The Effects of Smoking Doesn’t Scare Teenagers

Published on February 13, 2009 4:24 AM

More of people especially teenagers start smoking only because they underestimate the risks of smoking, a new study suggested.
Researchers investigated 395 high school students and they found that those who thought the health risks of smoking cigarettes were fairly low, or the social benefits fairly high, were about three times more likely than their peers to start smoking.
At the end of this study researchers found that teens who thought they had little chance of developing any of these types of problems were three to four times more likely to start smoking cigarettes.
The findings also show that the teens' ideas about the long-term and short-term of smoking are very important, said Halpern-Felsher, an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco. Smoking will make them look cool, is one of the kids’ idea, and not a true one said researchers.
Long-term and short-term risks of smoking are different. For example heart disease, lung cancer and chronic respiratory conditions are among the major long-term risks of smoking, while shorter-term problems include chronic cough, a higher risk of colds and social hassles like smelling like smoke.
The findings suggested also that anti-smoking messages aimed at teenagers should address not only to the long-term risks but also to the short-term risks of smoking.
They note that the more immediate result of smoking cigarettes , even something as minor as "bad breath" - may carry greater weight with teenagers than the health risks down the road.
Adults shouldn't deny that smoking has social value among teenagers, noted researchers, but should instead help kids find other ways to get the social benefits they want.