Nearly 90 percent of adult smokers took up the habit before they turned 19. If you can help your teenager resist taking that first puff, you will dramatically improve his or her odds for a longer and
March 7, 2006 (Press Release) --
Nearly 90 percent of adult smokers took up the habit before they turned 19 — in other words, before they were old enough to realize they might not live forever. By middle age, they've learned otherwise, often in the hardest way possible. One out of every three smokers can expect to die of a disease caused by cigarettes.
If you can help your teenager resist taking that first puff, you will dramatically improve his or her odds for a longer and healthier life.
What's the attraction?
Adolescents turn to tobacco for a variety of reasons. Perhaps it's a form of rebellion, or maybe they just want to fit in with a particular group of friends. They may believe cigarettes will improve their concentration or help them lose weight.
Some teenagers see smoking as part of their identity or persona. They may feel more macho, sexy, independent or grown-up when they smoke.
An addictive drug
Nicotine is the addictive substance in cigarettes. For some people, it is as addictive as heroin. Nicotine enhances the release of a number of brain chemicals (neurotransmitters) that are associated with pleasure, appetite suppression and relaxation.
Most adolescents believe they can quit smoking anytime they want. But they become just as addicted to nicotine as adults do. In fact, adolescents typically become addicted at relatively low doses of nicotine. A teenager who smokes just one cigarette a day may have withdrawal symptoms when he or she tries to quit.
Helping them quit
Nearly 23 percent of high-school students and more than 10 percent of the middle-school students in the United States smoke cigarettes.
Lecturing about the evils of tobacco does more harm than good. Warning about the long-term health effects of smoking isn't effective, either. A better approach is to focus on problems that cigarettes may be causing them now:
Chronic cough
Reduced stamina
Bad breath
Yellow teeth
Stinky clothes
Another factor is the expense. A pack of cigarettes a day costs more than $75 a month — nearly $1,000 a year. That would buy two movie tickets or a music CD every week.
Nicotine replacement
Researchers are now investigating whether nicotine gum or patches are safe and effective smoking cessation aids for adolescents. But because some research suggests that adolescents tend to use nicotine replacement therapy inappropriately, it may do more harm than good.
In a 2003 survey of more than 4,000 adolescents, 30 percent of current or former smokers had used nicotine replacement products while continuing to smoke — a medically dangerous practice. Among adolescents who had never smoked, 18 percent also reported using nicotine patches or gum.
Associated risks
Teenagers who have a best friend or parent who smokes are more likely to start smoking themselves, partly because they have easier access to cigarettes. Poor school performance and cigarette smoking also seem to be related. Teenagers who do well in school seem less likely to start smoking.
Children who begin smoking at an early age also are more likely to engage in other risky behaviors, such as alcohol use, drug use and unprotected sex. They also have a greater risk of becoming long-term smokers.
Source: http://www.msn.com/
If you can help your teenager resist taking that first puff, you will dramatically improve his or her odds for a longer and healthier life.
What's the attraction?
Adolescents turn to tobacco for a variety of reasons. Perhaps it's a form of rebellion, or maybe they just want to fit in with a particular group of friends. They may believe cigarettes will improve their concentration or help them lose weight.
Some teenagers see smoking as part of their identity or persona. They may feel more macho, sexy, independent or grown-up when they smoke.
An addictive drug
Nicotine is the addictive substance in cigarettes. For some people, it is as addictive as heroin. Nicotine enhances the release of a number of brain chemicals (neurotransmitters) that are associated with pleasure, appetite suppression and relaxation.
Most adolescents believe they can quit smoking anytime they want. But they become just as addicted to nicotine as adults do. In fact, adolescents typically become addicted at relatively low doses of nicotine. A teenager who smokes just one cigarette a day may have withdrawal symptoms when he or she tries to quit.
Helping them quit
Nearly 23 percent of high-school students and more than 10 percent of the middle-school students in the United States smoke cigarettes.
Lecturing about the evils of tobacco does more harm than good. Warning about the long-term health effects of smoking isn't effective, either. A better approach is to focus on problems that cigarettes may be causing them now:
Chronic cough
Reduced stamina
Bad breath
Yellow teeth
Stinky clothes
Another factor is the expense. A pack of cigarettes a day costs more than $75 a month — nearly $1,000 a year. That would buy two movie tickets or a music CD every week.
Nicotine replacement
Researchers are now investigating whether nicotine gum or patches are safe and effective smoking cessation aids for adolescents. But because some research suggests that adolescents tend to use nicotine replacement therapy inappropriately, it may do more harm than good.
In a 2003 survey of more than 4,000 adolescents, 30 percent of current or former smokers had used nicotine replacement products while continuing to smoke — a medically dangerous practice. Among adolescents who had never smoked, 18 percent also reported using nicotine patches or gum.
Associated risks
Teenagers who have a best friend or parent who smokes are more likely to start smoking themselves, partly because they have easier access to cigarettes. Poor school performance and cigarette smoking also seem to be related. Teenagers who do well in school seem less likely to start smoking.
Children who begin smoking at an early age also are more likely to engage in other risky behaviors, such as alcohol use, drug use and unprotected sex. They also have a greater risk of becoming long-term smokers.
Source: http://www.msn.com/
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