A Breath of Fresh Air! For Teens

Photograph of a smiling young woman When you smoke, you put yourself at risk for the same serious health effects of smoking as do adults (see Why It's Important to Quit tab). But, did you know that when you start smoking at a younger age, you have a lot longer to harm your body, especially since the longer you smoke, the harder it is to stop. And the longer someone smokes, the better her chances are of getting a serious disease or dying from it.

Health Effects of Smoking
When you smoke, you can get more cavities and have stained and yellow teeth. You also smell like an ashtray because that smoky smells stays in your hair, on your breath, and on your clothes. If you are feeling down or depressed, smoking can make you feel worse - it's not true that smoking can make you feel better or relax you. If you smoke a lot, you increase your chances of having problems with anxiety and panic attacks when you are a young adult. And, if you keep smoking, over time you can develop and even die from serious diseases like lung cancer and heart disease. Your smoking can also hurt your non-smoking friends by making their eyes and throats sting and burn, increasing their risk for getting bronchitis and other lung problems, even lung cancer.

The Truth About Smoking
Photograph of a smiling young woman Did you know that most teens do not smoke? And, that most teens think smoking is not at all attractive? In fact, most teens would rather date or do things with someone who doesn't smoke. Unlike the young women shown in ads for cigarettes, smoking is not glamorous and it will not make you more popular. But, many teen girls are afraid to quit because of a fear of gaining weight, not fitting-in at social events, or not being able to deal with stressful situations. The truth is that most teens who quit only gain about 5 to 10 pounds, which will not change the way a girl looks. Because you'll feel so much better, you will easily lose that small amount of extra weight. It just isn't worth the health risks to use smoking as a way to deal with weight, stress or fitting in. Besides, smoking won't make you more popular, nor will it help you to better handle stressful situations.

Quit or Help a Friend to Quit
Quitting smoking is really tough and you'll need help and support from your friends and family. If you don't smoke, try helping a friend who does smoke to quit. And, talk with all of your friends about never starting to smoke in the first place. Click on the How To Quit tab for tips on what to do to quit smoking for good. Hang in there, you can do it!

Fast Facts

Every day in the United States, nearly 3,000 young people under the age of 18 become smokers.
Every day 1,200 Americans die from smoking-related conditions and diseases.
More than one-third of all young girls in the U.S. smokes.
Teens who smoke have smaller lungs and weaker hearts and get sick more often than teens who don't smoke.
Teens who smoke are 3 times more likely than nonsmoking teens to use alcohol, 8 times more likely to use marijuana, and 22 times more likely to use cocaine.
Teens who smoke are 3 times more likely than nonsmoking teens to use alcohol, 8 times more likely to use marijuana, and 22 times more likely to use cocaine.
Teens, women, and whites become more dependent, or addicted, when using the same, or fewer, number of cigarettes than other groups like men, older people and nonwhites.
Dependent, or addicted, smokers are more likely to continue smoking and to use larger amounts of nicotine over time.
It's easier to become dependent on, or addicted to, nicotine when you are a teen. When teens and adults smoke the same number of cigarettes a day, teens tend to become more dependent than do adults.
Cigars have 4 times as much nicotine as cigarettes. Many teens think cigars are safer than cigarettes but, in fact, they are not. Even though they are mostly puffed and not inhaled, you can still develop cancer or other problems with your lungs, mouth, and throat.

Additional information on quitting smoking for teens and adolescents:

Publications

4 Girls Health - The site, part of the National Women's Health Information Center (NWHIC), provides girls ages 10-16 with information on fitness, nutrition, stress management, relationships with friends and family, peer pressure, suicide, drugs, self-esteem, safety, and other topics in an interactive, user-friendly format.

Facts You Should Know - This on-line publication provides a list of fact for teens about how smoking affects the environment, health, and other people. It emphasizes the fact that most teenagers choose NOT to smoke, despite what popular beliefs might suggest.

I Quit! What to Do When You're Sick of Smoking, Chewing or Dipping - This online brochure discusses how to quit using cigarettes and other tobacco products. It covers topics such as setting a quit date, how to handle the first few days, and how to successfully quit for the long term.

Mind Over Matters - Brain's Response to Nicotine, The - This publication discusses the affects of nicotine on the body and brain.

SGR4KIDS Smoke-Free Magazine: Surgeon's General Report for Kids about Smoking - This is an on-line magazine for kids about staying smoke free. It is written by kids to encourage kids to stay away from smoking.

Sport Initiatives-Tobacco Free Sports - In collaboration with smokefree.gov and the National Cancer "Sport Initiatives and Tabacco Free Sports" Institute, CDC's Office of Smoking and Health will now maintain and update smokefree.gov soccer materials. In addition to a wide range of sports and tobacco materials.

Tips for Teens: The Truth About Tobacco - Part of a series of brochures that provides facts and dispels myths about substance use, this brochure discusses smoking, its long-term and short-term effects, physical and psychological risks, impact on sexual performance, and legal implications.

What You(th) Should Know About Tobacco - This publication contains information about how tobacco can affect athletic performance and appearance.

Smoking: Cutting Through the Hype (Copyright © The Nemours Foundation) - This publication contains information on how tobacco companies target teens to become smokers, the problems of peer pressure, and of the overall dangers of smoking and using tobacco products.

Teenage Girls as the Target of the Tobacco Industry (Copyright © ALA) - This fact sheet summarizes efforts by tobacco companies to make their products appeal to teenage girls. It explains why teenage girls are such an important market for tobacco companies, and what they do to addict girls.

Organizations

= Indicates Federal Resources

Text on this page last updated August, 2002


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