An estimated 90 percent of tobacco users started using tobacco before age 18, according to KidsHealth. The earlier teens start smoking, the more damage smoking can cause to the body, resulting in disorders such as lung cancer, emphysema and more. Teens often start smoking without the intention of becoming addicted and becoming lifelong smokers. However, that is often exactly what can happen. Understanding the causes of teenage smoking can help you to break this cycle in your teen.
Role Models Who Smoke
When teens' family members--such as parents or siblings---smoke, teens are more likely to smoke, according to Family First Aid. Parents and family members serve as role models to a teen, who is forming opinions about the world. When parents smoke, smoking can seem more permissible to the teen. For example, 98 percent of smokers have parents who also smoke, according to Family First Aid, suggesting a strong link between parental smoking and teen smoking.
Peer Pressure
The teenage years can be filled with questions of identity and finding one's place in a social group. For this reason, teenagers may be eager to please their social group and have a desire to fit in. If several of the teenagers in your child's peer group smoke, they likely may pressure your teen into experimenting with smoking, according to Irishhealth. Peer pressure can be difficult for a teen to resist because the teen may fear losing her friends if she does not smoke.
Media Influence
Advertisements are designed to have a strong influence on people, and teenagers are no exception. Even if cigarette advertisements are geared toward adults, teenagers also may look to these advertisements as being glamorous, according to Teen Smoking. Cigarettes are the most advertised item second to cars, according to the University of Florida. Movies and television programs also may portray cool or iconic characters as smoking, which can influence teens to want to be like these celebrities.
Weight Loss
As teenage girls struggle with self-identity, the fear of gaining weight or the desire to lose weight can lead some to smoke, according to the University of Florida. Models in advertisements may be portrayed as thin and glamorous. Teenagers may find that cigarettes satisfy cravings for food, according to Teen Smoking. However, smoking has significantly more harmful effects than food choices. Parents emphasizing healthy eating may help to overcome some of these misconceptions and teach teens habits that can stay with them.
