Causes & Effects of Smoking on Teens

The Center for Disease Control produced a study that shows 80 percent of smokers begin before they turn 18. Nicotine is the main ingredient in cigarettes -- it's highly addictive and many teens and adults are not able to quit once they start. The effects of smoking are immediate and long term.

Peer Pressure

• Teens are influenced by their friends and peers. Once one teen in a group tries smoking, they may encourage their friends to do it as well. This type of behavior can spread like wild fire from one person to another. Teens do not want to say no because they want to fit in or seem like they are cool.

Advertisements

• Smoking advertisements may encourage teens to try it at one point. Not all advertisements are direct and portray smoking as positive -- but secondary advertisements are prominent as well. Characters who smoke are featured in popular television shows, movies and public events that might catch a glimpse of a celebrity smoking. Candid snapshots of famous people smoking are also published in dozens of magazines and online pop-culture websites. Any of these visualizations can influence a teen to pick up the smoking habit.

Health Problems

• One of the major effects of teen smoking is the influx of health issues that come along with it. Some of the immediate health problems include bad breath, smelly clothes and hair -- as well as tooth yellowing and decay. Long-term health effects include breathing problems, loss of energy, heart disease and cancer.

Negative Behavior

• Teens who try smoking might engage in other negative or detrimental behaviors -- such as smoking marijuana, using alcohol or trying other illegal drugs.