TEEN CORNER Q & A: SMOKING

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Smoking

What's the big deal about smoking? Lots of my friends do it.

Smoking is a big deal. This is what smoking does to your body:

Carbon monoxide in tobacco smoke takes oxygen from your body.
Your lungs will turn gray and disgusting.
Nicotine, a drug contained in tobacco, can cause your heart to beat faster and work less effectively.

It's a proven fact that the earlier a person starts smoking, the greater the risk of these diseases:

Cancer
Heart disease
Chronic bronchitis—a serious disease of the airways to the lung
Emphysema—a crippling lung disease

Smoking is addictive

Some of the chemicals in cigarettes cause people to become addicted very soon after they start smoking. If you are a smoker, you'll know you're addicted when

You crave cigarettes.
You feel nervous without cigarettes.
You try to quit smoking and have trouble doing it.

Quitting can be hard, and it can take a long time. The longer you smoke, the harder it is to stop. If you're already addicted, there's help available to you.

Smoking is ugly

Smoking causes bad breath and stained teeth. Some teens say that kissing someone who smokes is like kissing an ashtray.
Smoking often makes other people not want to be around you.
Smoking stinks. If you smoke you may not smell smoke on you, but other people do.
Studies show that most teens would rather date someone who doesn't smoke.

Smoking costs a lot of money

Do the math:
One pack of cigarettes per day = $3
Multiplied by the days in a year x 365
Yearly cost for cigarettes = $1,095

That's more than $1,000 a year that you could be spending on CDs, clothes, a car, or college.

But think about this:

One third of all new smokers will eventually die of smoking-related diseases.
And nearly 90% of all smokers started when they were teens.

Do yourself a favor, don't smoke.

Healthcare professionals may order this publication in multi-copy packs.
Parents can find more information on this topic in Caring for Your Teenager. To order a copy of this book visit the AAP Bookstore.

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The information contained in this publication should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician. There may be variations in treatment that your pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances.

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