Polls says teens think smoking is cool

Seattle - A new poll found in ‘The Voice of Young People-A Report of Teenagers Attitudes to Smoking’ involved teens between the ages of 16 and 18 who smoke. The report shows they persist in a habit they know is unhealthy for them because they think its “cool”. Most were found to have started smoking at 12 or 13 years of age.

The teens cited the stress of moving from primary to secondary school as the trigger point when their smoking began and that cigarettes were an acceptable coping mechanism among those their own age.

The findings of the poll also gave an indication of how the teens dealt with the factors related to their smoking.
The teens realized they smoked too much, drank too much, and were eating too much. They understood their lifestyle choices were unhealthy. The teens who took the poll were also aware they were responding to peer pressure and curiosity. 20-30% of the teens who were polled had tried unsuccessfully to quit smoking, but a majority of them believed they would eventually stop. Drinking among early teens was shown to be a factor. Ads that visually depicted the damage smoking does to a smokers appearance were the most effective in making the teens want to quit.

The report showed having parents who smoke is a strong influence factor. This finding fits with other new research done by the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston looking at boys and girls between the ages of 12 to 17 which found 62.4 percent of their parents had experience with smoking while 46 percent met criteria for nicotine dependence during their lifetimes.

Peer acceptance might be the major factor however since the report showed the Irish teens think smoking plays an important role in their being accepted and this acceptance is more important than their health.
In fact a number of the participants experience negative health symptoms as a result of their habit including feeling ‘less fit’. Some were having difficulty playing sports or felt less energetic. Other health issues which began after they started smoking were a morning cough, coughing while trying to exercise, and severe throat and chest infections.

The Office of Tobacco Control believes 16% of young people aged 12-17 smoke. The poll and report were a joint effort of the Government, the drug company Pfizer, the Irish Heart Foundation, Dublin City University and the National Parts Council Primary.