Tobacco is made from the dried leaves of the tobacco plant. When ingested, tobacco has a stimulant effect (i.e., it speeds up the messages travelling between the brain and body). One of the chemicals which naturally occurs in tobacco is nicotine. Nicotine is toxic and highly addictive. The cultivation and production processes involved in making tobacco products also introduce many other chemicals. These include pesticides, herbicides and fertilisers, as well as hundreds of chemical additives to increase flavour and addictiveness.

When people use tobacco it causes a chemical called dopamine to be released in the brain, when can result in short-term feelings of happiness, energy/alertness, stress relief, and increased concentration. Tobacco use can also result in reduced muscle tension and lower appetite. Many people try tobacco for the first time when they are young. There are many reasons why adolescents may start using tobacco, including:

• Peer pressure and wanting to fit in with social norms
• Emulating role models in their lives (including parents) or in the media
• Targeted advertising and promotion from the tobacco industry.

Nicotine – a naturally occurring chemical found in tobacco – is highly addictive, and can make it difficult for people to stop using tobacco once they have started (particularly if they start when they are young).

Tobacco is usually smoked – that is, it is burned and the smoke is inhaled. This allows the nicotine to be absorbed through the mouth and lungs, and the effects are felt straight away. Tobacco can be smoked in different ways:

• Manufactured or roll your own cigarettes (tobacco wrapped in a roll of paper)
• Cigars (tobacco wrapped in a tobacco leaf or the leaf of another plant)
• Pipes (loose-leaf tobacco smoked in a pipe)
• Waterpipe / shisha / hookah (a device with a base filled with water, a tube, and a bowl where the tobacco is burnt – smoke from the burning tobacco passes through the water before being inhaled).

Tobacco can also be chewed, snorted, or held between the cheek and gums. When used in these ways, the nicotine is absorbed through the nose and mouth. These “smokeless tobacco” products (including chewing tobacco, dipping tobacco, snuff, and snus) are not legally available for purchase in Australia.

The effect that tobacco has on an individual depends on a number of factors. These include:

• How much is taken/inhaled
• The method of use
• The height and weight of the user
• The user’s current physical and mental health status
• The user’s previous experience with tobacco (i.e. new user vs frequent user)
• Whether other substances (alcohol, medications, illicit drugs) are used at the same time.

The immediate effects of tobacco consumption include increased heart rate, higher blood pressure, and muscle relaxation. Nicotine also stimulates the brain stem and stomach, which can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea when the body isn’t used to it, and it can also reduce appetite and alter taste. Tobacco use is associated with improved mood, concentration and memory in the short-term, although long-term use can lead to increased risk of cognitive impairment.

People who smoke tobacco regularly may build up a tolerance to these effects.

Tobacco use also has a range of extremely serious long-term health consequences. More information about these can be found in the FAQ what are the health risks of using tobacco?

​​​​​​​

Passive smoking is when someone breathes in the chemicals from “second-hand” tobacco smoke – i.e., the smoke that smokers breathe out combined with “sidestream smoke” from the lit end of cigarettes.

Passive smoking can occur even when there are no smokers present. The chemicals in second-hand smoke can stay in the air for hours, and can stay on walls, furniture, clothes and other objects for months or even years. This residue is known as “third-hand smoke”. It is difficult to get rid of third-hand smoke through ventilation or cleaning.

Passive smoking is harmful even at low levels of exposure. It can cause or worsen a range of conditions including:

• Cancer
• Heart attacks
• Heart disease
• Respiratory infections such as pneumonia and chronic bronchitis
• Asthma
• Diabetes.

Passive smoking is especially risky for:

• Unborn babies
• Children and young people
• People with breathing problems.

If you are worried about your own or someone else’s tobacco use, there are a number of places you can find information and support.  

• Contact Quitline:
  • Call 13 QUIT (13 78 48) to speak to a Quitline counsellor
  • Request a callback using an online form or by texting “call back” to 0482 090 634 (VIC, SA, NT, WA only)
  • Get in touch via Facebook messenger @quitvic (VIC, SA, NT, WA only) or WhatsApp +61 385 832 920 (VIC, SA, NT, WA only)
• Visit the national cessation platform at quit.org.au to find out more about the benefits of quitting and to get practical strategies to help you quit
• Download the free My QuitBuddy app to help support you to quit smoking.