Posts Tagged teen smoking

Helping Your Teens to Quit Smoking

Posted by Drug Free in Tobacco Abuse on August 20th, 2011

Adults are not the only ones struggling to quit smoking. Many teens have this problem too. Guiding teens as they battle out their nicotine habits improves their chances of success. Here are some suggestions on how to help teens quit smoking:

teen smoking1. It is important that kids focus on quitting. Having the reasons to quit might not be enough, so it’s better to put it all in writing. This way, a teen won’t lose his motivation to quit when temptation kicks in.

2. Parents can help kids choose the date when they want to stop smoking. Choosing a date on relaxed, stress-free days will be more effective rather than on days when, for instance, final exams are coming.

3. Kids can’t always avoid situations when they will be pushed to smoke. Peer pressure can be factor why teens find it hard to let go of their habit. Parents can practice with teens on how to say no to peers by simulating real-life situations at their own homes.

4. Enlist the aid of physicians and support groups in getting teens to quit smoking. This is where parents and kids will know what to expect while undergoing the process.

5. Don’t be discouraged by mistakes. Instead, parents and kids should learn how to avoid similar conditions to make quitting more effective. Don’t give up.

6.  Celebrate small success of teens who want to quit. With each development that they achieve, give them something in return, whether it’s their favorite meal or a new shirt.

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Should Teen Smokers Be Sent to Rehab?

Posted by Drug Free in Alcohol Abuse, Drug Abuse Prevention, Drug Addiction, Raising Healthy Kids, Tobacco Abuse on August 8th, 2011

The Addiction and Substance Abuse arm of the Columbia University has released findings from their study which suggests that teen smoking is related to increasing substance abuse cases among teens. It was found out that teens who smoke are 13 times more likely to develop drug addiction problems and five times more likely to binge drink compared to those who are non-smokers.

teen smokingThe latest study shows that teens 12 to 17 years old who smoke have 26% more chances of becoming drug dependent while non-smokers only have a minimal 2% chance. These findings are quite alarming, as a parallelism can be observed in the data gathered on adults who are in drug rehab facilities. The numbers of drug addicts who are non-smokers are significantly much lower than those who are smokers.

The latest report also includes the increasing rates of heavy drinkers among the adolescent population and that marijuana ranks as the top drug choice of the youth. Again smoking relates to these statistics, with teen smokers 13 times more prone to marijuana use than non-smokers. What these results present is a grim picture of kids who smoke early will also develop other addictions which could lead to serious health conditions later on in their lives.

This is why some concerned groups are suggesting that drug treatment facilities should be offered to teens who smoke. Sure, no one has been into rehab just for smoking cigarettes, but what has been implied in the study should make parents and authorities open up to the idea. Kids who smoke and find it hard to quit should seek help before they go into more complicated situations.

If it means cutting the risks of teen drug abuse and alcohol addiction, then parents should welcome the idea of submitting their teen smokers to drug rehab facilities to give these kids the opportunity to let go of their dangerous habits.

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Smoking in Movies Influence Teen Smoking

Posted by Drug Free in Tobacco Abuse on July 15th, 2011

A study published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report shows that movies have influenced teen smoking behaviors in the past years. From 2005 to 2010, movies in the US showed less scenes involving tobacco use which may have affected teen smoking behaviors; latest statistics reports have proven that teen smoking rates also declined over the said period of years.

smoking in moviesTeen smoking is usually the starting period of adults who are heavy smokers, which is why the habit should be discouraged as early as possible.

In an AFP report, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed that 55% of movies included in the box-office and top-grossing films of 2010 did not have any scenes involving lighting up of cigarettes by the actors. “The percentages of 2010 top-grossing movies with no tobacco incidents were the highest observed in two decades. The decreased presence of onscreen smoking might have contributed to the decline in cigarette use among middle school and high school students.”

Although there were still approximately 2000 scenes where actors lit up cigarettes on films, a significant drop in “tobacco incidents” in top-grossing films was still observed; a drop of 56% in the highest-performing films of the last six years did not use cigarettes to market their movies.

The CDC recorded a decrease in the number of middle school kids who smoked cigarettes, from 11% in 2000 to 5% in 2009. Those who experimented with tobacco also fell from 30% to 15%.

Among high school students, the number of kids smoking in 2000 was at 28% but by 2009, it was only at 17%. There was a lesser number of students in high school too who tried smoking in the last two years compared to earlier years.

