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The Effects of Mainstream Smoking on Teens

Mainstream smoke refers to the smoke that is directly inhaled and exhaled while puffing on a cigarette, while side-stream smoke is the smoke that is released from the tip of a lit cigarette. Peer pressure and media influences often lure teenagers to smoking, and some teens are unaware of its health ramifications.

  1. Toxic Chemicals

    • According to the Center for Young Women's Health, a cigarette has more than 4,000 chemicals, some of which are toxic. Each time you inhale the smoke, some of these poisonous chemicals get into your body. Among these chemicals are arsenic, ammonia and butane, which are found in rat poison, floor cleaner and lighter fluid, respectively. The Center for Young Women's Health highlights that the chemicals in a cigarette cause you to develop cavities and unbalanced hormone levels, and weaken your immunity to pneumonia, bronchitis and the common cold.

    Fatal Diseases

    • The World Health Organization has noted that signs of heart disease and stroke are evident in teenage smokers, as the resting heart rate of teen smokers is approximately two to three beats per minute faster than teens who do not smoke. Teen smokers are also increasing their risk of developing cancers of the lungs, throat, kidney, stomach, cervix and mouth, as reported by the National Cancer Institute. The more you smoke, the more you increase your risk of developing these cancers.

    Psychological Effects

    • As a teenager, you are especially vulnerable to becoming addicted to cigarettes. According to the Maine State Tobacco Prevention and Control Program, if you smoke two to three cigarettes per day, you can become addicted in a few weeks. This addiction affects your behavior. The World Health Organization has found that teenage smoking can lead to fighting and unsafe sexual activity. WHO has also discovered that as compared to non-smokers, teen smokers are three times more likely to drink alcohol and eight times more likely to use marijuana.

    Poor Performance at Sports

    • When you are playing a sport, the lungs are working hard to give your body the oxygen it needs. The carbon monoxide in cigarettes enters your blood and prevents the oxygen from entering the bloodstream. Also, the tobacco in cigarettes causes your blood vessels to become narrower, causing the heart to pump harder to transport blood; this leads to shortness of breath when running or jumping. The Maine State Tobacco Prevention and Control Program notes that teenagers who smoke produce twice the amount of phlegm as teenage non-smokers.

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