Nicotine is an addictive substance. When nicotine enters the bloodstream, it alters both the mind and the body. Nicotine, along with the other chemicals in tobacco, produces some pleasurable effects—but there are also very serious long-term health implications to those using tobacco products and those who live or work with tobacco users.

Today adults continue to use cigarettes much more often than other forms of tobacco. According to a 1998 survey, 24 percent of American adults smoke cigarettes (26 percent of men and 22 percent of women). The figure is lowest among the most educated adults, with only 11 percent of college-educated adults smoking. It is highest (37 percent) among those who were not high-school graduates. Some types of tobacco are used almost exclusively by men—4 percent of men use cigars, 2 percent use pipes, 3 percent use chewing...