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Reasons People Start Smoking

It is well known that smoking is a deadly habit. Yet even with mandated Surgeon General's Warnings stating the health risks on each pack of cigarettes, many people begin smoking every year. The reasons people start smoking are varied, relating largely to their age and social interaction with others. Because quitting is so difficult, it is important to understand why people begin smoking in the first place.

  1. Teenagers

    • Though purchasing tobacco products is illegal while under the age of eighteen, many people begin smoking when they are very young. Teens whose parents smoke are prone to pick up the habit as they model the behavior of the adults in their lives. In addition, teenagers with low self esteem are likely to begin smoking if they hang with a crowd of smokers. Wishing to be accepted by the group, they are likely to join in the habit and become addicted.

      It is important for teenagers to be confronted with the dangers of smoking, because they generally find it difficult to consider long-term consequences when making important choices. This is another reason why underage smokers are prone to begin the habit in the first place.

    Social Smoking

    • Many smokers begin as what is known as "social smokers." This means they only smoke cigarettes while in social situations, generally when alcohol is involved. Smoking when drinking is a difficult habit to break. The effect of nicotine on your body is heightened when drunk, giving that extra buzz to partiers and attracting them to social smoking.

      Social smokers usually begin by "bumming" (borrowing) cigarettes from those around them. They then begin to purchase their own pack for special occasions. And before they know it, social smokers are no longer just socially smoking. They are addicted to a deadly habit.

    Psychological Addiction

    • Some people begin smoking because they feel a need for "a break." The psychological addiction to smoking cigarettes is strong. When depended upon for personal time, time to think or just time to get away, the habit can be harder to break. Though nicotine soothes stress levels in the moment of smoking, the physical addiction to nicotine causes more stress in your mind and body to begin with.

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