Most children understand that smoking cigarettes is bad for them, but some still decide to smoke. Children try cigarettes for a variety of reasons--out of curiosity, to fit in with their friends, to rebel against their parents' rules or because they think they will look cooler or older. What these children may not realize is that the decisions they make when they're young don't just put them at risk for health problems later in life. Smoking is harmful for adults, but it can have even more serious consequences for children.
Fast Facts
Every day, over 3,900 children between ages 12 and 17 start smoking. Ninety percent of all adults who smoke began smoking in childhood, according to the Nemours Foundation. This is because people who start smoking before 21 have a harder time quitting smoking than people who start later in life, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sadly, 30 percent of people who smoke in childhood and adolescence continue to smoke and die early from a smoking-related disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Chemicals in Cigarettes
A cigarette contains around 4,000 chemicals, many of which are poisonous, according to the Center for Young Women's Health at Children's Hospital Boston. Some of the worst chemicals are arsenic, which is used in rat poison, ammonia, which is found in floor cleaner, carbon monoxide, which is part of car exhaust, formaldehyde, which is used to preserve body tissue, hydrogen cyanide, an extremely poisonous liquid, and butane, or lighter fluid.
Nicotine
Nicotine is on the list of dangerous chemicals in cigarettes. It is a chemical that affects a person's mood, nervous system, heart, lungs and stomach, according to the Nemours Foundation. It is also the chemical that causes a person to become addicted to smoking tobacco. In fact, a person who tries nicotine may become addicted to it within days of using it, making it potentially as addictive as heroin or cocaine, according to the Nemours Foundation.
Immediate Harms
You may already know that smoking can cause long-term health problems in adults, but children who smoke aren't safe from harm. Children and teens who smoke are likely to experience coughing, a hoarse voice, throat irritation, bad skin and breath, stained teeth, smelly clothes and hair, decreased athletic ability, a greater risk of becoming injured and slower healing time and increased risk of getting illnesses such as colds, bronchitis, pneumonia, according to the Nemours Foundation. Additionally, young smokers are more likely to use alcohol and illegal drugs and suffer from conditions such as depression and anxiety, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Long-Term Dangers
Many serious health consequences of smoking happen gradually over time. Smoking causes people to develop health problems such as emphysema, heart disease, stroke and many types of cancer. Smoking is responsible for around one in five deaths in the United States, says the Nemours Foundation. People who start smoking before age 20 have a higher chance of getting heart disease and high blood pressure, and they are more likely to develop those health problems at a younger age, according to the American Heart Association.
