Teenage smoking is all too common, according to the Mayo Clinic. It reports that teens sometimes smoke to lose weight, to look cool in front of their peers or simply as an act of rebellion. Regardless of why teens smoke, it is an unhealthy habit that can become an addiction and cause serious health problems. Some teenagers do not understand the dangers of smoking cigarettes; other teens know the dangers but don't believe they will be affected by them. It is important that parents, schools and communities educate teenagers about the reasons they should not smoke.
Prevalence
According to the American Cancer Society, 28 percent of teens smoked cigarettes in 2001. More recent statistics from the Nemours Foundation show that in 2007, about 23 percent of high school students smoked cigarettes. Although the prevalence of teen smoking has been declining steadily since the 1990s, the numbers still are considered to be too high by many health professionals.
Addiction
Even though they may not realize how probable it is, teens easily can become addicted to smoking cigarettes. The Nemours Foundation states that smoking is a hard habit to break because tobacco contains nicotine, a substance known to be highly addictive. The more you smoke, the more your body becomes used to the nicotine. Over time, your body develops a physical addiction to the nicotine; you need to smoke a certain amount of cigarettes you are used to each day just to feel normal. Most adult smokers say they started smoking as teenagers but never thought they would still be smoking as adults, according to the Nemours Foundation.
Dangers
Smoking leads to health problems such as emphysema, heart disease, stroke and several types of cancer, the Nemours Foundation reports. It also can decrease athletic performance, which may be important to many teens who participate in school sports. According to the Nemours Foundation, smoking can decrease your immune system's ability to function and increase your risk of getting colds and the flu. Long-term smoking can lead to fertility problems in women and even heart attacks in both men and women.
Bad Influences
The Mayo Clinic reports that peer pressure from other teens is the most common bad influence that leads them to smoke. Teenagers who have no desire to smoke can be swayed easily to try cigarettes in order to look cool in front of a group of their peers or to impress another teen they like. Billboard and magazine advertisements also play a major role in influencing teenagers to smoke, according to the American Cancer Society.
Good Influences
Parents have a very important role to play to be a good influence on their teens, according to the Mayo Clinic. Parents should speak up, letting their teens know that smoking is dangerous and that they do not approve of their children smoking. Parents also can serve as a good influence by being role models and not smoking themselves. Parents who are smokers can set a good example for their teens by quitting. Parents can also appeal to teen vanity and educate their teenagers about how smoking damages a person's looks on the inside and the outside of the body.
