Essay, Research Paper: Teenagers

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.