How many adolescents smoke?The American Lung Association estimates that 4.5 million adolescents are smokers! That's enough to fill Yankee Stadium over 88 times.
Do tobacco companies really target youth?Tobacco companies say that they don't target youth with their advertisements. For example,
Philip Morris, makers of Marlboro, Virginia Slims, Parliament and many other cigarette brands states, "While we want to grow our market share within the cigarette industry, we do not want adults to start smoking nor do we want kids to start smoking.
One
study says, "For a study period of nearly ten years, popular youth cigarette brands were more likely than adult brands to be advertised in magazines with high youth readerships, researchers from Harvard University and the Boston University School of Public Health found.
"Our findings provide strong new evidence that cigarette brands popular among youth smokers are more likely to advertise in magazines with high levels of youth readership, that this relationship is not explained by levels of young adult readership in the magazines, and that this pattern of advertising persisted throughout at least a nine-year period during the late 1980s and early 1990s," said co-author of the study, Michael
Siegel, MD, MPH. "
How many people die from smoking related causes?The
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that about, one of every five or about 438,000 deaths each year can be attributed to smoking. Of course, you don't die from smoking right away. It kills you slowly. Maybe if we break it down a little bit it will seem closer to home. So there are 440,000 per year, that makes 36,666 per month, 8,461 per week, 1,205 per day, 50 per hour. People are dying every day from smoking related illnesses.
What are the consequences of starting to smoke at a young age?The longer you expose your body to cigarette smoke the more likely you are to experience adverse affects. A
2004 Surgeon General Report says that smoking will diminish your health overall, can contribute to cancers in many organs of the body (other than lung), it can also lead to cataracts and osteoporosis. This is in addition to all the terrible things listed in the previous post.
What makes it so hard for teens to stop once they start?The nicotine that is found in cigarettes is one of the most addictive drugs known to man. Even in small
quantities it can be incredibly addictive. After you have smoked a few cigarettes your body begins to recognize the nicotine as a substance that stimulates the brain. The brain likes to be stimulated in this way so the body starts to crave nicotine all the time. The only way to satisfy these strong cravings is to have another cigarette. This is how people get addicted to smoking. It's hard to stop because the body sends out signals saying that it needs more nicotine in order to feel good.
Why do teens start smoking in the first place?Often teens start smoking to fit in. Being popular or feeling like you belong is a big part of growing up. As teens try to find their place in the social groups in school they may feel pressured to start smoking if their
friends are doing it. Another reason teens smoke is
because their relatives do and it seems normal and
OK to do it. Another reason could be the fact that they are so highly targeted by the tobacco companies. Teens are very
susceptible to cigarette advertisements so if they are seeing a lot of cigarette ads than chances are they may decide to start smoking.
Who smokes more, teenage boys or teenage girls?According to CDC
data from 2007 19% of females were current smokers and 21% of males were current smokers.
Where do minors get cigarettes?Even though selling cigarettes to minors is illegal teens still manage to get cigarettes in their hands. Many find that it is perfectly easy to just go up to the cash register and ask for them. If the clerk doesn't card them they just got their supply of cigarettes. Teens can also purchase cigarettes online if they enter a birthday that makes them look old enough to purchase them. Many teens have older friends buy them for them, or they may get them from family members or friends.
Are smoking rates going up or down among teens?Since the mid-1990's smoking rates among teens have been declining regularly but
recent studies show that this trend is beginning to level off and rates are staying about the same.
How can I quit smoking if I am already addicted?There are many sources available if you want to quit smoking. There are several websites and
hot lines that you may find helpful. A future post will be dedicated to this topic. In the mean time visit some of the following websites to get you started on the path to a smoke free life!
smokefree.govwhyquit.comAmerican Cancer Society
