Suppose the trends of tobacco use in teens continue to persist. In that case, an estimated 5.6 million of today’s youth under the age of 18 will die prematurely from a smoking-related disease, according to the American Lung Association. Smoking is not a short-lived problem, especially for teens. At such a young age, smoking can alter the way you think and give you problems that will last a lifetime if ignored. Many teenagers go off of the assumption that they can just quit and that what they are doing has no real-life effects on them in the future; however, according to the MN. Department of Health, Even in small doses, nicotine exposure in adolescence causes long-lasting changes in brain development, which could have negative implications for learning, memory, attention, behavior problems, and future addiction.
The idea of nicotine is not a topic that should be taken lightly or treated any differently than any other drug. With the drug having the ability to quite literally alter the way you think and the decisions you make, it could mean risking your future as it slowly siphons your life and your money. The average cigarette smoker spends almost $2,000 a year on cigarettes, and the average smoker who vapes can pay up to $5,000 a year. Now, making a considerable amount of money may make it seem like it is no big deal. Unfortunately, the average income in the US is about $37,000 a year, which means smokers spend almost a 7th of what Americans make a year.
Understandably, most teens struggle with things such as anxiety or depression and, at first, may find that smoking cannabis or tobacco puts them in a calmer, more relaxed state. However, smoking can cause an addiction to take place that is only going to worsen the feelings of depression and anxiety, making you feel as if you cannot go without it when you feel the urge to smoke a cigarette or pick up a vape. According to the US Marine Corps Community Service, the first use of tobacco alone is taken before high school graduation, with approximately 1.5 million packs of cigarettes purchased for minors annually.
While teen smoking is a huge problem, there are things that can be done to decrease the rates of smoking among teens as a whole. Not only that, as the rate of smoking declines, the risks of smoking-related health diseases and issues decrease dramatically. As long as we stress the positives of quitting and promote healthier alternatives, we can improve the problem. To break the addiction of picking up a cigarette, you must put it down for at least 4-6 weeks. Some of the ways we can help to break the habit of smoking is by replacing the habit with an alternative when you find yourself craving, such as drinking a cup of water, eating sunflower seeds, or even chewing gum. You can also pick up healthy habits that distract you from the want to smoke. One of these ways is to do things such as go to the gym at a consistent rate and hold discipline to yourself.
