But educators are fighting a number of problems. Many teens say that the antismoking message rings hollow when they see so many of their elders continuing to smoke. Plus, experts say, teens are attracted to smoking as a form of rebellion or to be accepted by their peers. From James Dean's rebel in the 1950s to Leonardo DiCaprio's Romeo in the '90s, smoking has been portrayed as something cool, and kids have tapped into that image. He smoked his first cigarette as a fourth-grader and notes that teens don't worry about what's socially acceptable.
Smoking is a personal choice.
It's not like we're hurting anybody else. It's not like we're going around in gangs and shooting people. Others are even more low-key about smoking. And teen smokers at Kennedy High scoff at the suggestion they're ignorant of the risks of smoking. Christy, who with her pale blond hair and sunny smile more readily evokes a homecoming queen than a decadent rebel, nods in agreement.