TobaccoTobacco use is going down. But there are still far too many teenagers who smoke, chew, or use snuff. Tobacco can be as addictive as other drugs because it contains nicotine, the addictive part of tobacco. Nicotine gets into the body through the lungs (from cigarettes, cigars, and pipes) or mucous membranes (from snuff, chewing tobacco). It takes only 8 seconds for smoke to go from the lungs to the brain. Tobacco use can lead to disease, including lung cancer and increased risks of heart attacks. Parents need to know that: 98 - Most adults who smoke started before they got out of high school.
- Boys are more likely to smoke than girls.
- Teens who smoke are more likely to use alcohol and illegal drugs.
- Teens who smoke are more likely to begin having sex during the teen years.
- As of 2006, almost one-half of 12th graders have smoked; more than one in five have smoked within the last 30 days; and more than one in ten (12%) are smoking daily.
Parents need to communicate to their children about: - Their expectations that their children do not smoke.
- The dangers of smoking.
- That smoking can get in the way of their goals.
- How hard it can be to quit smoking.
Even parents who smoke can help their children not smoke. They should tell their teens about the dangers of smoking, how hard it is to quit, and how they wish they could quit. Tobacco use is against the law for young people (legal age depends on state laws). Luckily, many of the bad health problems caused by smoking can be fixed when a person stops smoking. But teens need to know this: every cigarette is believed to shorten a person’s life by 5 to 10 minutes! This government website has a lot of good information about teens and tobacco: http://www.family.samhsa.gov/monitor/flavcig.aspx Last revised: April 21, 2008 | 
