
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, each day in the United States, more than 3,200 people younger than 18 years of age smoke their first cigarette. This WellnessKeen write-up provides some more facts on smoking for kids.
Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. According to the CDC, every day an estimated 2,100 youth and young adults who have been occasional smokers become daily cigarette smokers. For every person who dies from a smoking-related disease, about 30 more people suffer from at least one serious illness from smoking. Though everyone knows that smoking is injurious to health, these warnings seem to be falling on deaf ears. Unfortunately, some teenagers give in peer pressure, while some are just curious about it. We give a few facts and statistics about smoking, with the hope that people would realize the harmful effects of smoking.
Facts about Passive Smoking
Passive smoking is defined as the inhalation of the smoke created by burning of tobacco products like cigarettes. It occurs when a person other than the smoker inhales this smoke. If parents are heavy smokers, then the children are at a risk of passive smoking. Here are some facts:
➻ According to the National Institutes of Health, passive smoking is responsible for almost 3,000 cases of terminal lung cancer in nonsmokers in America each year.
➻ It also causes about 300,000 cases of pneumonia and bronchitis among infants and toddlers every year, out of which majority have proved fatal.
➻ Also when a kid below the age of 13 is exposed to passive smoking, he/she is at an increased risk of developing wheezing, coughing, middle ear infection, or asthma.
➻ There is a high risk of early onset of heart diseases due to secondhand smoking.
➻ A study found that children who had been exposed to smoke during childhood are likely to develop allergies.
Facts on Teen Smoking
Teenagers need to learn about the adverse effects of smoking. Here are some facts and statistics about teen smoking.
➻ According to the CDC, smoking and smokeless tobacco use are initiated and established primarily during adolescence. Nearly 9 out of 10 smokers first tried cigarettes by age 18, and 99% first tried cigarettes by age 26.
➻ Everyday, 3,000 children smoke their first cigarette, and 20 percent of the American teens are smokers.
➻ According to the CDC, if smoking persists at the current rate among youth, 5.6 million of today’s Americans younger than 18 years of age are projected to die prematurely from a smoking-related illness. This represents about one in every 13 Americans aged 17 years or younger alive today.
➻ From 2011-2012, electronic cigarette use doubled among middle and high school students, and hookah use increased among high school students
➻ According to the Surgeon General, teenagers who smoke are 3 times more likely to use alcohol, 8 times more likely to smoke marijuana, and 22 times more likely to use cocaine.
➻ Approximately 1.5 million packs of cigarettes are purchased for minors annually.
➻ Smoking can put one at an increased risk of developing cancers like lung cancer, renal cell carcinoma, pancreatic cancer, brain tumor, and breast cancer in case of teenage girls.
➻ More than 4,000 toxic or carcinogenic chemicals have been found in tobacco smoke. Some of them are benzene, carbon monoxide, arsenic, hydrogen cyanide, and polonium 210.
➻ Research shows that around 50% of smokers who start smoking in adolescent years continue for 15 to 20 years.
On a concluding note, smoking is an unhealthy habit that can make you susceptible to various serious medical conditions. Thus, steps must be taken to educate the children and young adults to not give in to the temptation for the sake of their health.