According to the National Institutes of Health, nearly 25 percent of high school students smoke. Those who start smoking before age 21 have the hardest time quitting. Young people who smoke are more likely to participate in high-risk behaviors such as drug and alcohol abuse. Young smokers are subject to panic attacks and depression. Children are not born with the desire to smoke. In order to prevent young people from starting the cigarette habit, it's important to understand why they start.
Peer Pressure
A teen's first cigarette usually comes from a friend. Peer pressure has tremendous impact on a young person's decision to experiment with cigarettes, according to Teen Smoking. Sometimes, teens start smoking because a friend dares them to. Other teens who are trying to find themselves experiment with cigarettes and become addicted. Smoking is also viewed as an act of rebellion and a way to demonstrate independence.
The Media
The media has a major impact on a teen's decision to smoke. Teens are likely to experiment with different personas as they try to discover themselves. Smoking is portrayed as glamorous, sexy and macho in the mass media. Movies portray smoking as living the high life and being "cool." The National Cancer Institute cites a study that clearly associates teen smoking with portrayal of smoking in the movies. In fact, the researchers of the study found that out of all factors influencing teens to smoke, portrayal of smoking in the movies was the most significant risk factor.
Sense of Immortality
The health risks seem very distant to teens who have little life experience. Lung cancer, chronic cough and other diseases seem like "old people's diseases." Teens have an overall sense of invincibility and are more likely to participate in high-risk behaviors. They don't comprehend the difficulty involved in quitting and believe that they can stop whenever they want to.
