By offering some positive alternatives to smoking, program providers can encourage adolescent girls to take a healthy, constructive approach to dealing with everyday stresses and pressures. Learned early, many of these lessons will provide young girls with important coping tools well into adulthood. In theory, physical activity and sport could serve as ideal substitutes for smoking among adolescent girls. Girls who are physically active are less likely to smoke and, more importantly, physical activity can offer adolescent girls the same benefits as they think they get from smoking. Perceived Benefits of Smoking Known Benefits of Physical Activity Smoking is seen as a way to relax and deal with stress.
Physical activity can help buffer the effects of stress, anxiety and depression.
Smoking is viewed as a way to make friends and be accepted by your peers. Group activities and team sports offer the chance to make friends and develop meaningful relationships with peers and caring adults. Smoking is viewed as a way to gain independence from parents and to rebel against social pressures to be feminine, perfect and nice. Sports such as rock and wall climbing, soccer, hockey, rowing and wind surfing and snow boarding offer a healthy way to rebel against societal pressures to assume a passive female role. Many disadvantaged teen women see cigarettes as a status symbol.