Young smokers may be unaware of the power of nicotine addiction and how cigarette smoking might alter their life plans. A 2005 Department of Health survey showed that a majority of South Dakota middle school students thought they would not be smoking in the future, and that those who did smoke wanted to quit.
Cigarette smoking causes serious health problems. Smoking makes it harder to start a family and shortens life expectancy. Youth tobacco users who don't end their habits soon may find that the mental and physical effects of addiction make other health issues lifelong realities.
Nicotine Addiction
The nicotine in cigarettes is habit-forming and very difficult to give up. The National Council on Drug Abuse reports that nine out of 10 smokers can't or won't quit tobacco use, and that quitting is most difficult for people who start cigarette smoking before age 21.
Like heroin, this type of drug addiction is both psychologically and physically addictive. The results of these health problems are cravings and the compulsion to find the money, time and places to smoke. The consequences include substandard health and the greater likelihood of premature death.
Respiratory Impairment
Cigarette smoking affects youths more significantly than adults, according to the U.S. Surgeon General's 2004 report. Short-term health problems include coughing, wheezing, phlegm and shortness of breath. Young smokers are more likely to get sick with colds, flus, acute bronchitis and pneumonia.
Long-term health problems include quicker decline in lung function due to incomplete development, as well as the initiation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The American Lung Association notes that the first stage of COPD, chronic bronchitis, can affect tobacco users of any age. This often leads to emphysema, an incurable lung disease.
Cardiovascular Damage
Young smokers may notice that their heart rates speed up after smoking a cigarette. This can eventually create serious heart arrhythmias. Tobacco use also causes the blood vessels to narrow, which makes the heart work harder.
Even in the short term, this cardiovascular stress reduces physical fitness. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that youth smokers have less endurance and poorer athletic performance than nonsmokers.
Carcinogenesis
The carcinogenic compounds in tobacco smoke can initiate unstoppable cancerous growth in cells. While symptoms or conditions may not arise for years, the process can begin early on in an individual with a smoking habit. The surgeon general reports that smoking causes leukemia, lung cancer and cancers of the mouth, larynx, throat, esophagus, stomach, kidney, pancreas, bladder, cervix and uterus.
References
- South Dakota Department of Health: South Dakota Youth Tobacco Survey
- National Institute on Drug Abuse: The Brain's Response to Nicotine
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Executive Summary
- American Lung Association: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Fact Sheet
- CDC: Youth and Tobacco
