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truth® exposes unexpected ways tobacco affects young people

You’re probably familiar with the fact that smoking cigarettes can cause lung cancer and heart disease, but did you know that smoking may also dull your taste buds, harm the environment and even impact your sex life? The latest videos from truth®, televised during the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards, continue to expose the facts about ways tobacco use impacts things young people care about.

Can smoking cause erectile dysfunction?

Yes. In fact, smoking can cause erectile dysfunction in men as young as 20. An erection is only possible when blood vessels in the penis enlarge and fill with blood. Smoking disrupts blood vessels in that area of the body, meaning the action can’t always happen.

Why are cigarette butts the most littered item on earth?

Since the 1980s, cigarette butts have consistently made up 30 to 40 percent of all items collected in annual international coastal and urban cleanups. Smoking rates that are still high, combined with the common practice of littering butts that do not biodegrade, create conditions that perpetuate toxic cigarette litter. The waste from cigarettes can leach toxic chemicals into the environment, leading to land, water and air pollution. 

How does smoking affect your taste buds?

Foodies: beware. Smoking can dull — or kill — your taste buds by changing the blood supply your taste buds are getting.