Kids and Smoking
Most of today's adult tobacco users started before they were 18 years old. Youth nicotine or tobacco use in any form, whether smoked, smokeless "vaped" (e-cigarettes or "vaping"), is not safe.Today, electronic cigarettes are the most commonly used tobacco product in youth, and one survey found that other nicotine containing products, such as gummies, lozenges or pouches may be the second most commonly used kind of product. These products are not Food and Drug Administration-(FDA) approved quit smoking nicotine replacement medications for tobacco cessation. Instead, they are a new group of commercial oral nicotine products often advertised as tobacco free and marketed to youth as available in fruit and dessert flavors, in digital campaigns and themes implying minimal harm.
We have taken steps to reduce youth tobacco use, but it is still a big problem. All tobacco products, including most e-cigarettes, contain nicotine. Nicotine is highly addictive and can harm brain development in youth. People who start using tobacco at an early age are more likely to develop an addiction than those who start at a later age, and kids who use vapor products are more likely to go on to smoke cigarettes.
Why Do Kids Start Using Tobacco?
The overwhelming majority of adult smokers began smoking before age 18, and many were addicted before they even finished high school. So, why do kids pick up that cigarette in the first place?
- Their parents are smokers.
- Peer pressure—their friends encourage them to try cigarettes and to keep smoking.
- They see smoking as a way of rebelling and showing independence.
- They think that everyone else is smoking and that they should, too.
- The tobacco industry has used clever marketing tactics to specifically target teenagers.
- The price is right—in places where low tobacco taxes have kept the price down, it is easier for kids to afford cigarettes.
- Most teenagers simply like to try new things, but they aren’t mature enough to think of the long-term consequences.
- Nicotine is a "feel-good" drug without intoxication.
The majority of children in elementary school and the early part of middle school have never tried a cigarette. Most will tell you that they never will smoke cigarettes and they mean what they’re saying. But as they get older, some will become more open to the idea of smoking.
Tobacco companies shape their marketing campaigns to portray smokers as cool, sexy, independent, fun, attractive and living on the edge—images that appeal to many teens. As a result, they try smoking and don’t understand that they can become addicted after smoking as few as 100 cigarettes (five packs). Only 5 percent of high-school-age smokers believe they'll still be smoking five years after graduation, but they don't understand how difficult quitting can be. Research shows that after eight years, 75 percent of those smokers still will use some form of tobacco.
Tips for Parents: Talking to Kids about Smoking
- Smoking is glamorized in movies, television shows and online, but parents are the most important influences in their children's lives.
- Tell your children honestly and directly that you don't want them to smoke cigarettes, use e-cigarettes (e.g., "vaping") or use any type of tobacco product. Give them clear, consistent messages about the risks of these products. Tell them all the different products this includes, and if they aren't sure—ask.
- Start talking to your kids about smoking when they are 5 or 6 years old and continue through their high school years. Many kids start smoking by age 11 and some are addicted by age 14. Explain the health dangers of smoking, as well as the unpleasant physical aspects (such as bad breath, discolored teeth and nails).
- Youth are using e-cigarettes at increasing and alarming rates so make sure you talk to your kids about these as well. The U.S. Surgeon General has declared e-cigarette use among youth an epidemic, with rates increasing 78 percent from 2017 to 2018 among high school students and more teens using e-cigarettes than combustible cigarettes.
- Set a good example for your kids by not smoking or using tobacco in any form. Parents who smoke are more likely to have children who smoke.
- If you're a parent who smokes, the best thing you can do is to quit. Talk to your kids about how difficult it is to quit smoking and how much easier it would have been if you'd never started smoking in the first place. In the meantime, don't smoke around your children and don’t ever let them have any of your cigarettes.
- Establish a smokefree policy in your home. Don't allow anyone to smoke indoors at any time.
- Make sure that the events that your children attend are smokefree.
- Support tobacco-free schools and insist that school health programs include tobacco-use prevention education.
- Find out if your children have any friends that smoke or vape. Talk with your kids about ways to refuse a cigarette or e-cigarette.
- If you catch your teen smoking or vaping, avoid threats and ultimatums. Ask a few questions and find out why your child is smoking or vaping; they may want to be accepted by a peer group or want your attention. Talk about what changes can be made in your teen’s life to help them stop smoking.
- As you talk to your child about their smoking or vaping, point out that he or she is probably already addicted to nicotine. The tobacco industry spends billions of dollars each year to make sure their products are as appealing and as addictive as possible. The tobacco industry also aggressively markets e-cigarettes to youth, glamorizing e-cigarette use in advertisements and offering e-cigarettes in candy flavors like bubble gum and gummy bears. Ask your child to think about how they've been targeted, manipulated and used by tobacco companies. This realization makes many teen smokers angry and can help motivate them to quit.
How to Keep Kids Tobacco-Free
Keeping youth from starting is critical and they need your help. Youth tobacco use can be prevented by families, schools, communities and policymakers joining together. For example:
- Parents can set a good example for their kids by not using tobacco and keeping their homes tobacco-free.
- Schools can provide tobacco intervention programs (such as INDEPTH) to educate students about the dangers of tobacco and tobacco cessation programs to help young people.
- States can pass legislation to increase taxes on tobacco products, pass and implement comprehensive smokefree indoor air laws, and limit minors' access to tobacco products through raising the age of purchase and restricting flavors.
Page last updated: October 24, 2024
