What's Tobacco?

Tobacco

Say: tuh-BAK-oh

Tobacco is a plant that can be dried and smoked in cigarettes, pipes, or cigars. It's the same plant that's in smokeless tobacco, known as dip, chew, snuff, spit, or chewing tobacco. Tobacco contains nicotine, which is addictive. That means a person gets so used to it that they need to have it just to feel OK. On top of all that, nicotine and other chemicals in tobacco cause diseases, including lung problems, heart disease, and some kinds of cancer.