Effects of Smoking on the Health of Teenagers

According to a 2008 study performed by the Office of Applied Science, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, everyday approximately 3,900 children and teens under the age of 18 try their first cigarette. Out of the teens that continue to smoke into their adult years, about one out of three will die as a result of the habit.

Addictive Properties

• Due to the nicotine content in tobacco products, smoking not only becomes a habit for teens, but an addiction. The tobacco in the smoking products is not addictive, but the nicotine in the tobacco is. Once a teen develops a smoking habit, it is physically difficult for them to quit without help. The American Lung Association reports smokers that start early in life find it more difficult to quit due to the addiction.

Changes in Behavior

• Teens that smoke often do so as a means of coping with social situations or as a result of peer pressure. The results of a Duke University study indicate teens with siblings who smoke are more likely to engage in smoking and other risky behaviors. The components of tobacco products have documented effects on behavior. Nicotine is a stimulant known to enhance aggression and irritability in teens and adults.

External Effects

• The Center for Young Women's Health at the Children's Hospital of Boston states that tobacco products contain roughly 4,000 chemicals, some of which are poisonous. Inhaling these poisons into the lungs quickly affects a teen's entire body. Outward changes include dry, wrinkled skin, yellow teeth and nails, bad breath and a foul body odor. Teen smokers are also prone to three times more cavities than nonsmokers their age, the Center further reports. External effects are often present soon after smoking becomes a habit.

Internal Effects

• In addition to lung cancer, oral cancer and emphysema, there are other internal changes caused by smoking worth noting. Smoking drops hormone levels and shortens breath, making it difficult to play sports, and can increase a teen's chances of prolonged bouts of bronchitis and pneumonia. Cigarette use also weakens the heart, which raises the risk of heart disease. The rate of heart attacks and serious health risks is even higher for teen smokers on hormone-based forms of birth control.