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Some of the Reasons Teenagers Begin Smoking
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Some of the Reasons Teenagers Begin Smoking
Peer Pressure
Like many other visas, there are many reasons why teenagers begin smoking. One of the major reasons is peer pressure and curiosity. Initially it starts when friends offer them a cigarette and so as not to feel out of the group or leave themselves open to ridicule they join in. Others try it out of curiosity. This then becomes the norm as teens get together and feel all grown up about smoking.
Smoking can cause a teen to feel rebellious and free of parental control. Smoking carries an element of danger as the teen knows they are breaking the rules and believe that they are getting away with something they know their parents would not approve of.
Then there are some teens who smoke in an effort to manage weight. They have heard or read somewhere that smoking curbs hunger and so that is a good enough reason to start smoking.
Parental Influence
Teens with parents who smoke are more likely to take up smoking. Some parents smoke due to stress and depression the teen who has grown up with parents who smoke for these reasons will more than likely follow in their parents footsteps.
Teens believe they are invincible
As we have identified in the article Adolescence a teen faces a lot of challenges, one being the need to identify with their own individuality. As their mental development has not fully developed teens don’t think things through before they act . They don’t think through the serious consequences of smoking, they hear about cancer but they just don’t think it could ever happen to them.
The Disadvantages of Smoking
Cigarettes contain toxins, poisonous chemicals that accumulate over time and exert a gradual negative effect on the body.
Teenagers and children who smoke leave themselves open to a host of negative health risks. Cigarette smoking can cause frequent headaches, coughing, nicotine addiction, respiratory disease and poor lung function resulting in shortness of breath.
Short Term Effects
Other than the long term medical problems caused by smoking there are also some very noticeable short term effects.
Cigarettes contain tar and nicotine, these substances cause teeth hand fingertips to turn yellow. The smell of stale smoke also gets into clothes and hair and can be off putting to non smokers. Smoking reduces physical performances because of shortness of breath and rapid heartbeat and poor circulation.
Smoking can affect the personality of teens more than adults. Teens tend to become abrasive and more aggressive when they smoke.
People who starting smoking in their teens, usually continue smoking in the adult years. Young smokers who fail to kick the habit are at a higher risk of eventually developing more harmful and potentially fatal health conditions associated with tobacco.
Smoking can turn to an Addiction
Cigarettes contain nicotine and nicotine is an addictive drug. Smoking causes dependence and craving for nicotine. The addiction is difficult to break and the longer one smokes the more difficult it becomes to break the habit. In some cases smoking is an entrance drug as some teens who use tobacco are more likely than those who don’t use tobacco products to experiment with other drugs.
What Parents can do to persuade their Child not to begin Smoking.
It is very important that you start to educate your child about the negative effects of smoking when they are very young and you need to keep reinforcing this until they are well into their teen years. Never make the mistake of thinking a child is too young to be talked to about the negative effects of smoking.
You, yourself need to educate yourself about the serious medical conditions smoking causes and you should stop smoking if you are a smoker.
The best way to teach is by example and it will do you or your child little good if you preach about smoking yet continue to smoke yourself.
Give your child real-life examples of how smoking affects lives. Although some of these scenes may be awful and graphic they are not as graphic as having a member of your family become a statistic.
Emphasize the short term effects of smoking, children may not understand nor be able to comprehend the long term effects thinking that bad things happen to others and not to them.
For older children get involved in the day to day life of your teen. Usually you can tell when your child begins to smoke as the change their behaviour and almost always have general disregard for personal hygiene.
Ask for their opinion about smoking and why many people continue to smoke when there can be so much tragedy associated with smoking.
Let them observe how you react to smoking. Ask their opinion on how to solve teen smoking at school and in general.
Most important you need to avoid criticizing and antagonising your teen. They are very vulnerable and whilst inwardly hungry for authoritative direction they will retaliate if they feel criticized or ridiculed