The facts about smoking and vaping

Hello, my name is Mr. Wells and welcome to today's RSHE lesson. Today's lesson is called The Facts About Smoking, and it's part of the unit, Risky Substances: Why do People Get Addicted? We recommend that you are supervised by an adult for this lesson. Let's get started. Today's lesson outcome is "I can describe the health risks of smoking and vaping and explain why some people choose to smoke and vape." Every RSHE lesson at Oak has some ground rules. We're going to take a moment to go through them now. Laura says it's important that we listen to others. Jacob says there should be no judgment. Andeep says we should respect privacy. And Izzy says we should choose our level of participation. Throughout today's lesson, there are some keywords and they're highlighted in bold throughout the slides. Let's go through them together. The first is tobacco. Tobacco is a plant used in cigarettes that contains nicotine and produces harmful smoke when burned. The second keyword is nicotine. That's an addictive drug that cigarettes and some vapes contain. We also have addictive. If something is addictive, it makes you want to keep using it or doing it, even if it's not good for you. The fourth keyword is vape. That's an electronic device that produces a vapor containing chemicals which is then breathed in. And finally, the word vaping: breathing in vapor from an electronic device that may contain nicotine and other chemicals. Watch out for those words as we go through the lesson. Today's lesson is in three parts. The first part is called What harm do cigarettes do? The second is What harm do vapes do? And finally, we'll look at Why do people smoke and vape? Let's make a start with our first learning cycle, What harm do cigarettes do? Sometimes we might make choices that we know aren't healthy for us. For example: having too much screen time or consuming too much sugar. Jun says, "What examples can you think of?" Take a moment and talk to the person next to you. Other unhealthy choices that you might have talked about could include: not getting enough sleep or not doing enough exercise. It is normal not to make healthy choices all the time, but it is important to try to make healthy choices when we can. Smoking cigarettes is an example of an unhealthy choice. And most people in the UK don't smoke, but some people do. Dr. Elsie tells us that, in 2022, only around 12% of adults in the UK were smokers. Cigarettes contain tobacco, which when lit, produces dangerous smoke. This smoke contains different chemicals including: nicotine, tar, carbon monoxide. Nicotine is the chemical that makes smoking addictive. This means that people who smoke regularly can find it very difficult to stop, even when they want to. Nicotine can also affect the body in other ways. It can: make your heart beat faster, make you feel sick or dizzy, and cause headaches. Because nicotine is addictive, people who smoke can feel a strong urge to have a cigarette and find it difficult to resist this urge. If someone is addicted to something, that means they struggle to not have it for a period of time. And people who want to quit smoking can have nicotine in certain medicines to relieve the feeling of wanting to smoke. It's time for our first check for understanding. What is the substance that makes smoking addictive? Is it A: nicotine, B: tar, or C: carbon monoxide? Well done. The correct answer was A, nicotine. That's the substance that makes smoking addictive. Tar damages your lungs. It makes it more difficult for your lungs to take in air. It can also: stain your teeth, stain your fingers, and increase the risk of lung cancer. Carbon monoxide is a very dangerous gas. It damages your heart and lungs. This can increase the risk of: heart disease, a stroke, carbon monoxide poisoning. Smoking can increase the risk of many health conditions: heart attacks, cancer, blood clots, strokes, lung disease, and artery disease. Smoking can also lead to poor mental health. And Dr. Elsie is here to remind us that smoking cigarettes can increase the risk of anxiety, depression, and stress. This can result in a decline in mood and quality of life. It's time for our next check for understanding. You're doing really well. Which of these can be caused by smoking? A: a reduced heart rate, B: cancer, or C: increased life expectancy? Well done. The correct answer was cancer. Nicotine pouches are small bags placed under the lip that release nicotine, the same addictive chemical found in cigarettes and most vapes. Even though they don't contain tobacco and don't produce smoke or vapor, they are not safe for children because the brain and body are still developing. David is a youth worker and he says, "It's important to remember just because something looks harmless doesn't mean it is. If you ever see something like this and wonder what it is, you can always talk to a trusted adult." It's time for our next check for understanding. What is true about nicotine pouches? A: they are sweets that are safe for children, B; they can harm growing bodies, C: they help you stay healthy, or D: they are just mint pouches with no effect? The correct answer is they can harm growing bodies. Well done if you got that right. It's already time for our first task. I want you to label a diagram showing how smoking can affect the body. One of the answers has already been done for you. You can pause the screen now and press play when you're ready to go through your answers. How did you get on? I'm sure you came up with some great answers. Let's go through them together. You were asked to label the diagram showing how smoking can affect the body. And you might have written: lung cancer, dizziness and headaches, heart disease, and stained fingers. Well done. It's time to move on to the second learning cycle. The second learning cycle is called What harm do vapes do? Vapes are electronic cigarettes. Vapes work by heating up chemicals to create a vapor. All vapes contain chemicals and many also contain nicotine. Dr. Elsie says, "Only around one in eight people in the UK vape." Breathing in vapor from vapes can cause several health problems, such as breathing problems, coughing, feeling sick, headaches, and/or dizziness. Dr. Elsie reminds us that "The chemicals in vapes can also harm the lungs and heart. If a vape contains nicotine, this adds extra risk because nicotine is addictive and affects how the body works." Vaping is considered safer than smoking, but it is not risk-free. We know that vapes can cause short-term harm, but unlike cigarettes and tobacco, we don't know all the health risks of vaping for a long period of time. This is because vaping is a relatively new product. Sam asks a really good question. "Why is it dangerous not to know the long-term effects of vaping?" Well, many of the long-term health risks of vaping are still unknown, meaning it could be more harmful than we currently know. For young people, vaping is especially risky as nicotine can harm the developing brain and make it harder to concentrate or sleep. It's time for our next check for understanding. True or