According to 2008 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics, approximately 21 percent of the adult population in the United States smokes cigarettes, despite their well-known health risks. The reasons people start smoking vary, and, while many smokers come to regret regret their decision to smoke, their nicotine addictions keep them smoking.
History
Before the health effects of smoking became known, cigarettes were regularly endorsed by doctors, dentists and celebrities in tobacco advertisements. Cigarette packages sometimes came with collectible trading cards featuring famous athletes and other celebrity figures, and soldiers were issued free cigarettes by tobacco companies during World War II. Unaware of the health risks and addictive properties of cigarettes, many people took up smoking under the assumption that smoking was a safe and enjoyable pastime. Finally, after years of studies into the effects of smoking, U.S. Surgeon General Luther Terry released the 1964 Advisory Committee Report on Smoking and Health. Warning labels and advertising restrictions followed, and the FDA officially labeled cigarettes as an "addictive drug" in 1996.
Early Experimentation
According to Martin J. Jarvis from the department of epidemiology and public health at University College London, smoking experimentation usually begins in the early teenage years. Psychosocial motives often prompt teens to start smoking, says Jarvis, and, for many teens, smoking serves as a "symbolic act of rebellion" and an "adolescent assertion of perceived adulthood." Jarvis notes that these teens often come from backgrounds that favor smoking, such as deprived neighborhoods or environments where parents, siblings or peers also smoke.
Depression
Depression may play a part in what makes some people start smoking. According to a 2005 to 2008 study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, adults with symptoms of depression were more likely to smoke cigarettes than adults without depression. As depression severity increased, the percentage of current smokers also increased, the study found. Among those who have ever smoked, even if not current smokers, instances of depression were more prevalent.
Other Factors
Many personal reasons may cause a person to start smoking, says Cancer Research UK. Even though nicotine is a stimulant, some say smoking helps them relax and cope with stress. Others use smoking to look cool and confident, as a way to control their weight or as a remedy for boredom or loneliness. Still others may take up the habit out of curiosity, or to meet people. For example, taking a smoke break with co-workers may give a person the opportunity to start conversations with his fellow employees.
Addiction
Because nicotine has such powerful addictive properties, some who want to simply "try out" smoking may suddenly find themselves addicted. Once people start smoking for whatever reason, "the pharmacological effect takes over to sustain the habit," says the Philip Morris tobacco company.
Most come to regret their decision to start smoking. According to Martin J. Jarvis, by the age of 20, 80 percent of smokers regret that they started, though due to nicotine addiction, many continue to smoke.
References
- "Time" Magazine; A Brief History of Cigarette Advertising; Scott Olstad; June 2009
- "BMJ"; ABC of Smoking Cessation: Why People Smoke; Martin J. Jarvis; January 2004
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Depression and Smoking in the U.S. Household Population Aged 20 and Over, 2005--2008
- Cancer Research UK: Smoking and Cancer: Why do People Smoke?
