![](/peth04/20041101075328im_/http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/images/00spacer.gif)
![SGR 4 Kids](/peth04/20041101075328im_/http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/images/sgrlogo.gif) The Surgeon General's Report for Kids about Smoking
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6 Facts about Kids and Smoking
The SGR contains six major conclusions about kids and smoking:
Most people start using tobacco before
they finish high school. This means that if you stay smoke-free in school, you will
probably never smoke.
Most teens who smoke are
addicted to nicotine. They want to quit smoking, but they can't . When they try to quit,
they experience nasty withdrawal symptoms -- just like adults do.
Tobacco is often the first
drug used by kids who use alcohol and illegal drugs like marijuana.
Kids who start smoking are
more likely to get lower grades in school. They tend to hang out with other kids who
smoke. They may have a low self-image, and they don't know how to say no to tobacco.
Cigarette advertisements
are designed to make people think that smoking is cool and that everybody does it. These
misleading ads appear to increase kids' risk of smoking.
Finally, here's some good
news! People working in their communities -- kids who warn each other about the dangers of
smoking, for example, and programs that make it harder for stores to sell cigarettes to
kids -- are helping to keep kids away from tobacco.
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