Tobacco companies intentionally use advertising campaigns that target teens and young adults. A 1981 Phillip Morris Companies memo, reported by the World Health Organization, or WHO, states, "Today's teenager is tomorrow's potential regular customer." Young people often receive peer pressure from their friends to smoke, and they are influenced by the habits and attitudes of family members. WHO reports that children of smokers are at a higher risk to become smokers themselves.
Statistics
The average adult smoker reports trying her first cigarette at about 12 years old. Cigarette smoking kills over 440,000 people every year, a rate of over 1,200 per day. The World Health Organization reports that 50 percent of youth smokers will die from smoking if they do not quit.
Short-term Effects
Smoking in young people produces immediate negative effects on nearly all body systems. In the respiratory system, smoking causes airway constriction, coughing, excessive phlegm production and a decrease in physical performance due to lack of oxygen. Circulatory effects of smoking include constriction of blood vessels, increased heart rate and elevated blood pressure. Smoking causes problems in the mouth and gastrointestinal system including bad breath, tooth and gum disease, bad breath, heartburn and ulcers. Smoking also reduces disease immunity.
Long-term Effects
People who start smoking while young are more likely to be smokers for life. The number of years spent smoking exacerbates its long-term effects. These include an increased risk for respiratory disease, cancers of the lungs and mouth, stroke and heart disease such as atherosclerosis, which leads to heart attack. Smokers have a shorter life expectancy than non-smokers by an average of seven years.
Misconceptions
Young people often believe that they can quit smoking easily. However, the National Library of Medicine's Medline Plus website reports, "People who start smoking before the age of 21 have the hardest time quitting." The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids states that nicotine addiction is strong and occurs within weeks of starting casual smoking. In fact, 70 percent of youth smokers have unsuccessfully tried to quit.
Though smokers often claim that cigarettes are a stress reliever, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids cites a 2001 study, which revealed that smokers generally have higher stress levels than non-smokers. American Psychologist magazine states, "The feelings of relaxation that smokers experience while they are smoking are actually a return to the normal unstressed state that non-smokers experience all of the time."
Correlations
Medline Plus states that teen smokers are more likely than non-smokers are to engage in other unhealthy behaviors. The World Health Organization reports that teen smokers are three times more likely to use alcohol and up to 22 times more prone to use illegal drugs including marijuana and cocaine.
Teen smokers also suffer from more anxiety and mood disorders, including panic attacks and depression, than their non-smoking peers.
