Peer Pressure
A teen’s first cigarette usually comes from a friend. Peer pressure has tremendous impact on a young person’s decision to experiment with cigarettes, according to Teen Smoking. Sometimes, teens start smoking because a friend dares them to. Other teens who are trying to find themselves experiment with cigarettes and become addicted. Smoking is also viewed as an act of rebellion and a way to demonstrate independence.
The Media
The media has a major impact on a teen’s decision to smoke. Teens are likely to experiment with different personas as they try to discover themselves. Smoking is portrayed as glamorous, sexy and macho in the mass media. Movies portray smoking as living the high life and being “cool.” The National Cancer Institute cites a study that clearly associates teen smoking with portrayal of smoking in the movies. In fact, the researchers of the study found that out of all factors influencing teens to smoke, portrayal of smoking in the movies was the most significant risk factor.
Advertisements are designed to have a strong influence on people, and teenagers are no exception. Even if cigarette advertisements are geared toward adults, teenagers also may look to these advertisements as being glamorous, according to Teen Smoking. Cigarettes are the most advertised item second to cars, according to the University of Florida. Movies and television programs also may portray cool or iconic characters as smoking, which can influence teens to want to be like these celebrities.
Sense of Immortality
The health risks seem very distant to teens who have little life experience. Lung cancer, chronic cough and other diseases seem like “old people’s diseases.” Teens have an overall sense of invincibility and are more likely to participate in high-risk behaviors. They don’t comprehend the difficulty involved in quitting and believe that they can stop whenever they want to.
Role Models Who Smoke
When teens’ family members–such as parents or siblings—smoke, teens are more likely to smoke, according to Family First Aid. Parents and family members serve as role models to a teen, who is forming opinions about the world. When parents smoke, smoking can seem more permissible to the teen. For example, 98 percent of smokers have parents who also smoke, according to Family First Aid, suggesting a strong link between parental smoking and teen smoking.
Weight Loss
As teenage girls struggle with self-identity, the fear of gaining weight or the desire to lose weight can lead some to smoke, according to the University of Florida. Models in advertisements may be portrayed as thin and glamorous. Teenagers may find that cigarettes satisfy cravings for food, according to Teen Smoking. However, smoking has significantly more harmful effects than food choices. Parents emphasizing healthy eating may help to overcome some of these misconceptions and teach teens habits that can stay with them.
Rebellion
Teenagers are known to always be pushing the envelope and learning their limits in life. There is no question that as children turn into adolescents, differences may arise between these teens and any sort of authority figure. According to “The Teenager’s Guide to the Real World,” teens often begin smoking to rebel against these authority figures, and declare themselves as “grownups”. There is also the allure of smoking because it is frowned upon and prohibited. The excitement of engaging in risky behaviors may also follow us into our adult years.
Teen Smoking Epidemic
There are so many aspects of our culture that seem to promote smoking. In the past, tobacco companies have marketed their product directly at teenagers, including using alluring characters, and even adding sweet substances in cigarettes. According to the American Lung Association, at the rate at which teenagers are beginning to smoke, 6.4 million of these teens will eventually die prematurely from an illness or condition related to smoking. Although this epidemic seems to continue on, it is important to ask yourself what can be done to stop it.
