years; every cigarette you smoke takes about five minutes from your life; for every 1,000 young adults who smoke regularly, one will be murdered, six will be killed in road accidents, and 250 will die before the age of 65 because of smoking; in the United States, an average of 430,700 people die each year due to smoking.) Suggest that students graph the statistics. • Have students look at the tobacco ads they brought in. Point out that tobacco companies spend billions of dollars each year advertising their products. What kinds of pictures do cigarette companies use to persuade people to smoke or chew tobacco? (The ads show attractive young people, fun social occasions and beautiful scenes of nature and interesting places.) Do these pictures fit with the facts about tobacco that you have learned? (No. Images of health and happiness do not fit with the reality of diseases and early death.) What kinds of words
