Thursday, February 6, 2014

The Affect Of Smoking On Teens

The American Lung Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has stated that each day over 6,000 people under the age of 18 smoke their very fist cigarette. Of these 6,000 people nearly half of them will become regular smokers who smoke daily. This means that about 4.5 million teens who are between the ages of 12 and 17 years old are current, regular smokers. More and more teens are becoming addicted to smoking because they completely underestimate the addictiveness of the nicotine in the cigarettes. Smoking for teens can affect everything from how they look, smell and even more importantly their health.


Appearance and Smell


A teen who smokes regularly will begin to notice that not only will their teeth turn yellow but also their finger nails will become an unattractive yellow. This happens because of the nicotine within the cigarette that is entering the teen's body. Smoking also causes you to smell like an ashtray. Cigarette smoke will stick to clothing, hair and your body. Smoking will also cause a person to have bad breath along with an increase in the risk of getting cavities.


Cancer


Smoking cigarettes can cause cancer which according to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention is the second leading cause of death. Smoking can cause more than just lung cancer. Smoking can also cause oral cavity, cancer of the larynx, cancer of the esophagus, cervical cancer, kidney cancer, cancer of the pancreas, bladder cancer, cancer of the stomach and also acutemyeloid leukemia. Smokers who start smoking in their teen years are more likely to become a victim to one of these cancers.


Energy


A teen who smokes will be affected by the fact that cigarette smoke causes a decrease in energy. This means that the energy the teen once had for after school activities such as sports will no longer be there. A teen may find himself less likely to have the energy to be able to participate and may eventually quit the activity all together.


Depression


According to Josepha Cheong, M.D., Michael Herkov, Ph.D. and Wayne Goodman, M.D., new research is suggesting that there could be something within the cigarette or cigarette smoke that has properties of an antidepressant. This means that smoking can cause a teen to be depressed which will lead to lack of motivation, lack of desire to be with friends and to succeed in school. In addition to depression the National Library of Medicine also states that teens who smoke are more susceptible to anxiety attacks and panic attacks.


Alcohol and Drugs


The National Library of Medicine also states that teens who smoke are more likely to get involved with drugs and alcohol. Not only are drugs and alcohol illegal for teens but they also open up a whole new set of health problems and their effects on a teens' health.









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