Teenagers Essay, Research Paper

Help Put Out the Butt in Teen Smoking You could probably

walk around your neighborhood and see groups of teenagers

smoking. In fact, there 6,000 teens that start smoking

everyday and 3,000 of them will make the choice to continue

smoking. Throughout this essay, I will give you facts on why it

is smart to either stop smoking now or never start. You

probably ask yourself, “Why do teens smoke?” There are

many explanations to that question. Many teens say they

started because of peer pressure or others say it was

something they have always wanted to try. Either way, if a

person smokes five or more cigarettes a day, it is most likely

that they will become a regular smoker. On the other hand,

statistics say that if smoking does not become a regular habit

by age 19, there is a ninety- percent chance that it never will.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has mandated that

billboards or ads supporting smoking or vending machines are

prohibited from places that children under 18 visit regularly

and if a business is caught selling cigarettes to minors they

can be fined or have to serve jail time. Though the FDA has

ruled out all opportunities for cigarette ads to influence minors

to smoke, teens say smoking ads have nothing to do with why

they smoke. Although kids claim that, studies have confirmed

that teens are 3 times more easily influenced to smoke a

specific brand than adults. 1.5 million teenagers will

eventually die from an illness caused by smoking. Smoking

also causes all kinds of cancers, asthma, emphysema, yellow

teeth, premature wrinkles, and worse of all, death. People still

smoke regardless of what studies and reports prove. When

asked why teens do not quit, one claims that it is especially

hard when all the closest people around you smoke. Once

you start smoking, it is hard to stop. Parents cannot just tell

their child to stop smoking. They could yell, they could punish

their child, but no matter what, your child will find a way to

continue smoking. I mean, they find a way to buy cigarettes,

right? Smoking is a disgusting, addictive habit. It leaves a

horrible stench on the smokers possessions and it not only

endangers their own health, but people around them also. I

hope that all this information has made you think twice about

picking up a cigarette. You only have one life, and unlike any

cigarette merchandise, it is non-refundable.