The Physical And Social Consequences Of Teenage Smoking

If you have not seen the ads yet, smoking is both addictive and deadly. It can lead to cancers and disfigurement. But, many adult smokers began this habit when they were teenagers. Help your teen to understand what they are in for if they begin to smoke.

You would like to count out all that your teen shouldn’t do and expect them to follow your lead. Unfortunately, they won’t understand that. Remember when you were a teenager? Many reasons exist why teenagers start smoking in the first place. Learning those reasons and trying to counteract them is your best way of getting through to your teen.

So, why do teenagers smoke? In the 60s and 70s it was the Marlboro Man ads. Smoking was synonymous with sex appeal and manliness. If you weren’t the Marlboro Man then you were a woman who wanted one.

Some kids these days still feel like smoking gives them that allure. Girls love a dangerous guy who lives on the fringes of society because he is different. Smoking makes him look cool and handsome at the same time. For girls, smoking is what the “bad girls” do. This is the draw for teens with low self-esteem who want to boost their image somehow.

Smoking can also be an effect of peer pressure. When your teen is with their friends and they smoke, they will ultimately provide a smoke to your teen. A lot of ribbing and teasing can lead to your teen trying it “once.” Little do they know that nicotine is addictive and one cigarette can turn into a pack a day habit.

Smoking makes teens feel “grown up.” When you’re feeling a lack of attention at home or at school, smoking means they feel like they are important. They gain confidence from that cigarette in their mouth.

All these are the reason why your teen may take up smoking even after your lecture on why it is wrong for them. Now, let’s move on to the physical consequences. The biggest is cancer.

Cancer is the word we don’t utter at the dinner table or in normal family conversation. If we ignore it, maybe it will go away. The cancers associated with smoking are lung cancer and throat cancer for a start. People who smoke are also likely to develop emphysema, COPD and other respiratory problems.

One of the most devastating situations is when someone you care about gets cancer from second-hand smoke. Their smoking has made you sick. It is always more of a deterrent to smoking when someone your teen knows has cancer or another disease that is directly associated with it.

And, teens do get sick from smoking. It isn’t just adults who suffer these effects. In the prime of their lives they don’t want to be permanently attached to an oxygen tank or have an operation to remove their tongue or voice box.

Smoking has both physical and social consequences. Your teen may be listening more to the social consequences of not smoking than the physical consequences of smoking.

Want to find out more about for teenage smoking, then visit http://www.stopsmokingforall.com/ on how to choose the best quit smoking tips for your needs.

Benefits Of Quitting Smoking

Campaigns against smoking have been the focus of many organizations around the world. To effectively put this message across, display of very graphic visuals of smoking side effects is the most popular method being used to illustrate how dangerous smoking is. Since the ’scary tactic’ is now working well enough as expected, it is time to focus on the positive side. Below are two great benefits of quitting smoking.

Reason #1. Personal benefits: This can be divided into 3 - physical, emotional, and psychological. On the physical aspect, if you quit smoking, you will notice that you will be rid of the nasty cigarette smell that clings to your body; you will not have bad breath or any oral problems; your eyes becomes clearer, not yellowish or discolored; skin looks healthier, organs and tissues are intact and healthy, and you just seem to glow inside out.

Of course, if you see that your body and your face are glowing, you will feel good about yourself. You will have high self-esteem and confidence. All these good feelings just radiate, making you feel happier and more optimistic - a sign of healthy emotional state. If everything is in order, you feel good; and when one feels good, one is motivated. A motivated person is productive and accomplished. Moreover, the benefits of quitting smoking give one the chance to improve self-image because confidence is regained.

Reason #2. Social benefits: Naturally, if you feel good, you look good, and you view yourself in a positive way. This gives you an I-am-the-king-of-the-world-attitude as you go out with friends and enjoy all the best things that life has to offer, one of which is living your life to the fullest.

And, of course, among the benefits of quitting smoking is also that fact that you won’t have to step outside to have a butt any more and once the cravings are gone, you won’t be distracted from what you are doing by the constant pull of the nicotine addiction.