Tobacco use usually begins in early adolescence before age 16. Almost ALL first use occurs before students graduate from high school.
If adolescents can be kept tobacco-free during high school, most will remain tobacco-free for the rest of their lives. Smoking is most common among 17- and 18-year olds. About 25% of these young people smoke. Male and female adolescents are equally likely to smoke cigarettes. Males are much more likely than females to use smokeless tobacco. Over the past decade, there has been virtually no decline in smoking rates among all teens. Among black adolescents, however, the prevalence of smoking has declined dramatically (1994). Nicotine is generally the first drug used by young people who use alcohol, marijuana, and harder drugs. Adolescent tobacco use is associated with being in fights, carrying weapons, and engaging in higher-risk sexual behavior.
Most young people who smoke ARE addicted to nicotine. In fact, most young people who have smoked as few as 100 cigarettes in their lifetime report they would quit but they can't. Nicotine addiction makes quitting smoking as hard as quitting heroin, cocaine, or alcohol. Students with poorer grades and lower-self images are most likely to begin using tobacco.
The younger a person begins smoking, the greater the risk for developing numerous illnesses associated with smoking. These include poor physical fitness, coughing and phlegm, greater chance of respiratory illness and coronary disease, slower rate of lung growth, and decreased lung function.
No Butts About School is a group of tobacco awareness and prevention programs for young people. It encompasses a variety of programs and educational activities specifically designed to help elementary and high school students who use tobacco to quit, and to also keep those who don't use tobacco from ever getting started. It is the most widely utilized school program in our region.
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Tobacco & Health 