Almost every child, at some early point in their lives, has had someone come up to them and offered them
a cigarette. In today's society, it's not seen as glamorous as in the past, as fewer movies and
television shows have positive role models smoking, but it's still prevalent among musicians, and kids
are still somehow drawn to it, even though they're the best educated group in history on the dangers of smoking.
How common is smoking with kids? The American Lung Association believes six
thousand kids in the United States start smoking every day. They also believe that around four and a
half million teens and kids in the US that are addicted to cigarettes. Age 15 is the median age when
smoking starts; 12 to 13 is the average age that most girls start smoking.
That's scary, but smoking isn't only an American problem. It's estimated that more than 50% of Russian
boys under the age of 16 smoke. In China, one-third of junior high school boys said they smoked.
And, when it comes to attempting to stop smoking, around 75% of kids reported that they've tried to
quit smoking at least once in their lives, and 40% of them said they wanted to stop smoking, but didn't
have treatment available for them. Many don't want their parents to know they've been smoking, and,
unlike pregnancy, smoking isn't a protected right from parent's knowledge. Also, most students couldn't
afford to pay for either treatment or drug's without their parents help. That, plus they're less likely
to go to friends for help to stop smoking because most of their friends smoke.
Of course, there have been studies to find out why kids start smoking in the first place. Some of
what's been reported has been peer pressure, which is number one on the list, advertising, a desire
to look older, and rebellion.
What's not discussed as often is how children gain access to cigarettes, since, in most states, they
have to be at least 18 years old, and cigarettes have been taken off shelves to force establishments
to verify the age of a buyer before selling the cigarettes. This seems to be relatively easy because
most kids who smoke have parents who smoke, so they steal cigarettes from their parents on a regular basis.
They'll also often get someone of age to get cigarettes for them.
Why do cigarettes impact kids more than adults? Mainly because the brains of teenagers aren't
fully developed until they're close to the age of 18, and introducing a foreign substance into
them at an earlier age means they get altered sooner. And, since the brain isn't meant to handle
nicotine in the first place, the effects are stronger on kids. And, since the same happens with the
bodies of kids, it's no wonder that some of them exhibit habits of adults sometimes 20 years or older.
Trying to find ways to encourage kids to give up, or to help them, isn't easy. Most physicians
are hesitant to give smoking cessation drugs to anyone under the age of 18. So, it becomes
important for parents who discover their kids smoking to find ways to be supportive without being
preachy. Yelling at them won't work; it will only encourage them to continue by being rebellious.
Finding them a support group with other kids their age seems to be the best way to go, since, with kids,
it's all about finding other people to hang around with that are like them, or like they want to be.
It also doesn't hurt to encourage them to explore the negatives of cigarette smoking on their own,
but less of the scientific facts that things they should already know, such as how it affects their
skin, makes their clothes and hair smell bad, and how their teeth look duller.
Kids who start smoking have a hard time quitting if they wish to try, so as an adult it becomes
important for you to help them as much as possible, for their health and your own peace of mind.
