Teens, Smoking And You!

In spite of all the health warnings, the teens of today are still getting hooked on smoking. They are aware of how bad it is for them and for some reason they do not care. Why? Because they think they can quit anytime they feel like it. Also teens feel invincible and time has little meaning.

What teens and the some of the rest of us do not realize is that smoking is an addiction. Addictions can be life threatening and smoking is one of the many compulsive and abusive things you can do to your body.

There are more than 4,000 chemicals found in the smoke of tobacco products. Nicotine is one of the primary ones that have a tremendous effect on the brain. By inhaling tobacco smoke, you take into your body between one and two milligrams of nicotine with every puff and with an average cigarette you get about 10 puffs. Smoking an average of 30 cigarettes a day means a 300 milligrams of nicotine hits your brain every day.

Nicotine gives you a high, a feeling of pleasure, a series of feelings similar to those from other drugs, but the sad part is the feeling only lasts for a very short time and the need to replenish it becomes stronger each time

Why do teens smoke? There are many reasons. It is “cool,” “the thing to do,” “there’s something sexy about smoking a cigarette” and the best reason according to many girls, “it takes the place of food.” Diets and being thin is very important in today’s world of teens. Smoking also gives many kids a feeling of independence, they work part-time jobs and earn their own money and feel they have a right to spend it as they want.

Many parents think allowing their child to smoke will keep them away from drugs and alcohol, unfortunately that in many cases is not true, as many times one thing leads to another. Nicotine relieves anxiety in adults, and relief from anxiety is one-thing a teen feels they need most. Life as teen is stressful, though we adults look at it as the best time of their lives. The stress of keeping up with their peers brings forth anxiety among teens.

The divorce rate among families creates stress and unsettled times. With the violence in everyday life, not to mention the violence on television and the movies, kids today do not have sufficient ways to regulate their feelings. Oddly enough smoking helps.

Why should a teen or anyone else quit?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistics show that tobacco use still remains the leading preventable cause of death in the United States. Approximately 440.000 premature deaths and a cost of approximately $75 billion in direct medical costs are attributed to smoking.

Second hand smoke supposedly contributes to people developing heart disease, lung cancer and even babies are at an increased risk for sudden death syndrome, respiratory infections, ear problems and severe asthma.

According to a study done at Yale, adolescents who smoke show impairment in their memory and other cognitive functions. The study showed those who smoked had less verbal learning skills and memory retention. Shorter attention spans, and student’s moods were affected and many suffered from nicotine withdrawal during classes.

Teens know of the serious outcome that smoking can cause with the risk of lung cancer and heart disease, not to mention respiratory problems and asthma, but they for the most part do not take those problems seriously.

By quitting you will live longer, be healthier, you will be protecting your family and friends from second hand smoke and you will save a lot of money.

Did you know that?