The glamour of smoking?

What really goes on in the bodies of the smokers in cigarette ads? Our miniposter gives you a "behind-the-scenes" look.

CIRCULATION

These thermograms, or "heat maps," show a smoker's circulation by recording body-heat distribution. The bluish colors indicate cool temperatures and limited circulation. The yellows and reds show warmer areas, indicating more circulation in the hand and arm. After smoking, nicotine constricts blood vessels and impairs circulation to the body's extremities, as shown at far right.

BLOOD

Carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke replaces up to 12 percent of the oxygen normally carried by red blood cells (right). With less oxygen reaching different parts of the body, physical activity becomes more strenuous.

FERTILITY

Smoking reduces fertility in both men and women. Male smokers experience impotence and lower sperm counts. Female smokers who are pregnant risk miscarriage, birth defects, and premature labor.

LUNGS

New studies show that smoking stunts the growth of teens' lungs and decreases their breathing capacity. In addition, tar in cigarette smoke coats and kills lung tissue. Later in life, this may lead to lung cancer or emphysema--a lung disease that destroys the walls of the lungs' air sacs (see bottom half of this smoker's lung).

HEART

Smoking makes the heart work harder to pump an extra 10 to 25 times per minute. Unfortunately, less oxygen reaches the heart, which may cause heart disease. Smoking also raises blood pressure 10 to 15 percent, increasing the risk of a stroke or heart attack.

SKIN

The smooth, young-looking skin you see in cigarette-ad models won't last for long. Smoking destroys elastin, the elastic fibers that keep skin smooth and wrinkle-free. Nicotine in cigarette smoke also constricts blood vessels near the skin's surface. So less oxygen and moisture reach facial cells and tissues. Result: early wrinkles, especially in females.

EYES

Smoking can lead to blindness. According to new research, smokers are twice as likely to develop macular degeneration, or damage to the center of the damage results from decreased blood flow to the retina.

TEETH

Cigarette-ad models displays gleaming, white teeth. But a real smoker's teeth are yellow from tar--the dark, sticky mixture of some chemicals in cigarette smoke. Smoking also inhibits the antibodies that protect your gums from periodontal disease. This could be lead to receding gums and tooth loss.

BRAIN

Why do smokers keep reaching for cigarettes even when they know smoking is unhealthy? Because nicotine, an addictive chemical in tobacco, is at work. Nicotine activates the mesolimbic system--the part of the brain that produces "feel good" chemicals. Smokers crave the nicotine "high"and want more.

STOMACH

Cigarette smoke stimulates overproduction of the stomach's gastric juices, which can lead to ulcers.

RELATED ARTICLE: TEST YOUR TOBACCO IQ

You've probably heard more than enough about the dangers of smoking. Or have you? Take this quiz to test your tobacco IQ. Then check out the "glamour" of smoking miniposter on pages 10-11. Quiz answers are on page 12.

1. A new study shows that smoking stunts the growth of teens': a. brains. b. lungs. c. hands. d. whole bodies.

2. Cigarette smoke contains the same chemicals used in: a. rat poison. b. toilet-bowl cleaner. c. dead-frog preserver. d. all of the above.

3. Aside from being the main ingredient in cigarette, tobacco leaves are also used: a. as herbal seasoning. b. to make insecticides. c. for tea. d. in compost.

4. The number of people who die in the United States each day of smoking-related diseases could fill: a. a space shuttle. b. a bus. c. three jumbo jets. d. a stadium.

5. The nicotine a smoker inhales from cigarette smoke: a. reaches the brain within a few seconds. b. leaves the body when the smoker exhales. c. never leaves the lungs. d. causes lung cancer.

6. About 60 milligrams of nicotine can kill an adult if taken all at ounce. That much nicotine can be found in about: a. 7,00 cigarettes. b. 700 cigarettes. c. 70 cigarettes. d. 7 cigarettes.

7. Which of the following organs is affected by smoking? a. larynx b. stomach c. bladder d. all of the above

8. Smokeless tobacco, tobacco held in the mouth between the cheek and gums, --. a. is less harmful than cigarettes. b. can pause puffy cheeks. c. can cause callouses in the mouth and gums. d. has the same amount of nicotine as a cigarette.

9. Chewing nicotine gum, which supplies low doses of nicotine, -- returns to normal. a. pulse rate. b. the risk of having a heart attack c. the risk of getting lung cancer c. the risk of getting lung cancer d. lung capacity.

RELATED ARTICLE: ANSWERS TO TOBACCO QUIZ

Do you know everything there is to know about smoking? Check out the answers below and see how well you scored.

1. b In a 15-year study of more than 10,000 youths, researchers found that smoking stunted the growth of lungs in teens. They also found that girls suffered more lung damage than boys who smoked the same amount. Researchers think girls are more vulnerable because they tend to have narrower airways than boys.

2. d According to the American Lung Association, cigarette smoke contains more than 3,600 different chemicals. These include cyanide (rat poison), ammonia (toilet-bowl cleaner), and formaldehyde (dead-frog preserver).

3. b The nicotine in tobacco is an alkaloid--a class of chemical compounds that includes cocaine, morphine, and strychnine. Some plants produce alkaloids as a chemical defense against leaf-chewing insects. Inferior grades of tobacco are used to make insecticides.

4. c More than 400,000 Americans die of smoking-related disease each year, or about 1,160 people each day. That's equivalent to the death toll of three jumbo jets crashing every day of the year with no survivors. More people die from smoking each year than die from alcohol, cocaine, crack, heroin, homicide, suicide, fires, car accidents, and AIDS combined.

5. a Smoking is a very effective way of delivering nicotine to the body. Nicotine enters the lungs, where blood absorbs it and delivers it to the brain within 8 seconds. A drug injected into a vein in the arm takes about 14 seconds to reach the brain.

6. d One cigarette contains about 7 to 9 milligrams of nicotine. A smoker inhales an average of 1 milligram per cigarette. The body quickly breaks down the nicotine to keep it from building up to a fatal dose.

7. d Cigarette smoke contains about 40 chemicals known to cause cancer in humans. These chemicals affect any tissue they come in contact with, including the larynx, stomach, and bladder.

8. c Smokeless tobacco causes mouth sores and callouses, bleeding gums, and even mouth cancer. While many teens think smokeless tobacco is less harmful than regular cigarettes, a "dip" or pinchful of smokeless tobacco actually contains the same amount of nicotine as 3 to 4 cigarettes.

9. c The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says nicotine replacement theraphy, which includes chewing nicotine gum, is a safe and effective way to help smokers quit. Chewing nicotine gum is safer than smoking cigarettes because it doesn't contain the cancer-causing substances in tobacco smoke.

10. a A smoker's pulse rate returns to normal 20 minutes after smoking stops. Lung capacity starts to increase 72 hours after a person quits smoking. The risk of having a heart attack drops to that of a nonsmoker after 3 to 5 years. But it takes a decade to reduce the risk of dying from lung cancer to nonsmoking levels.

SCORING:

Count how many answers you got right and compare with the scorecard below:

1-3: Up in smoke Don't let all that smoke get in your eyes. Clear the air and read up on the facts here.

4-7: Smoke detector Pretty good! You don't let a smoke screen hide the truth from you.

8-10: You're sssmokin'!!! (Not for real, we hoped!) Give yourself an ace and a breath of fresh air!