Up in Smoke

1433 Words3 Pages

Up in Smoke

Alarmingly, almost all smokers begin smoking before they graduate from high school ("Preventing Tobacco Use Among Young People" 125). Smoking amongst children and teenagers has always been a controversial issue. Consequently cigarette companies are under fire from many directions for targeting the young in their ad campaigns. It is commonly wondered what actually makes them smoke. Recent studies have revealed that there might be more to it than simple curiosity. Some experts have even linked it to depression. The health risks of smoking are not widely disputed, but perhaps the numbers of deaths related to smoking are.

Underage smoking is an ongoing problem all over the world. Reasons for smoking include the usual, such as peer pressure and poor self-esteem. Since many of these young teens become addicted to nicotine, it grows increasingly more difficult for them to quit. They often times attempt to do so but find the withdrawal symptoms to hard to cope with, and soon relapse. Consequently, many of them don't stop there. They soon move on to other, more potent drugs. While this doesn't happen to all smokers, it is not an uncommon occurrence ("Preventing Tobacco Use Among Young People" 125). Yet, there is perhaps one reason that most people wouldn't expectboredom. Kids don't have anything to do, and they start smoking simply to occupy their time. It may sound strange, but it's true ("No Smoking" 76). No one expects underage smoking to come a screeching halt or anything of that nature, but most people want to see it decrease. Unfortunately, not everyone is really actively trying to stop smoking. Some of them don't really want it to stop, as it wouldn't be in their own best interest. Who are these people?...

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...this situation will change overnight. I know that every day more and more young kids will become addicted to the very thing that will end their lives.

Works Cited

Anda, Robert. "Adverse Childhood Experiences and Smoking During Adolescence and

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Gallagher, John. "Under fire from all sides: cigarette makers are assailed for targeting

the young." Time, 135 (March 5, 1990), 41.

Glass, Richard. "Blue Mood, blackened lungs: depression and smoking." JAMA

"No Smoking: A psychologist's tips for parents of teenagers." Newsweek, (Oct 4, 1999), 76

Peto, Richard. "Smoking and death: the past 40 years and the next 40." British

Medical Journal, 309 (Oct 8, 1994), 937-940.

"Preventing Tobacco Use Among Young People." Morbidity and Mortality Weekly

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