Teens and Tobacco: Keep The Future Away From Smoke
In recent years, despite spending millions of dollars on antismoking campaigns, teenagers have been found involved in smoking. Over 40% of these smoker teenagers are prospective chain smokers. This alarming data is really disturbing as this generation is our future youth. Rather becoming strong, it is losing everything from health to wealth in the smoke of cigarettes. The big Question is why do they smoke? Well, behavioral differences between smoker and non-smoker teenagers' reveal that the smoker teenagers feel older and wiser when they smoke.
Entering adolescence, teens like to act as if they are someone special or dangerous. Smoking supports these feelings in them. At this tender age, more you restrict them from something, more they will be attracted. Same happens in case of smoking. Thrill allures teens to go for smoking and as they take that first puff, they get encouragement to have more and this way they become addicted. Breaking the rules or going against parents becomes another addiction making them feel daring. At this age, youngsters like to get attention; whether this attention is good or bad is immaterial. They crave attention and smoking helps in getting that from all directions, including other teens, adults and their parents.
Studies have shown that nicotine tends to suppress feelings, suppress appetite for food, and relax from troubles and feelings of insecurities. Once teens start it, they are reluctant to stop it after being addicted as nicotine acts as a stimulant, which is stimulating the mind, body, and spirit. After crossing elevated level of body tolerance, one needs to use larger doses of nicotine to keep up a certain level of the physiological effect. When the body becomes habituated to the presence of nicotine, then use of nicotine becomes must for normal functioning of body.
Well, rather than effects, solutions should be discussed. Things become more complicated because these youngsters think that they are indispensable. They are more prone to use of other illegal substances if have favorable attitudes and surroundings. Alternatively, if the teen becomes a member of a pro-social group, like participating in sports, cheerleading, or any club that promotes healthy living, the possibility that the teen will attempt to stop smoking, gets better. Parents should educate their children about the unhealthy effects of smoking and provide their children sufficient attention at this tender age.
The times are changing; the charm of smoking is a matte of gone days and people have become concerned to health after knowing the facts that smoking cigarettes can cause emphysema, high blood pressure, and various forms of cancer. We are seeing people live longer and healthier lives after realizing the truth about cigarettes. |
