Smoking causes many diseases, such as lung cancer, cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses, metabolic diseases, and much more. And apparently, those facts are having an impact. As noted by The Truth Campaign, only 8 percent of today’s teens smoke. That is a 23 percent drop from the year 2000 and a 9 percent drop from last year.
Many young people today do not understand the real dangers of smoking, whether it be a cigarette, hookah, or any other form. According to www.dosomething.org, hookah smoke has been shown to contain concentrations of toxins, such as carbon monoxide, nicotine, tar, and heavy metals that are as high, or higher, than those that are seen with cigarette smoke. Teens who smoke a hookah, which is a water pipe that is used to smoke flavored and sweetened tobacco, are exposed to all of these chemicals that in the end can have a deadly result.
Tobacco and cigarette companies use colorful packaging and flavors of e-cigarettes to attract younger customers, according to The Truth Campaign. This is enticing some children in middle schools to begin smoking.
E-cigarettes and vapor pens have become a new trend in today’s society. Those in the medical field have not been able to determine out the long-term effects of this system of nicotine delivery, which some people claim is less harmful than smoking in the traditional ways. However, Thomas Glynn, the director of science and trends at the American Cancer Society, said there are always risks when one inhales anything other than fresh, clean air. He said there was a great likelihood that e-cigarettes would prove considerably less harmful than traditional smokes, at least in the short term, according to an interview from abc.com.
Many high school students seem to get involved in smoking. Some think it’s cool or they use it as a way to relieve stress.
San Benito High School junior, Sofia Castaneda said, “Some of my peers have opened up to me about smoking. I personally think it’s not a good idea because of the effects it can cause like lung cancer and gum disease.”
Marijuana seems to be the easiest drug to obtain, said Castaneda, evidenced by “the fact that so many kids get caught with it so easily.”