Reasons for Teenage Smoking

According to the Canadian Lung Association, close to a 100,000 young people around the world start smoking every day. Teenage smoking is an important concern for many reasons. People who start smoking in adolescence have a more difficult time quitting. They also have a greater risk of dying from smoking-related diseases. Teenagers smoke for different reasons, some of the most common being parental influence, peer pressure and the influence of media and advertising.

Movies and Television Shows

• The media plays a big role in influencing the minds of young children and teenagers. Many movies and television shows feature popular characters smoking on the screen. Youngsters who see this may begin to see smoking in a positive light. They may become more open to the idea of smoking and try to smoke the same brands as their favorite actors on screen.

Advertising

• According to the American Lung Association, tobacco companies target teenagers and children through advertising. Smoking kills thousands of people each year and many others quit. To make up for this loss of consumers, the tobacco companies choose youngsters because they are easy targets. They use several advertising tactics to lure children. Advertisements project smoking as a cool, grown-up thing to do.

Experimentation

• Many teenagers start smoking just because they want to try it out. Because of the influence of advertisements, they are curious to try out this activity that appears so independent and grown-up. Some teenagers also start smoking because they want to appear rebellious. Teenagers can quickly become addicted to nicotine without even realizing it. Though the intention was only to try a cigarette, many teenagers go on to become regular smokers.

Parental Influence

• Many teenagers who smoke have parents who are smokers. Parents are the biggest influence in the lives of their children. By smoking in the presence of their children, many parents send the message that smoking is acceptable and not detrimental to health. It is important for parents to communicate with their children from a young age and explain to them the ill effects of smoking. Parents must also set a good example by quitting smoking or avoiding it in the presence of their children.

Peer Pressure

• The influence of friends and popular kids is another important reason why teenagers start smoking. According to the Canadian Lung Association, more than 70 percent of teenagers say that peer pressure and having friends who smoke are the main reason they started smoking. Teenagers may accept a cigarette because they do not want to turn down their friends or because they want to do what all their friends are doing. Parents must know if their children have friends who smoke. They must also explain the dangers of second-hand smoking and ways to refuse a cigarette from a friend.