Why do Teens Find it Harder to Quit Smoking?

If you are an adult and always tried to quit smoking, you realize how difficult it can be . But have you ever found yourself wondering why adolescents have more difficulty quitting than adults. Teenagers are faced with a completely different set of challenges when trying to quit smoking as adults.
Whether you realize it or not, smoking among young people is a major problem in our society. Parents who have teenagers who smoke cigarettes are many challenges trying to get teens to quit - or to prevent usually begins in the first place .
Teenage smoking has declined since the mid-1990s . But the evidence that has emerged recently is beginning to show that smoking among teens is on the rise again .
As adults , we are aware of the serious health risks and long-term consequences of adolescent smoking . We are all very familiar with the evidence showing chronic diseases related to tobacco. However, we wonder why some teens tend to ignore this evidence and begin to smoke in the face of the many reasons why they should not.
Among the various reasons for the difficulties of smoking cessation in adolescents are the relatives and friends who smoke, peer pressure and advertising targeting adolescents. Other reasons may include a natural teenage rebellion , or smoking to relieve feelings of anxiety or sadness .
In the following sections , we consider some of the reasons why young people may have more difficulty quitting smoking and how can you as a parent or guardian of the child can begin to help.
Parents who smoke
If you are a parent who smokes can you honestly ask why it is more difficult for your teens to quit smoking?
We often find that teenagers tend to imitate the people around you feel closest to. Have older brothers and sisters or parents who smoke cigarettes is one of the biggest risk factors for smoking in adolescence. This is a time when you do not want your children to copy their behavior.
Adolescents who have parents who smoke are more likely to be smokers themselves. When smoking themselves , parents set an example and send a signal to your teenagers to " do what I say not what I do. " For better or for worse, the teens will " do what you do. "
In many homes today , teenagers are simply themselves modeling their parents or other adults, or so-called models living in their homes.
If you are a smoker and have children , you really should stop smoking before their children gather in their habit. If your teens have started smoking cigarettes, should lead by example by demonstrating how to quit .
peer pressure
Another piece of the puzzle about why it is more difficult for teenagers to quit smoking has to do with peer pressure .
Be accepted among peers is a powerful motivator for teens. These young people who want to include in their social groups are at high-risk behavior such as smoking .
Often a teen will smoke as a way to show the rebellion. Going against the rules and regulations of the parents of snuff can be considered a rite of passage in some social circles adolescence.
Some teenagers smoke to be cool or be independent , but they all seem to have the same willingness to adapt to peers , friends, or social group they think it is cool.
advertising
Although you will find many teenagers who admit to pressure as an important reason to start smoking , other teens say cigarette advertising also played a role in their decision to start smoking. You can guess , of course people from the tobacco industry snuff I blame many other factors ads that spend billions of dollars.
Matthew Myers , president of Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids , said that the main customers for tobacco companies are teenagers. Advertising is used by tobacco companies to convince teenagers that smoking is cool says Myers .
Cigarette ads tend to glorify smoking by smoking seems to be cool and trendy . According to psychologist John Pierce, Ph.D., Program of prevention and fight against cancer at the University of California, San Diego, " resistance to cigarette advertising to children smoke graphics entertainment dissolves like Joe Camel to present smoking funny , cool and a normal part of the life of the 'good life' . "
These are some of the reasons that researchers consider as part of efforts to keep children from smoking should focus on educating children on handling youth that is so prevalent in the industry today snuff .
cinema
Most of us parents tend to underestimate the influence of movies on children. Even if we educate our children for the fact that smoking is unacceptable to have children see their heroes and role models smoking in movies tend to weaken our message.
Research has shown that most children see their favorite celebrities smoking in movies , the more likely to start smoking. It is believed that adolescents 4 in 10 smokers today have been somewhat influenced by smoking they saw in the movies.
The attorneys general of 32 states have recently begun to call for major movie studios to include public service announcements against snuff with all movies in which people are shown smoking.
They joined the Director of the Centre for Research on control Snuff University of California at San Francisco, Stanton Glantz , the filmmakers are " delivering 400,000 children per year for the snuff industry , and it's bad. They abuse their public, and parents of his audience, and is totally unnecessary. "
biology
Nicotine is known to have the ability to suppress appetite and metabolism. These characteristics of nicotine become a popular tool of special treatment for adolescent girls and women .
Studies by the University of Michigan found that 14 year old girls are twice as likely as boys to try smoking . Given the concerns of these girls were concerns about her weight.
Several surveys have indicated that perhaps as much as 30 % of adolescents and women give weight control as one of the main reasons for smoking .
Dr. Margaret R. States Rukstalis , a psychiatrist at the University of Pennsylvania , specializing in addictive behaviors , "The relationship between weight concerns and smoking is dramatic. "
And adolescents who begin experimenting with cigarettes can become addicted to nicotine faster than adults can . Young brains , scientists seem to believe , are more biologically susceptible to nicotine. It is therefore particularly difficult to stop .
A report by the National Institute on Drug Abuse stated that some teens can become addicted to a few days of starting to smoke. And it seems that teenagers are hooked on nicotine more quickly than do adolescent boys.
They are fully aware of the health risks
If you are still wondering why it is more difficult for teenagers to quit, another reason may be that they are not very aware of the health risks of smoking.
A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control showed that adolescents who start smoking not only significantly increases the risk of developing lung cancer, but may soon begin to show signs that will eventually lead to heart disease and stroke .
It is estimated that 80% of adult smokers started smoking in their teens today.
Although the health consequences of smoking are known to us, the adults, many teens do not seem to be fully aware of the consequences of negative long-term health of the consumption of tobacco.
It seems that children are not able to understand the concept of harmful effects of snuff. A challenge for us as parents is to help children begin to understand the long-term effects that smoking can have on them.
What can we do
Most experts agree that parents play the most important role in your child's decision not to smoke or quit.
Make it clear to their children that they disapprove of smoking , parents can have more influence on their children's behavior than they might think.
It has been shown that adolescents who feel as if their parents did not approve smokers were less than half as likely to smoke than children with parents who thought they did not care. Those who smoke are more likely to quit.
It is a good idea to know and be familiar with their friends associated with adolescent. It is also a good idea to know the parents of their friends. Have friends of their children more regularly will help in this regard.
In addition, through the power of love to your children, you can help to overcome the negative influences that some peer groups can have on them. If your child feels the love and support that you have for them is more important than the acceptance by their peers, who can opt for their influence on their peers.