Health Effects Of Smoking On Youths

Among Young People

In 1996, 66.2 percent of Americans who became daily smokers (1.226 million) were under the age of 18 years.

At least 4.5 million adolescents (aged 12-17 years) in the United States smoke cigarettes.

Among persons aged 12-17 years, the incidence of first use of cigarettes has been rising continuously during the 1990s and has been steadily higher than for persons aged 18-25 years since the early 1970s.

Most young people who smoke regularly continue to smoke throughout adulthood.

The younger people start smoking cigarettes, the more likely they are to become strongly addicted to nicotine.

Young people vastly underestimate the addictiveness of nicotine. Of daily smokers who think that they will not smoke in five years, nearly 75 percent are still smoking five to six years later.

Among young people, the short-term health consequences of smoking include respiratory and nonrespiratory effects, addiction to nicotine, and the associated risk of other drug use. Long-term health consequences of youth smoking are reinforced by the fact that most young people who smoke regularly continue to smoke throughout adulthood.

Cigarette smokers have a lower level of lung function than those persons who have never smoked.

Smoking reduces the rate of lung growth.

Smoking at an early age increases the risk of lung cancer even more than it does in later years.

Smoking hurts young people's physical fitness in terms of both performance and endurance---even among young people trained in competitive running.

On average, someone who smokes a pack or more of cigarettes each day lives 7 years less than someone who never smoked.

Teenage smokers are more likely to have seen a doctor or other health professionals for an emotional or psychological complaint.

Teens who smoke are three times more likely than nonsmokers to use alcohol, eight times more likely to use marijuana, and 22 times more likely to use cocaine. Smoking is associated with a host of other risky behaviors, such as fighting and engaging in unprotected sex.

What works to prevent smoking & other high-risk behaviors?

• Family support.
• Education - school etc.
• Self esteem (smoking appeals to young females particularly as positive image of independence, sexuality & peer-identity)
• Organized athletics

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