I sincerely wish that every young person will read this and think about wanting a healthy body through out life...
and never smoke; or quit if you now smoke.
It will be wonderful if every young person will listen and learn and every parent and adult will set the example, teach, and advise.
Most all of us want to enjoy a happy healthy life.
We all need to put our actions where our mouth is.
Actions (not words) produce results.
Good health is the major ingredient of happiness.
Good health is normally the result of positive actions to prevent bad health.
In other words we must not wait until we are adults to begin planning and working towards good health.
The younger we realize that we are responsible for avoiding bad health habits and strive for positive health habits, the more likely we will live a longer, healthier, and happier life.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has tons of information dealing with health effects of cigarette smoking.
Smoking harms nearly every organ of the body.
Smoking causes many diseases and reduces the health of smokers in general.
Most smokers want to quit smoking but nicotine addiction and the psychological habit make quitting very difficult for many smokers.
This is why it's important not to begin smoking.
However, CDC reports that 3,600 teenagers between the ages of 12 and 17 try smoking tobacco every day.
Why? Likely no one has a simple correct answer.
Perhaps young people see their parents smoke and feel it must be OK.
Smoking can make teens feel more adult.
Peer Pressure is strong.
For males it offers an image of coolness or rough rugged manly outlook.
For females it offers a feeling of desirability and sexiness.
Group acceptance is a factor.
For some teens it is showing independence, annoying parents, and walking on the wild side.
We know teens are certainly not dumb.
We must find ways to convince young people that they can ruin their health and life if they smoke.
I remember the awful and vivid Highway Patrol movies of awful car wrecks and seeing a body with no head or missing arms and legs.
We were required to watch these movies in school and in the Army to instill in us the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol.
It certainly worked with me.
I never once in my life drove a vehicle after drinking even one beer.
Perhaps we need to concentrate on showing teens the awful suffering in later years due to the effects of smoking.
Point out that the adverse health effects from cigarette smoking account for an estimated 443,000 deaths, or nearly 1 of ever 5 deaths, each year in the United States.
More deaths are caused each year by tobacco use than by all deaths from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), illegal drug use, alcohol use, motor vehicle injuries, suicides, and murders combined.
Dangers of Smoking; causes coronary heart diseases, respiratory diseases, and cancers through out the body.
Parents can help by setting a good example.
Smoking is expensive and perhaps parents can blackmail a teen with logical comparisons and offering to increase the allowance to help him or her buy clothing and other essentials if they don't smoke or quit smoking.
Point out that smoking is a smelly habit that can give the smoker bad breath, yellow teeth, stinky cloths, and a chronic cough.
Teach the seriousness of addiction.
Condition the teen to expect peer pressure and offer tools to refuse cigarettes.
Constantly state that smoking is not allowed in the house or car.
The net is loaded with information related to smoking which is interesting and informative for young people and adults.