Parent Corner: Teenagers smoking?
By James Henderson, MD
Cascade Valley Arlington Pediatrics
 |
Teen Smoking Quiz
More than 48 million men and women in the United States are smokers. In addition, at least four million adolescents, ages 12 to 17, are smokers.
According to the American Heart Association, more than 6,000 people younger than 18 years try a cigarette each day, and more than 3,000 become daily smokers each day. If trends continue, about five million of these young people will eventually die from a smoking-attributable disease.
Test your knowledge about teen smoking with the following questions:
- Of the high school seniors who smoke one to five cigarettes a day, what percentage will be smoking five years later?
- Half of all teenagers who smoke began by what age?
- Teens are more likely to continue smoking if...?
- Can teens smoke once in awhile without any harmful effects and without becoming a regular smoker as an adult?
- True or false: Teen smokers are not interested in quitting.
- Smoking decreases your life expectancy by how many years?
- True or false: It is estimated that more Americans die from smoking-related illnesses each year than the number of Americans killed in World War II and the Vietnam War combined.
What Can You Do?
While your child's "experimenting" with cigarettes may seem harmless, cigarette smoking is addictive and most teenagers underestimate the health risks in smoking while overestimating their ability to stop once they start.
The reality is that if your high school senior smokes from one to five cigarettes a day, there is a 70 percent chance they will still be smoking five years from now. More than half of those who smoke in high school have already unsuccessfully tried to stop.
Teenagers start smoking earlier than many parents realize. Half of all teenagers who start to smoke begin by 14 years of age. Almost 20 percent of eighth graders have smoked in the past 30 days. Among high school seniors, the rate is 30 percent. The younger a child begins smoking, the greater the chance that he or she will become a heavy smoker as an adult.
Here are some ways you as a parent might encourage your children to not smoke:
- Talk with your teenager. Ask if their friends smoke. The risk of your child smoking is 13 times higher if his or her best friends smoke.
- Learn what your child thinks about smoking. Let them read this information and ask for their opinion.
- Help your child explore their feelings about peer pressure and smoking. Use non-judgmental questions and help them think through how they could handle tough situations.
- Encourage your teenager to enjoy maximal energy and health. The active vivacious lifestyles portrayed in many cigarette ads are actually more representative of nonsmokers. People who smoke have more frequent colds and other respiratory problems.
- Not the social repercussions: bad breath, smelly hair and clothes, etc.
- Set a personal example by not smoking. If you currently smoke, one of the best reasons to stop is for the sake of your children.
Answers to questions:
- 70%
- 14
- Their friends, siblings or parents smoke.
- No. Your teen can become addicted and expose themselves to the harmful effects of cigarettes even as a casual smoker.
- True. Three out of four teen smokers have made at least one unsuccessful attempt to quit.
- 10 to 12 years
- True. About 430,000 deaths in the US each year are attributed to smoking -- the equivalent of three 747s crashing each day with no survivors.
Disclaimer: This information is provided for educational purposes only. It should not replace a visit with your health care professional. Call your doctor if you need more information or have additional questions.