Smoking and Youth

Nearly a quarter of high school students in the U.S. smoke cigarettes. Another 8% use smokeless tobacco. Smoking has many health risks for everyone. However, the younger you are when you start smoking, the more problems it can cause. For example:

• People who start smoking before the age of 21 have the hardest time quitting.
• About 30% of youth smokers will continue smoking and die early from a smoking-related disease.
• Teen smokers are more likely to use alcohol and illegal drugs.
• They are more likely to have panic attacks, anxiety disorders and depression.

Parents and other adults who work with children can help by warning them of the risks of smoking. They can also set a good example by not smoking themselves.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

External Resources

The Magically Hip - Comedy magic, stage hypnosis and motivational presentations. Schools performances and youth smoking prevention programs.

Lets Get it Together: Ribald Youth - A comic taking a brief look at the life of a chain smoking school girl and her friends.

WHO: The Tobacco Atlas - History of tobacco, types of use, male and female smoking, youth, cigarette consumption, health effects, secondhand smoke, deaths, costs; the trade, the industry, smuggling, tobacco promotion and marketing, Internet sales, politics; activism, research, tobacco control, policy initiatives; quitting, litigation, pricing, and futures.

CDC's TIPS: Tobacco Information and Prevention Source - Maintained by the CDC's Office on Smoking and Health. Covers tobacco-related issues, statistics, news, research, data, reports, quitting tips, educational materials, publications, . Also sections dedicated to youth.

Anti-smoking group Tobaccofree.org, founded by advcate Patrick Reynolds (RJ Reynolds' anti-tobacco grandson) - Anti-smoking group offers youth a tobacco prevention message for grades 6-12, educational videos, quit smoking tips, anti-tobacco motivational speakers, and related resources. Founded by Patrick Reynolds.

Teens Against Smoking in Kansas - Kansas youth speaking out about big tobacco companies. Join with other teens in Kansas and help create one strong voice working to expose Big Tobacco's lies.

Tobacco Explained: Marketing to Youth - Heavily documented from the tobacco industry's own internal documents, reports on how the tobacco industry promotes cigarettes and smoking to youth.

Youth Tobacco Issues: A Roundtable Discussion - Session from health conference on smoking influences, smokefree programs and policies, and engaging youth in tobacco control activities.

Smoking and Tobacco Use Among Young People - 5 papers (abstracts only) from RWJ Foundation sponsored study on youth tobacco practices and attitudes.

Youth Smoking - A Burning issue - Report from a symposium held July 1999. Summary of findings, paper presentations, talks; recommendations.

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