As the nation's leading cause of death, smoking is one of the most prevalent health problems in our society. Recent cigarette advertisement campaigns have targeted women, and current statistics show that eighth grade girls are just as likely as eighth grade boys to be smokers.
Cigarettes are highly addictive.
Approximately one third of all young people who experiment with smoking cigarettes wind up being addicted to them by the age of twenty. Teens who attempt to quit smoking are often faced with having to cope with the many unpleasant and painful symptoms associated with withdrawal, including anxiety, nausea, fatigue, irritability, headaches, as well as changes in heart rate, body temperature, appetite and digestion. In addition to their addictive qualities, cigarettes have numerous negative effects. Clearly, more needs to be done to educate teens about the hazards of smoking, to prevent their addiction to cigarettes and to keep cigarettes out of the hands of our youth. Smoking doesn't make you look good.