Teen Smoking free essay sample

Although many things that kids do can be seen as unwise or unhealthy, there are a few things worse than when a teenager smokes. However, many teens smoke regularly, despite the risks and dangers of smoking. This has been an ongoing problem for many years now, and effects many people, even kids in our own school. Stronger steps need to be taken to ensure that kids who smoke receive a stronger understanding of the risks involved with smoking, programs should be set up to help teenagers quit smoking, and more effort should be put into keeping the school clean and smoke-free. Underage smoking is a problem in our community, and young lives start down a path that leads to disease and cancer. In this day of age of cigarettes warning labels, anti-smoking campaigns, and one has to wonder why people start smoking in the first place. There are many different reasons why a person begins to smoke, however there are even more reasons why a person should not smoke. We will write a custom essay sample on Teen Smoking or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page So why is the youth of America taking such a big health risk that could end there lives? What is giving these teens the idea that smoking is a positive thing to bring into their lives? Tobacco has been around society since Columbus discovered America and the Indians gave him some tobacco as a present. Believed to have special healing powers this wild plant will soon reached all parts the world. Tobacco rapid and wild growth came during world war one, where the cigarette was called â€Å"soldiers smoke†. During World War II cigarettes reach an all new hey that people thought it would never be a will to reach, everybody wanted a cigarette pushing the sales through the roof. Cigarettes were included in the soldier’s rations, just like they would have food. Tobacco companies sent millions of cigarettes to soldiers for free. Now all the soldiers were hooked on this deadly cigarette, so when they came home from the war, the tobacco companies all have dedicated customers to whom they could sell their products (Randall). At this point in tobaccos history, the health risks of smoking have not been made public knowledge and the effects of smoking were not well known. For those born prior to the passage of the Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act in 1970, there was an overwhelming amount of false information, and false ads, telling people that cigarettes were good for them. The act was the first major government action in the U. S. to regulate tobacco, and marked the start of the era of negative public opinion of tobacco use. It banned cigarette advertising on radio and television. It also added the now famous warning label saying that smoking was bad it kills people to cigarette packaging and any print advertisements for cigarettes. With all of this going on, how are the kids on the block still starting to smoke cigarettes. There are many different reasons as to why kids are starting to smoke at such young ages. It’s almost impossible to put a finger on what the root cause of teenage smoking is because there are so many, and none of them are definite. The most common reason that kids and teens smoke is peer pressure. Kids whose friends smoke are more likely to start smoking, as it gives them a sense of belonging. Another major reason why kids smoke is because of adult smoking. When kids and teens see adults, especially their parents or other family members smoke, they will be more likely to smoke because they will perceive smoking as normal behavior and something that is grown-up and mature. Coping with stress Just like adults, kids and teens can use smoking to relieve stress. Nicotine inhaled by cigarettes rapidly activates the reward and pleasures areas of the brain, creating positive feelings and relieving stress. Unfortunately advertising can be another variable in fight against teen smoking, tobacco companies often gear marketing towards teens and children. They are a key demographic. Most people who become regular smokers start smoking in their teens. Media,  when kids and teens see movies and television shows were actors smoke, they are more likely to try smoking since they often look up to actors and want to want to be the same as their favorite actors so they mimics their behavior. Another reason why young girls are getting into this nasty habit is because smoking helps you lose weight. The main chemical in tobacco is nicotine, a stimulant which causes your heart to beat more rapidly. This causes weight loss and cigarettes also may cause a decrease in appetite. Therefor many female teens smoke because they feel it will help them lose weight, and often they do not consider the harm they are doing to their bodies. Although smoking at a young age is such a negative thing and so many kids are doing it the trends are starting to improve slowly over time. It has been a goal for a long time to cut back the amount of teenage smoking. There are many anti-smoking campaigns. Are these campaigns doing anything good for the youth of America? Yes, centers for disease control and prevention says that in 1991 of high school students who smoked cigarettes on 1 or more of the 30 days preceding the survey is 27. 5%. Reaching its peak in 1999 was 36. 4% of students in high school smoked. With the trend starting to hit a small decline, the peoples goals is by 2020 is to reach 16%, which is a reachable goal because in 2011 the percent of high school students who had smoked within 30 days of taking the survey is 18. %. a decline in teenage smoking is attributable to programs like TRU, a program that helps kids and adults quit smoking all around the world. There was also a decline in teenage smoking because of higher taxes on tobacco products, advertising restrictions and smoke-free air laws. Smoking cigarettes is a huge trend in the teenage world, however there are many other forms of tobacco such as chew, cigars, dip, hookah, kreteks, and snus, and other forms of tobacco. Since 1970, smokeless tobacco has gone from a product used primarily by older men to being used predominantly by young men and boys. This trend has occurred as smokeless tobacco promotions have increased dramatically and a new generation of smokeless tobacco products has hit the market. Far from being a safe alternative to cigarette smoking, smokeless tobacco use increases the risk of developing many health problems. Furthermore, evidence shows that young boys who use smokeless tobacco products have a higher risk of becoming cigarette smokers within four years. Although there has been a decline in the amount of teenage smokers in the past 20 years, the trend is not gaining as much progress as it used to. The youth of America is something to protect, and with this highly addictive, disease-causing cigarette out on the market, the youth of America will be tempted by the false rumors that have been spread over time by our culture. Tobacco is something thats been in around our culture for a long time and is not going anywhere soon. Even though there are no positive reasons to smoke a cigarette, the youth of America is giving up their health. At a young age, your body is trying to grow big and strong, but by smoking cigarettes they are giving up their opportunity to grow big and healthy. Smoking a cigarette is never a good idea, and the youth of America needs to steer away from the temptation of this dangerous little thing.