Smoking cigarettes and taking birth control pills also increases the risk of peripheral vascular disease and stroke. The earlier a person starts smoking, the greater the risk to his or her health in the future. Among teenagers, the risk of heart attack in later life seems remote. But even teenagers can suffer coughing, lower stamina and a fast heart rate from smoking. These conditions will worsen over time and can develop into heart disease or chronic lung disease if a person keeps smoking.
Most people start smoking as teenagers.
In fact, it's estimated that 90 percent of all smokers start smoking before age 21. No cigarettes are safe. This can create new problems, because tar and nicotine aren't the only harmful substances in tobacco smoke. By inhaling more deeply, smokers take in more of the other harmful substances and may increase their risk of disease. No matter how much or how long you've smoked, when you quit smoking your risk of heart disease starts to drop.