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More Naperville Teens Choose to Avoid Alcohol, Smoking

Posted by Drug Free in Alcohol Abuse, Drug Abuse Prevention, Raising Healthy Kids, Tobacco Abuse on May 27th, 2011

Not everything about teen drinking and smoking are for the worse; there’s also a bright side to these stories. A report from the Naperville Sun takes the case of Naperville teens that, after a survey was done by local school districts and community groups, were found out to be choosing healthier options.

alcoholic beveragesWhile the survey is done annually, this year’s data are quite encouraging. Among the teens included in the poll, the number of students who avoided smoking in the past year went up by 10%, while those who did not consume alcohol in the last 12 months was also up by 13%.

For Claudia Evenson, an assessment expert from the Rosecrance Drug Addiction Treatment Center in Naperville, the positive results of the survey can be attributed to parents having more information and awareness with drugs and alcohol. She also added that the school officials and staff are doing the best jobs in helping parents deal with their adolescents who are very vulnerable to drug and alcohol experimentations.

As a veteran in the profession of treating addictions, Evenson also gives recognition to the Power of Choice project initiated by efforts of the NCO Youth and Family Services in cooperation with Naperville District Schools and parents in the area. Prevention director at NCO Karen Jarczyk shares the formula for the success of their campaign. “I think the main focus has been about educating students about the reality.”

The Power of Choice program works by honoring kids who don’t smoke and drink, rather than putting emphasis on those who do. While this may be the case, it is still important for parents and the community to focus on kids on both sides.

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Teen Drinking and Smoking Linked to Economic Status

Posted by Drug Free in Alcohol Abuse, Raising Healthy Kids, Tobacco Abuse on May 25th, 2011

What does being rich or poor have to do with drinking and smoking? A study reveals that for teens, being rich leads to alcohol consumption while being poor leads to cigarette smoking.

drinking at homeIn a report from Reuters, the researchers from the University of Bristol found out that drinking and smoking habits of teens are largely dependent on their families’ economic status. Among the 5,837 13-year-old kids that they studied, those who come from high-income families are drinking more, while those of the poorer families often light up cigarettes instead. They too are 22 percent less likely to drink compared to their rich counterparts. The results of their study have been published in an issue of the journal on Pediatrics.

Another interesting fact that came out of the study was that teens whose moms have higher levels of education, regardless of social status, drink less too.

This result can be linked to the fact that most of the alcohol that teens consume come from their own homes. Mothers who put an emphasis on their child’s health and who educate themselves about the dangers of teen drinking usually lock up their cabinets where alcoholic drinks are stored. This makes it harder for teens at home to access them.

Teen drinking problems is most common in wealthier families, and parents that bring in higher incomes in a family should take this issue seriously. They should ensure that kids at home will not be able to see or get hold of their alcoholic substances at home.

Parents of lower-income families, on the other hand, should be wary of their child’s health when it comes to smoking. They too should act as caretakers of the health of their families.

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Educating Teens: A Tool to Help Reduce Tobacco Use

Posted by Drug Free in Raising Healthy Kids, Tobacco Abuse on May 12th, 2011

In Montana, officials, school authorities and parents are doing what they can to help keep children and adolescents stay away from tobacco use. The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services together with concerned citizens have launched programs to discourage tobacco use through Quit Line and reACT.

teen smokingYet this joint effort is easily toppled by tobacco manufacturers, with the amount they spend on advertising almost four times more than what the state spends on anti-tobacco programs. Leading tobacco company R.J. Reynolds in Montana claims that the target group of their product is the adult user, and that there’s nothing they could do if teens somehow get hold of their cigarettes.

According to reACT Youth Empowerment Coordinator Erin Kintop, tobacco industries are simply using more of the addictive component in their products to have more users and to be able to gain large margins of profit. This is why there is a need for proper education of teens regarding the harmful addictive quality of cigarettes before they begin experimenting. Reaching out to the youth before addiction sets in is the most effective way to discourage them from using tobacco.

For officer Noal Petty of the Helena Police School Resource Department, peer pressure plays a big role on why teens are tempted to smoke. Anytime a teenager is with friends, he or she can be easily pushed to take on the plunge and be addicted to cigarettes. He agrees that educating the youth and information drive efforts are very critical.

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