That is far from true. In California 9.3 percent of adolescents ages 12 to 17 reported smoking a cigarette during the previous 30 days, according to a 1996 study by the University of California, San Diego. In the Northern Central Valley region, which includes San Joaquin County, the young smokers climbed to 11.8 percent in 1996, up from 8.9 percent in 1990. Youth between the ages of 11 to 15 years are most likely to experiment with smoking. Just like adults, children who smoke regularly will become addicted to nicotine and will experience symptoms of withdrawal when they try to quit.
Children go through five stages when starting tobacco use.
Understanding the stages can help parents intervene and prevent their child from becoming a regular user. This may include perception that smoking is a way to appear mature, help gain acceptance or a way to deal with stress. Some factors that influence a child to experiment with smoking include peer pressure, a perception that smoking is a normal part of life and easy availability of cigarettes. Peer pressure is a normal part of a child's life. The need to belong or be accepted by one's peers is a strong motivating force.