EDUCATE YOUR CHILDREN ABOUT THE DANGERS OF TOBACCO

Tobacco  and Children

Every day, 4,000 children between the ages of twelve and seventeen try their first cigarette. This can be a deadly choice for an adolescent as tobacco use has been found to cause lung cancer as well as other health problems.

One-third of all teens who start smoking will die as a result of their smoking habit. This, combined with the fact that almost three million teenagers are currently smoking, should send an alarming message to parents and the medical community.

Tobacco Facts

Most children who start smoking early, graduate to the use of other harmful drugs. The statistical probability is that children who smoke will also engage in other risky behaviors, such as failing to wear safety belts in cars or engaging in sexual activities at an early age.

Smoking can lead to high blood pressure and heart disease and worsens the effects of diabetes and asthma. Most adults who are now addicted to the nicotine found in tobacco began their tobacco habit as adolescents.

Risk Factors

Children who have family members that use tobacco products are more likely to use the products as well. Young people who wish to fit in with the “cool” crowd at school or who have low self-esteem often turn to tobacco use as a way of coping with their problems and fitting in. Those who have brothers or sisters who smoke are at higher risk for taking up the habit, themselves.

Often, girls who seek to lose weight believe that smoking will curb their appetites and allow them to mold their bodies into the almost unattainable ideal of the perfect female body that is perpetuated throughout media and society. Smoking has also become a statistical marker for poor performance in school.

Parents

With so many negatives associated with tobacco use, it is easy to see why there are so many organizations and awareness programs that are devoted to stopping the use of tobacco products by adolescents. Parents can help in this fight by educating their children about the dangers of tobacco use and establishing rules that punish their use.

Parents should set good examples for their children by not using tobacco products or at least not using them while in front of their children. If parents and communities work together, the health of America’s children can be greatly improved by the elimination of tobacco use.