Because of advertisements and other forms of media that promote smoking, many teens think it is okay and cool to smoke. And the result is that many teens are getting addicted to nicotine and cigarettes. All over the world, smoking begins as a teenage experience. Few smokers have begun smoking as adults. In the United States, on an average day, at least 3,000 young people become regular smokers, and more than 6,000 adolescents try to smoke their first cigarette. The outlook for regular smokers who began smoking as teenagers and continue into adulthood is grim. Research shows that people who start smoking before the age of 21 have the hardest time quitting. It is also estimated that about 30% of youth smokers who continue smoking well into adulthood would die early from a smoking-related disease. While smoking may be legal for adults, the medical costs associated with it are enormous. Many of those who suffer and die from smoking-related illnesses actually took up the habit in their teens.
In today’s health news, there seem to be startling new statistics regarding teen smoking. It appears nearly one in five 13-to-15-year-old students worldwide uses some form of...