Cigarette smoke is extremely dangerous to the health of teens, as well as smokers and nonsmokers of all ages. The smoke consists of more than 4,800 chemical substances, and about 70 of them can lead to cancer, according to the American Lung Association. Teen smokers are a major concern because they are more likely to smoke regularly as adults than people who begin smoking at an older age, which increases their chances of developing smoking-related health issues.
Health Problems
Teens who smoke increase their risk of developing various health problems, which may be more severe and more numerous than medical conditions in their peers who do not smoke, according to the American Lung Association. For example, young smokers experience higher rates of respiratory illness, and they are also more likely to have diminished physical fitness, lung functioning and lung growth. Moreover, teens who continue smoking into adulthood face numerous serious medical problems related to cigarette smoking, such as lung cancer, coronary heart disease, chronic bronchitis, emphysema and stroke.
Death
The most dangerous and irreversible consequence of smoking is death. Cigarette smoking is the most common cause of premature death around the world, and it is responsible for about 90 percent of deaths due to lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, according to the American Lung Association. Based on current trends among non-adult smokers, approximately 6.4 million young smokers will eventually die early from a disease related to smoking, the lung association estimates.
Addiction
Nicotine is the chemical compound in tobacco products, such as cigarettes, that hooks smokers and turns them into addicts. People who smoke cigarettes are more likely to become addicted to nicotine than people who use alcohol, cocaine or marijuana, according to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. The age when you first start smoking also affects your risk of developing a nicotine addiction. The American Lung Association notes that the earlier you begin smoking, the more likely you are to become severely addicted to nicotine later. As a result, delaying the age when a child first smokes a cigarette can decrease her risk of becoming addicted.
Quitting
The age of a new smoker is not only related to his likelihood of becoming addicted, but also his ability to stop smoking cigarettes later. Of the nearly 4,000 children younger than age 18 who smoke a cigarette for the first time on an average day, almost 1,000 of them will eventually become regular smokers with a daily habit, according to the American Lung Association. The older such first-time smokers are, the easier it will probably be for them to quit smoking if they decide to stop down the road, states the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. However, almost 75 percent of high school-aged regular smokers fail when they try to stop smoking, which demonstrates the odds of quitting are against most teens who smoke regularly.
Other Consequences
Although many of the risks related to teen smoking are major medical conditions that tend to develop over years, teen smokers face a number of more immediate negative consequences, as well. For instance, cigarette smoking not only causes the breath, clothes and surrounding environment to stink, but it also decreases the ability to smell. Gum disease, increased stress, persistent coughing, shortness of breath and yellowing teeth are other consequences of smoking that develop relatively quickly.
