Smoking: the dangers of nicotine. (Tobacco).(Brief Article)

"Good practice, everybody!" Coach Dickinson called to the guys as they left the gym.

"We're going to win on Friday for sure!" Jared thought to himself. He grabbed his gym bag from his locker and headed outside. Peter and his older brother Max were waiting for him. Sixteen-year-old Max had just gotten his driver's license and was giving the boys a ride home.

"Hey, Jared, guess what Max brought us?" asked Peter. He was hiding something behind his back. Grinning, he pulled out a pack of cigarettes.

"Want a smoke?" asked Max, slipping a cigarette out of the pack and lighting it.

Jared was caught off guard. He didn't know what to do. He knew all about the health risks of smoking, of course. His own grandmother once had a lung removed because of lung cancer, and his teacher had talked about other lung problems and heart disease in school. Jared knew that when people smoke a lot, they have trouble breathing when they're running or going up the stairs. He didn't want smoking to slow him down and ruin his game.

Still, Jared was curious. Besides, he didn't really know how to say no to Peter, and he certainly didn't want Max to think he was a little kid. He looked around quickly to see if anyone was watching, then reached out for a cigarette.

Would just one cigarette harm Jared's body? It might make him cough and feel dizzy and sick to his stomach. But the real problem is that it could be hard for Jared to stop smoking once he's started. That's because the nicotine (NICK-uh-teen) in tobacco is addictive. Once Jared's body gets used to nicotine, Jared will crave it more and more. What's the best thing for Jared to do?