Under Age Smoking Essay, Research Paper

Statistics show that 3 out of 4 under age kids that try to buy cigarette get away with it though, in America it is illegal to sell cigarettes to kids under the age of 18 though most stores do. The average age a kid starts smoking at fourteen and a half, but if your don’t start by the age of 19 you’ll probably never start. Over an alarming 3000 under age kids/per day start smoking. One out of three under age kids die from smoking. Most kids say they like to smoke because it,”Calms their Nerves”,”Tastes good”, or “Because everyone I hand out with does it.” Seven out of ten high school seniors with they had never started because it is so hard to quit. Cigarette company’s spend over 6 billion dollars a year to try to lore under age kids as well as older people into smoking. They use things such as points that you can get free items with, or spokes models that are appealing to kids.

Diseases Caused By Smoking Explained

Lung Disease – Cigarette smoking is the most common cause of lung disease. The poisons contained in cigarette smoke have a deadly effect on the many different cells that keep the respiratory organs clean and healthy. In the middle and upper respiratory system, toxins from cigarette smoke can kill the cilia that sweep particles out, permanently destroy the protective cell layer that lines the airways, and cause the mucous membranes to make a thick, unhealthy mucus. In the lungs, smoke particles destroy the macrophage cells that move through the lung tissue eat bacteria, dust, pollens, and other foreign substances.Lung Cancer – Lung cancer kills more people than any other disease of the respiratory system and is also caused by smoking. The cells of any part of the airways may become deformed growing so fast that they use up all the nutrients needed by the normal cells to continue living. Cancer is deadly if not detected very early.Emphysema – One group of these diseases is known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or C.O.P.D., which includes emphysema. C.O.P.D. is caused by long-term clogging of the smaller airways by poisonous particles such as those found in cigarette smoke or coal dust. The alveoli in a lung with emphysema begin to break apart and can no longer absorb oxygen, leading to gradual suffocation.