Teens who smoke are three times more likely than nonsmokers to use alcohol, eight times more likely to use marijuana, and 22 times more likely to use cocaine. Smoking is associated with other risky behaviors, such as fighting and engaging in unprotected sex. Teenagers, women, and whites experience more dependence symptoms while using the same, or fewer, number of cigarettes than other groups, such as men, older people and nonwhites. Dependent smokers are more likely to continue smoking and to use increasingly larger amounts to sustain the nicotine effect. Adolescents, who smoke significantly fewer cigarettes a day than adults, experience substantially higher rates of dependence than do adults at the same level of usage.
Cigars have four times as much nicotine as cigarettes.
Many teens think cigars are safe alternatives to cigarettes since they are puffed and not inhaled, but the smoke does get into the lungs. This booklet examines the current public health problem of girls and young women who smoke. You Should Know - This publication contains a list of facts for teens about how smoking affects the environment, health, and other people. This fact sheet also emphasizes the fact that most teenagers choose NOT to smoke. This publication is the excerpts from that broadcast.