Why Is It Harder For Teens To Quit Smoking?

Smoking is one of the hardest habits to quit. One of the biggest problems is that many times people start during their teenage years. Adults tend to be aware of the long-term consequences of their actions. However many times teenagers are not. When you take into consideration all the issues teens have with trying to fit in and peer pressure, it’s easy to understand why it can be so hard for teenagers to quit.

By understanding why they start smoking in the first place, it’s possible to take preventive action. The following are the reasons why teenagers start smoking:

Mom or Dad

It’s no secret that parents have a great influence on their children. No matter how many times a parent says “don’t do this it’s bad for you”, teens are bound to do it anyway. If you are a parent who smokes, it’s important to quite before your kids start.

Peer Pressure

This is one of the biggest concerns for parents. Adolescents are prone start smoking because they want to fit in or be “cool”. Many times this is their way of rebelling. For parents it’s important to be aware of who your children are hanging out with when you’re not around.

Ads

Cigarette advertising is routinely geared towards teenagers. Many times they make it seem like smoking is “cool”. This combined with peer pressure makes it even harder to convince teens to quit.

Movies/TV

No matter how much we tell our children that things that happen in the movies are unacceptable, it’s still hard to convince them otherwise. Movie stars are the role models for many teenagers. Seeing celebrities smoke on or off screen sends a powerful message to our children.

Weight Loss

One of the side effects of nicotine is that it can be an appetite suppressant. Since teenage girls tend to be concerned about their weight, it’s possible for them to use smoking as a way to help control it. In this case, smoking isn’t the only concern. Rapid weight loss can be equally as dangerous.

Lack of knowledge

Many times teenagers simply don’t know all the harmful effects of smoking. This is why educating our children is so important. It’s possible that they won’t consider the long term effects, because many times young people don’t consider the future.

Conclusion

Of all the factors involved, the parents play the most vital role in whether or not a child chooses to start smoking. It’s important to make your feelings on the matter clear. Even though adolescence is a time for children to rebel, they do love their parents and want to do things that mom or dad will approve of. It’s also so important to educate your children of the dangers of smoking. With proper education, love and support hopefully they’ll never start.

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