Why Quit Smoking?

According to various surveys, most smokers began lighting their first cigarette when they were still teenagers. In fact, 90% of them were minors when they started the habit. One may find it easy to distinguish a teenage smoker from teens who don’t smoke. For one, teenagers who smoke cough and wheeze three times more than non-smokers. It only goes to show how teen smoking can adversely affect an individual’s health and well-being.

In the U.S., one out of four (28.5 percent) high school students smoke cigarettes on a regular basis. White and Hispanic male students are more prone to the habit. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported recently that this figure has declined since 1997. Nonetheless, the fact that most smokers started getting addicted to smoking during their teenage years is quite alarming.

The American Lung Association website has an excellent factsheet on teen smoking. Perhaps the most shocking statistic from this document is the number of teens who start smoking everyday:

Every day approximately 3,600 children between 12 and 17 years of age smoke their first cigarette, and an estimated 1,100 of them will become regular smokers. Half of them will ultimately die from their habit.

Is Smoking Too Expensive for Teens?
The significant decline is attributed to the 70% increase in the retail price of cigarettes since December 1997. The millennium saw several laws that were able to regulate tobacco product sales. Smoking taxes have increased exponentially over the last five years while tobacco companies have been struggling against the costs of tobacco settlements. A pack of cigarettes a day may cost at around $1,500 a year – the cost of a brand new Sony Playstation 3. Telling that to a teen smoker might change his or her mind about driving to the neighborhood convenience store for a a fresh pack.

Is Smoking Still Seen As Glamorous
One prevailing reason why teen smoking has become rampant in the country is the media’s glamorized depiction of people who smoke. You can find rich and famous smokers in print, film, TV, billboards as well as the internet. Realty shows on TV have a surprising number of contestants that smoke. Although this is not to say that teenagers are gullible enough to emulate everything they see, still, the wonders of subliminal advertising is proven to be vastly remarkable.

Consequently, actions against teen smoking have use a multi-pronged approach to be successful. Various campaigns against smoking are seen everywhere. Schools and communities are also doing their part to prevent teen smoking. It is true that cigarette price has hampered the increase of cigarette smokers but apparently, prices do not continuously increase just like that. Efforts in information dissemination should be the emphasis to educate teenagers on the dangers of smoking.