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Who'd have to be living on Mars not to know that smoking is dangerous. Yet statistics show that young people today smoke more, not less. Why?

One answer is that many teens think it cool. Another is the enormous sums of money invested in advertising cigarettes. Tobacco companies spend millions to encourage the young to smart, or to continue, smoking. The Marlboro Man, Joe the Camel and others do cool things and act important while smoking- just to get you to think that if you smoke this brand, you can do these things too. This isn t true. These people are not real and the things they do are made- up. For tobacco companies cigarettes mean money. For us they mean disease and even death.

Over 90% of all smokers start before they are 18. The average age for a new smoker is 13. Among the 13- year- old smokers there are more girls than boys. Smoking kills about 3 million people every year. Some arent even smokers. They are people who live or work with heavy smokers.

Here are some sad, sad, sad facts about smoking. Your clothes and hair will have a terrible smell. Your teeth will turn yellow. You will have bad breath. Your hair and skin will become dry. Youll get premature wrinkles.

Smokers store more fat around the waist. A smoker is 22 times more likely to die of lung cancer than a non- smoker. In fact, 30% of all cancer deaths are caused by smoking. Smoking causes heart attacks. By the way, heart disease is now the number- one killer in Russia.

Nicotine isnt the only bad thing in cigarettes, there are over 400 chemicals in one cigarette that are known to be harmful. Smoking causes bronchitis, asthma and emphysema. Pregnant women (especially teenagers) who smoke will take a lot of pregnancy risks. They even may give birth to stillborn babies. Babies of women smokers are more likely to have mental disorders than babies of women non- smokers.

Babies with mothers who smoke develop more slowly during childhood. Cigarette smoke clogs and makes lungs awfully dirty. Nicotine is as addictive as heroin or cocaine. Seven out of 10 smokers want to quit, but cant.

Girls, cigarette packs leave no room in your purse for your compact and lipstick. Youll become richer. Cigarettes cost money. So think twice before lighting up that cigarette of yours!