Why do kids take up smoking today?

Question

Beyond the obvious answer such as image (its cool) or its peer pressure, why do teenagers take up smoking?

More importantly, whst runs through their head when they start the habit?

There are endless campaigns from government, health groups, doctors to quit, mountains of advertising for quit-smoking products, public smoking bans (UK, Australia) and even the cartons themselves have around 50% of the surface area warning people of the dangers.

And this isn't new!! The PARENTS of teenagers today have grown up under anti-smoking canpaigns (given tobacco adertising was pretty much banned in the mid 1970's).

Love to hear from teenagers who have started then stopped, would like to stop, havent stopped or WONT stop.

Thanks - BM

Oh, no silly little answers like "its cool", "why not", "it's my right" please. Thanks

Answer 1

I quit about 2 years ago (after my dad spent 2 weeks in a coma from.....you guessed it, 30 years of smoking) and now I wonder that myself sometimes, the answers I've gotten from friends are things like, "It's relaxing", some people have said that it helps them loose weight. Obviously "It's cool" or "to help me fit in" are popular answers, but I think they are viable. If you enter a new situation (high school/college) image at the start is everything. It may be an "in" to a group or a frat. My friend swears by the relaxing explaination, he says that when he's stressed out he likes to take a short walk and smoke a cigarette. My ex-girlfriend said when she stopped smoking she didn't change anything in her diet and she gained weight; so she started again. Lastly, when you start, depending on how old you are (this sounds stupid but its true) you feel rebellious. Maybe not outwardly, but I believe most younger smokers would attest to this. If your 15 it may feel cool, if your 19 and in College it could be an expression of your new found freedom. All in all its a terrible habit, but the effect is over such a long period (usually) that its hard to drive home the danger. People say things like "oh i'll quit in a few years" or "oh i'm only 19, I'll be alright", the truth is, it is extremely hard to quit, cigarettes are addictive, and you will feel the effects of even short term smoking for the rest of your life.
-Sorry for writing a book : - )

Answer 2

my nephew who is 13 was caught smoking, I can't imagine why he would start. But I think these campaigns that say smoking kills,don't affect 13 year old boys. Ill health is something so remote to them I can only think that Sean , my nephew, thought it was a statement he is now an adult that made him do it. (his 16 year old brother grassed on him)

Maybe they should have sports stars, like if Ryan Giggs went on about how uncool it is to smoke Sean might have thought twice.
I never smoked, I grew up in the 70's, but the reason for that was my father smoked and I thought it was revolting. A woman I work with smokes, and neither of her parents did...so I think so called experts need to look again at the causes

Answer 3

people seem to forget that the teenagers of today were a direct target of the big tobacco companies marketing campaign I'm 24 and i remember characters like Joe Camel being in every magazine i ever read. movie and television portrayed it as the coolest thing you could do. and their product placement today still borders on inappropriate.

i started smoking at 13 years old and i remember hating the taste of it but wanting to be like Clint Eastwood. i had friends that smoked and it was a matter of fitting in. i spent entire summers not smoking then starting again in the fall. i think that may have something to do with seasonal depression.

the cost of cigarettes alone should be enough to stop your average teenager from lighting up, but rarely do you ever pay for your first cigarette. usually its bummed. and cigarettes being more addictive than heroin, and a teenagers built-in tendency to want to fit in and be cool, makes them a perfect target to marketing and developing future addicts.

i still smoke a pack a day and have tried many unsuccessful times to quit. i have two girls of my own and i want to be around to enjoy grand kids in my golden years i want to be able to be there for my girls, with the hereditary lung disease i most certainly have gotten i know i won't live to be very old at all if i don't quit, I'm 24 and I've been smoking for over a decade.

i wouldn't be offended if a Prohibition of tobacco products was put into place. i don't care who you are, if you smoke you don't want to. you don't like the smell, you don't like the taste, you don't like the cost and you don't like the eminent disease. people that lobby to smoke in public piss me off i like going to bars and not sitting next to a guy on either side huffin one down i like that i smoke less often because i have to go outside.

Answer 4

100% Natural Quit Smoking Magic - http://Go.QuitSmokingMagics.com

Answer 5

Well I'm 17 and my best friend started smoking and offered me one. I was always being tempted to try it by various friends and had always turned it down, but not this time.

I tried it because both my parents smoke, as do all my friends and it just seemed pointless not to try it.

As for all the health risks etc.....well as my friend said, I'm gona die anyway, a lot of people who don't smoke develope cancer, my great uncle never smoked and was totaly healthy but one day he got hit by as bus and died at 76.

These things really put it in perspective for me and I'm fed up worrying about the "consequences" of things so I thouht why not and tried it. I am now addicted and don't regret starting at all.

Hope I Helped!

Answer 6

My guess is boredom and the fact that people in their families smoke and they want to do so as well. Also at their young and naive age they wont see the health implications involved.

Answer 7

Because they're told not to, so just to be contrary. It's rebellious, and slightly dangerous. Plus everyone thinks they're going to live forever at that age.

Answer 8

they copy what they see adults doing

Answer 9

they think it makesthem look big