Smoking is one of the worst things kids or adults can do to their bodies. Yet every single day nearly 4,400 kids between the ages 12 and 17 start smoking. Why? 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 grown-ups don't want them to do. Still others might have grown up around lots of people who smoke and they might think it's the way to act like an adult.
You've probably heard that smoking and tobacco use can cause cancer and heart disease. That's true, but sometimes kids can't really think that far into the future to worry about an illness they might not get for 20 years (though some people may develop health issues far sooner (2 - 3 years!). So let's talk about the problems that might affect kids more quickly:
- bad breath
- yellow teeth
- smelly clothes
- more colds and coughs
- difficulty keeping up with friends when playing sports
- Looking old and having very bad skin.
- empty wallet - cigarettes and tobacco products are very expensive!
- Having to find time to smoke instead of having playing.
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Let's find out more about cigarettes and tobacco.
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 and breathed in 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 good 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. Nicotine is very poisonous, so much so that it used to be used as an insecticide. Every year many children go to casualty after eating cigarettes or cigarette butts. If you ate as little as three or four cigarettes you could be very serriously ill or even die!
Anyone who starts smoking is likely to become addicted to it very quickly. If you're addicted to something, it's very hard to stop doing it, even if you want to. That's why so many adults have a hard time quitting smoking. Most smokers when asked will tell you that they would like to quit smoking but find it too hard to do so.
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Why Is It So Bad for You?
Cigarettes and smokeless tobacco kills around 5 million people every year. The United States' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes tobacco use as "the single most important preventable risk to human health in developed countries and an important cause of premature death worldwide". |
The nicotine and other poisonous chemicals in tobacco cause lots of diseases, like heart problems, lung problems and cancers. 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.
The Other Cost of Smoking
Using tobacco eats up a lot of money, too. A pack of cigarettes costs £5, on average. That means, even if you buy just one pack a day, you'll spend £1825 in a year! Some people smoke 2 packs a day, which adds up to £3650! That's a lot of things you have to do without just to smoke. That could pay for family holidays, computer games, toys, A pet , evening out and loads of other fun activities. Its amazing what you have to give up just to smoke, your health, money, life style and you and your clothes stink too! It also costs the NHS around 1.7 billion pounds to treat smokers. Thats enough to build 6 brand new hospitals!
What's It Like?
Usually, people don't like smoking or chewing tobacco at first. Your body is smart, and it knows when it's being poisoned. When people try smoking for the first time, they often cough a lot and feel pain or burning in their throat and lungs. This is your lungs' way of trying to protect you and tell you to keep them smoke free. Also, many people say that they feel sick to their stomachs or even throw up. If someone accidentally swallows chewing tobacco, they may be sick for hours. Yuck. |
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What if My Friend Smokes?
If you have a friend who smokes or uses tobacco, you can help him or her by encouraging the person to quit. Here are some reasons you can mention:
- It will their health.
- It will make their breath and clothes stink (not to mention your clothes).
- It will turn his or her teeth yellow.
- It will give him or her less endurance when running or playing sports.
- It's expensive (They will have less money to spend on fun things).
- It makes their skin grow old quicker (gives skin a leathery old look).
- It does not make you look cool (whats cool about hurting yourself?)
- Most people don't smoke! (for good reason)
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If you think it will help, you could print out articles like this one for your friend. He or she may be interested in learning more about the dangers of smoking. But the person also could be a little angry. No one likes to hear that they're doing something wrong. If your friend gets upset, don't push it too much. In time, he or she may realize you are right.
In the meantime, it could help to talk with a parent or a teacher to say you're worried about your friend. When your friend is ready, a grown-up can help him or her quit for good. If your friend decides to quit, support him or her. You might say it's time to kick some butts! |
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