Youth Smoking

Adolescents and teen smokers can be more susceptible to nicotine addiction and face unique developmental challenges in the initiation and cessation of cigarette smoking. They are an important group to target with regard to both prevention and cessation efforts.

• Concerns
• Needs

Concerns

According the CDC 2005 Youth Risk Behavior Survey:¹

Maryland High School Student Tobacco Use
48% Ever tried cigarette smoking
16% Smoked cigarettes during the past month
7% Smoked cigarettes on ≤ 20 days during the past month
3% Used smokeless tobacco during the past month
12% Smoked cigars during the past month

Why is it Important to Target Youth Smoking?

Most people who take up cigarette smoking experience their first use of tobacco before high school graduation. Therefore, the time to intervene in order to reduce overall smoking rates is prior to age 18. Of those adolescents who do experiment with cigarettes, research shows teens can become addicted to nicotine more quickly than adults, even with extremely low levels of tobacco.²

Other risky behaviors have been found to be associated with cigarette smoking. Adolescent tobacco users are more likely to use alcohol and illegal drugs than are nonusers. Cigarette smokers are also more likely to get into fights, carry weapons, attempt suicide, suffer from mental health problems such as depression, and engage in high-risk sexual behaviors.³

Unique Teen Smoking Issues

Clove Cigarettes, Bidis, & Hookahs are not "Safe Alternatives" to Cigarettes

Clove cigarettes (Kreteks, "kree-teks"), flavored cigarettes (Bidis, "beedies"), and Hookah water pipes are often used by younger smokers. These products are falsely portrayed as clean, natural, and safer than conventional cigarettes. In reality, these tobacco products pose similar health risks to traditional cigarettes, including lung problems, increased heart attack risk, and chronic bronchitis. These alternative forms of tobacco use are appealing to young smokers due to their candy-like flavors such as chocolate, cherry, and mango. Additionally, bidis are usually less expensive than regular cigarettes. Sometimes Hookahs are marketed as being safe alternatives to cigarettes because the smoke is inhaled through a long hose after being filtered through water. Despite the water component, hookah smoke still contains many toxins such as nicotine and carbon monoxide.³

Needs

Youth Smoking Prevention

• Many policies that support the prevention of youth smoking recommend that prevention efforts begin early in a child's life based on data that the average youth smoke their first cigarette at age 13.
• A number of schools incorporate prevention efforts into health classes as part of the school curriculum.
• Other successful anti-smoking projects that have been implemented in schools include peer counseling, assemblies featuring speakers to which the young audience relates, booths at malls and fairs, and contests for best anti-smoking songs and posters.
• Prevention efforts can take place at school, in the community, and at home with the family.

CLICK HERE for more information about Youth Smoking Prevention Programs

Youth Smoking Cessation

Originally, tobacco control researchers focused their efforts only on preventing teens from taking up the habit. Research has indicated that teens can become dependent on tobacco even before they begin smoking on a daily basis. Since many adolescent smokers continue smoking into adulthood, there has been much more attention recently on incorporating cessation programs into adolescent programming in addition to prevention efforts.⁴

Since the initiation of teen smoking cessation programs, many programs have suffered low participation and high dropout rates. Researchers suggest that this may be due to lack of fit between teens' needs and the way that many programs are delivered. Vuckovic and colleagues⁵ held two sets of focus groups with high school students in the Portland, OR metropolitan area. They gathered information from the focus groups about their preferences. The students preferred programs that provided nonjudgmental and confidential support from counselors. Also, participants appreciated identification of challenges that teens face in quitting, and acknowledgement of their choice in making the decision to quit.

McDonald et al. (2003) found that cognitive-behavioral interventions offer a promising approach for helping young smokers quit. They had an evidence review panel systematically rate published and unpublished reports of cessation treatments for youth. They determined that while effective cessation programs do exist, they are underused and that more research in this area should continue.⁶

CLICK HERE for more information about Youth Smoking Cessation Programs