false? Vaping is not dangerous as it has no health risks. Is that true or is it false? The correct answer is false. I wonder if you can tell me why. Well, vaping does have health risks. We know it can cause breathing problems, coughing, and other effects. There may also be health risks we don't know about yet because vaping is relatively new. Vapes are not safe or suitable for children. It is illegal for anyone under the age of 18 to be sold cigarettes or vapes or for adults to buy cigarettes or vapes for them. Dr. Elsie says, "Children can experience severe health effects from vaping as their bodies are still changing." If someone doesn't smoke, it is advised not to start vaping because of the possible health risks and risk of addiction. When can vaping help? Well, Dr. Elsie says, "Vapes can help adult smokers who already smoke to quit cigarettes by reducing nicotine slowly. But vaping is not meant for young people or non-smokers. It's a tool to help adults stop smoking, not to start a new habit." It's time for our next task. I would like you to fill in the paragraph about vaping. Use the word bank to help. "Many vapes contain blank, which can make them blank. This means they are difficult to stop using. Vaping can cause blank problems, coughing and headaches. Vaping is considered blank harmful than smoking, but we don't know all the blank-term health risks yet." As you can see, under the paragraph that you're expected to complete, there are some keywords. Some of those words belong in the paragraph and some of them don't belong there. See if you can put the missing words into the paragraph. Well done. Your paragraph should look something like this. "Many vapes contain nicotine, which can make them addictive. This means they are difficult to stop using. Vaping can cause breathing problems, coughing and headaches. Vaping is considered less harmful than smoking, but we don't know all the long-term health risks yet." And you can see that the words: short, healthy, tobacco and more, do not fit in the paragraph. Well done if you got those right. It's time to move on to our final learning cycle of today's lesson. You're doing really well. The final learning cycle is called Why do people smoke and vape? Smoking and vaping can be addictive if they contain nicotine. For some people, nicotine can: reduce stress, fill a person with energy and excitement, and/or increase concentration. Nurse Daniel says that for some people, the nicotine makes vaping and smoking very difficult to stop because they like the effect it has on them. Some people who are trying to stop smoking will vape instead to help them quit. Vaping can help adult smokers reduce the amount of nicotine in their body slowly. Nurse Daniel says, "However, then NHS recommends that people who use it to stop smoking still eventually stop vaping too." So vapes are a tool to help people stop smoking. Laura says, "Some people experience peer pressure or peer influence to smoke or vape." And Sofia says, "Some people think that smoking and vaping will impress their friends." Finally, Lucas says, "Some people think that smoking and vaping aren't dangerous." Some people vape because of the way they are marketed. The Tobacco and Vapes Act of 2026 introduces rules to limit the designs that appeal to young people, restrict flavors that appeal to children, ban the promotion aimed at young people, and limit packaging that attracts young people. All of these things are designed to reduce the appeal of vapes to young people. It's time for our next check for understanding. Which are reasons why someone might smoke or vape? A: they like the effect the product's nicotine has on them, B: they know that smoking and vaping have dangerous effects, or C: they have an addiction to the nicotine in the products? Well done, the correct answers were A, they like the effect the product's nicotine has on them, and C, they have an addiction to the nicotine in the products. Well done if you got those right. There is also a new law which aims to create a smoke-free generation. And it means there are new age rules. So people born before the 1st of January 2009 can legally buy tobacco at the age of 18. But people born on or after the 1st of January 2009 will never be sold tobacco legally. Most people in the UK do not smoke or vape. But as you get older, you might find that people around you smoke or vape. You might be asked in the future if you want to try smoking or vaping or be offered something from a nicotine pouch. Children should not smoke, vape, or use nicotine pouches because these products are not safe for them to use. If this happens, you could: say no firmly and walk away; tell a trusted adult, especially as it is illegal for anyone under 18 to be sold nicotine products; say no and explain the health risks if you feel confident. And remember, friends should always respect your decision and shouldn't continue to pressure you. It's time for our next check for understanding. True or false? If someone is under 18, they should tell a trusted adult if another person asks them to try smoking or vaping. And the correct answer is true. It's time for our final task. I would like you to explain to Laura why people might decide to smoke or vape. Laura says, "If smoking and vaping is so bad for you, why do people do it?" Your answer to Laura might have included the following. Cigarettes and vapes can contain nicotine, which is addictive. This means people find it very difficult to stop using them. People might like the effects nicotine has on them, such as reducing stress or helping concentration, and they might experience peer pressure from people around them. It's time for the second part of our task. If someone offers Laura a cigarette or a vape, what does she need to do? Write down three to four ideas. Remember that Laura is under the age of 18. You can pause the screen now and press play when you're ready to go through your answers. Your answers might have included the following: say no firmly and walk away. Tell a trusted adult. Explain the health risks if she feels confident to do so. And remember that friends should always respect her decision. Well done if you got those answers. It's time to take a moment to summarize what we've learned in today's lesson. It is illegal for anyone under the age of 18 to be sold nicotine products or vapes. Smoking can lead to many health conditions, and most people do not smoke or vape. Vaping is considered less harmful than smoking cigarettes, but also carries health risks. Many vapes contain nicotine, which is addictive, and children should not smoke, vape, or use nicotine pouches as they are not safe for them to use. It might be that throughout today's lesson, you feel like you need some more support. Well, the NHS Live Well website offers advice about healthy living, exercise, quitting smoking and vaping and drinking less alcohol. And the website, Childline and phone line is available to offer confidential advice and support to young people. Well done for all your hard work today. And I hope you join us for another Oak National Academy lesson very soon. Thank you.