Why Do Teens Smoke?

The fact that cigarette smoking is dangerous to your health is hardly new information. Cigarette smoking is the single most preventable cause of disease and early death in the United States. So why do so many teens continue to smoke? There are lots of reasons, you usually start for one reason or another and then it is really hard to quit. But you can--lots of people do.
Did you know that lung cancer caused by smoking is now the top female cancer killer, claiming 27,000 more of women's lives each year than breast cancer? And more teenage girls (about 30 percent) are smoking now than they did 10 years ago. That's a big increase.
So why do people smoke? Nicotine. Nicotine acts in the brain where it can stimulate feelings of pleasure, and pleasure feels good! It also will work as an appetite suppressant for many people; other people believe it relieves stress. Ask any model her secrets for being thin; most say caffeine and cigarettes.

Addiction
Nicotine activates areas of the brain that are involved in producing feelings of pleasure and reward. Recently, scientists discovered that nicotine raises the levels of a neurotransmitter called dopamine in the parts of the brain that produce feelings of pleasure and reward. Dopamine, which is sometimes called the pleasure molecule, is the same neurotransmitter that is involved in addictions to other drugs such as cocaine and heroin. Researchers now believe that this change in dopamine may play a key role in all addictions. This may help explain why it is so hard for people to stop smoking.

Experimental smoking usually begins the habit. Next comes occasional cigarette smoking at parties, on weekends, with friends or when trying to lose weight. This is the most dangerous stage, because it usually leads to an addictive phase, when teens become regular smokers. People who start smoking before the age of 21 have the hardest time quitting, and fewer than 1 in 10 people who try to quit smoking succeed.
There is no safe amount of smoking. Every cigarette causes some harm to the body. Once smoke touches the lips, it begins to attack living tissues, and it continues its attack wherever it goes. Cigarette smokers have less ability to carry oxygen to the rest of the body and this is why smokers have less endurance when running or participating in sports.

Smokers also get wrinkles at an earlier age. The smoke changes the elasticity of the skin and fine lines appear around the eyes and mouth. Your clothes and hair will smell from smoke and pretty soon you can no longer smell it. Kissing a smoker is like kissing an ashtray.

Smoking Can Make You Sick
Smokers miss more days of school and work than nonsmokers because they get more respiratory infections (colds, coughs, sore throats, and sinus and ear problems). The infections are a result of damage to cilia in the lungs. Cilia are tiny parts of the lung that act like little brooms, sweeping out bacteria, viruses and dirt. When they stop clearing the lungs, the germs and dirt stay there, resulting in more frequent and longer-lasting colds.

Quitting Smoking
Quitting smoking is possible. Every year, 2 million Americans stop smoking. But it's not easy. It requires motivation from the smoker and may take several attempts before success is permanent. The average number of attempts is believed to be three.
There is no right way to quit. Many smokers report they can quit abruptly--better known as "cold turkey." Others report quitting gradually by decreasing the number of cigarettes smoked each day. Those who are interested in quitting can talk with their health care provider or, in the United States, call the American Cancer Society at (800) 227-2345 or the American Lung Association at (800) 586-4872 for useful information on how to quit.
If you are thinking about smoking, the only way to avoid getting hooked on cigarettes is never to start in the first place. And with the price of cigarettes as high as they are today, you will have all that extra money if you stop smoking. Yes, you can do it!

Q. Is smokeless tobacco safer than cigarettes?
A. No! It's true that many people think smokeless tobacco (also known as chewing tobacco or snuff) isn't as bad as cigarettes. One study quoted said that 77 percent of kids thought cigarette smoking was very harmful, but only 40 percent thought smokeless tobacco was harmful.

The truth is that smokeless tobacco use is connected with all sorts of problems. Smokeless tobacco can cause bleeding gums and sores of the mouth that never heal. Eventually you may end up with cancer of the tongue or salivary glands. Tobacco is tobacco: it all contains nicotine, and nicotine is very addictive! It stains your teeth a yellowish-brown color. It gives you bad breath. It can make you dizzy, give you the hiccups and even make you throw up--definitely not cool!