Although there may be a chunk of reasons behind teenage smoking, an observation that may be made with great conviction is that teens make a considerable portion of smokers all around the world. A few intriguing yet worrisome signs with regards to teenage smoking include that about 30% of youth smokers are regular smokers and have made a transition towards addicts which poses a significant threat to their lives. Furthermore, since their level of addiction is at such intensity that teen smokers make a shift from nicotine to use of alcohol and other illegal drugs. Consequently, when they are not able to meet their addiction; depression, panic attacks and anxiety disorders are to follow. While nothing may be taken away from the devastating effects that smoking may have on teenagers, measures to control and finally to seal teenage smoking must be taken at earliest. A few effective strategies would include;Creating awareness at institutions of the harmful effects that smoking has, and include it as a part of the curriculum that is taught at schools and colleges. Studies have shown that teenage smoking begins at college level with peer pressure or any other stress issues that teens usually face due to excessive study load or problems pertinent to their personal lives. Thus, if awareness is created at an early stage, this could result in addressing the problem at its root cause, hence lowering it significantly.
If parents smoke, the chances of teenagers adopting the sticks increase significantly. Therefore, parents are encouraged to set a good example by not smoking, at least not in front of your children. This shall help in reducing the upward trends in teenage smoking.
Government should regulate the price of cigarettes and set it high enough so that it becomes difficult for them to spend on smoking. While banning cigarette may be a difficult task, price regulation is certainly a lot easier and effective.
There may be instances where teenagers believe that severe results such as cancer or other chronic disease happens only in the abstract and have little to do with the real world, real life examples must be shared with them preferably of someone close or a person that they know personally as well.
Media and government agencies should look to hold campaigns and advertisements highlighting the sufferings that a teenager may later on be exposed to if they do not give up on smoking. Information should also be imparted that smokeless tobacco, candy flavored cigarettes and clove cigarettes are equally risky and teenagers must abstain from them.
Teenage smoking is a serious problem that needs a great deal of attention from various society players; family, government, academia and most importantly media. The prolific penetration that has been witnessed in terms of teenage smoking is a dangerous sign in itself and stern measures must be taken before the situation turns into a desperate one. These efforts may require some time to be fully effective; their execution must begin with immediate effect to be able to minimize the damage that cigarettes may cause to teenagers.
Lindsay is an anti-smoking advocate and expert. She has helped hundreds of people quit smoking and improve their lifestyle. "One of the best methods I use to help people quit smoking is by using the latest and most advanced smoking alternative devices. It works 90 percent of the time," says Lindsay during an interview.
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