Smoking is one of the worst things kids or adults can do to their
bodies. Yet every single day about 4,000 kids between
the ages 12 and
17 start smoking. Most middle school students don''t smoke — only about
1 in 10 does. And most high school students don''t smoke either — about
1 in 4 does (that means 3 out of 4 don''t).
But why do those who smoke ever begin?
There''s more than just one simple answer. Some kids may start
smoking just because they''re curious. Others may like the idea of doing
something dangerous — something grownups don''t want them to do. Still
others might know lots of people who smoke and they might think it''s a
way to act or look like an adult. Fortunately, fewer people are
starting smoking than a few years ago.Maybe that''s because more and more people have learned that smoking and tobacco use can cause cancer and heart disease. But sometimes kids can''t really think that far into the future to worry about an illness they might not get for many years.So let''s talk about the problems that might affect kids more quickly:
bad breathyellow teethsmelly clothesmore colds and coughsdifficulty keeping up with friends when playing sportsempty wallet.cigarettes and tobacco products are very expensive!What Are Smoking and
Smokeless Tobacco?
Tobacco (say: tuh-ba-ko) is a plant that can be
smoked in cigarettes, pipes, or cigars. It''s the same plant that''s in
smokeless tobacco, known as dip, chew, snuff, spit, or chewing tobacco.
Smokeless tobacco is not lit or inhaled like tobacco in cigarettes,
pipes, and cigars. Instead, smokeless tobacco is put between the lip
and gum and sucked on inside the mouth.
Tobacco contains
nicotine (say: nih-kuh-teen), a
chemical that causes a tingly or pleasant feeling — but that feeling
only lasts for a little while. Nicotine is also addictive (say: uh-dik-tiv).
That means that if you start to use nicotine, your body and mind will
become so used to it that you''ll need to have it just to feel OK.
Anyone who starts smoking could become addicted to it. If you''re
addicted to something, it''s very hard to stop doing it, even if you
want to. Some kids get addicted right away. And adults are often
addicted, which is why so many of them have a hard time quitting
smoking.
Why Is It So Bad for You?
Cigarettes and smokeless tobacco kill hundreds of thousands of
Americans every year. You know those rubber bracelets that were created
to bring attention to different causes? The Campaign for Tobacco-Free
Kids created a red one with the number 1,200 on it. Why 1,200? That''s
the number of people who die each day due to smoking.
The nicotine and other poisonous chemicals in tobacco cause lots of
diseases, like heart problems and some kinds of cancer. If you smoke,
you hurt your lungs
and heart each time you light up. It also can make it more difficult
for blood to move around in the body, so smokers may feel tired and
cranky. The longer you smoke, the worse the damage becomes. How to stop smoking!You are now ready to consider the following question:How and when do you want to quit smoking?There
are only two ways to effectively quit smoking, immediately (cold
turkey), or gradually. When you quit gradually, you use various methods
to taper off before you have that last cigarette. Neither way is better
than the other for all people. Pick the one that you feel fits your
temperament. Either way, a nicotine patch may prove to be a real
benefit in giving up, especially if you are a heavy smoker.Try this test to see which way is better for you.CHOOSE THE METHOD TO QUIT THAT''S RIGHT FOR YOU!
Answer the questions by circling "yes", "no", or "not sure".1. Stopping smoking is one of the most important things in the world for me right now. Yes/no/not sure2. I can handle a tough problem without a smoke. Yes/no/not sure3. I have to quit smoking and my reasons are good enough to do it now. Yes/no/not sure4. If Ind a way to resist the craving to smoke, even if it is strong. Yes/no/not sureIf
your answer to all of the above questions is yes, you may be a
candidate to quit immediately. But before you do, read on to get the
tools necessary to be successful. After reading the following, set a
time to quit. If not right now, then tomorrow, but do it.What about the doubts you may be feeling now?Most
smokers will get a sense of doubt when they read the questions above.
You probably are not confident in your ability to follow through with
resisting any future craving to smoke, or finding something to
substitute for the feelings that smoking has given to you. In order to
have the confidence to quit, you :(1) must find an alternative to handle the urge to smoke, when it hits, and (2) create ways to deal with the reasons that you smoked in the first place. Together
we will accomplish both these tasks so that when the day comes that you
had planned to quit, you will be confident to do it.