Posts Tagged teen nicotine abuse

4 Reasons Why Teens Must NOT Smoke

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Raising Healthy Kids, Tobacco Abuse on February 2nd, 2010

A lot of teens get into smoking thinking that most others do. This is completely inaccurate. Majority of the youth do not smoke, and so if we base being ‘cool’ or not on how prevalent the habit is, avoiding smoking is actually the ‘cool’ thing to do.

There are several reasons why any teen should not smoke, not even try to. Studies have already established that even the first puff of smoke can already trigger a series of damaging reactions in the body. Here are some of the reasons you should stay away from smoking:

no smoking1.  Unhealthy skin. Smoking restricts blood vessels, thereby preventing the transport of oxygen and nutrients to the skin. This results to pale and unhealthy skin.  A study has also established a link between increased risk of developing psoriasis, a type of skin disease, and smoking.

2. Lower physical stamina and increased risk of injury. Carbon monoxide not only robs your skin but also your muscles, brain and other body tissues of oxygen. This makes your heart, lungs and the rest of the body work harder. Smokers usually find a hard time competing with non-smoking peers because of rapid heartbeat, decreased circulation and shortness of breath.

3. Bad breath and body odor. Most smokers develop a condition called halitosis, or persistent bad breath. Also, the smell of cigarette and its smoke tends to stay on one’s hair, clothes and skin.

4. Smoking kills. Lung cancer is one of the top preventable cancers in the world. Not smoking significantly decreases risk of lung cancer. Aside from lung cancer, smoking also causes several other serious diseases like heart attack, stroke, emphysema, pregnancy complications, and other cancers.

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Health Effects of Teenage Smoking

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Drug Abuse Prevention, Raising Healthy Kids, Tobacco Abuse on January 15th, 2010

It is common for teenagers to explore many things and be eternally curious.  While this type of behavior is perfectly normal, smoking is one of the most dangerous paths they can take.  The social effects alone can be damaging, but the more serious risks a teenage smoker faces are those related to health.

smoking teensMany studies have been conducted on teenage smoking and results have been the least promising.  Heart disease is one of the more serious risks due to teenage body’s continued exposure to nicotine.  This is because the gases produced tend to weaken the heart muscle and cause plaque buildups in the arteries.  Respiratory disease is another, asthma and pneumonia being the most commonly reported.   Smoking in teens also increases the risk of stunted bone growth which means teen smokers might grow up to be shorter adults than their nonsmoking friends.

Other common effects of teenage smoking include infertility both for girls and boys, dry skin and a weakening of the immune system. Because of their young age, kids’ antibodies are fairly underdeveloped and are, thus, very sensitive to hazardous elements such as nicotine.  This becomes a problem when these antibodies remain immature even as the person ages, causing reduced capability to ward off infections. The individual then ends up falling ill more frequently and sometimes more seriously than others.

Halitosis or bad breath might be one of the more taken for granted risks but experts regard it with importance as it may escalate into an oral cancer symptom. While there are no conclusive studies proving this link, it is not necessary to wait.

When it comes to their health, some teenagers can be quite reckless.  Parents can explore devoting a few minutes of their time educating their children about the health hazards of smoking from an early age.  When reinforced by schools, there is a better chance of channeling these kids’ attention away from this habit that has claimed one too many lives.

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