Tobacco & Teens

Health is Wealth

Teens

The need to sport an attitude that is ‘Cool’ or ‘In’ spurs many a teenagers to sport unusual hairstyles or wear fashionable clothes. It also encourages many others to get into drug abuse, alcohol or even cigarettes. This is the time to fight peer pressure strongly because nothing can substitute good health. Besides warnings on television and even cigarette packets every day more and more teens begin to smoke. At this age teens are very vulnerable. They are influenced by negative elements, and give into bad habits easily.
Some of the reasons teens smoke are:

They want to try something new and different.
They are insecure.
They smoke to try and escape from their problems.
They cant resist peer pressure, do not know how to refuse.
To fit into a group.
They think it is “Cool”.
They do not realize that health risks begin as soon as the smoke enters your body.

Nicotine is a dangerously addictive drug. Each drug contains about 4,000 chemicals. Out of these nicotine is the most addictive. Tar is a thick, dark substance produced when tobacco is burnt. Certain substances in tar are cancer causing. Cigarette smoke also contains Carbon Monoxide. This is a colorless, odorless gas that is very poisonous. When it passes into the lungs it combines with the hemoglobin in the blood preventing it from carrying oxygen in the smokers body. Even the second hand smoke inhaled by non smokers is dangerous. It contains the same amount of harmful chemicals and is equally as harmful. Second hand smoke also causes eye irritation, headaches and coughing. More and more people are giving up smoking. It may be hard but it is possible.
Quitting tips:

Surround your self with people who support your decision to quit.
Accept responsibility for your acts.
Drink plenty of water, this will flush put the toxins.
When you fell the urge to smoke eat a carrot or chew some gum as a substitute.
Avoid drinks with caffeine.
Brush your teeth to remove excess tobacco residue.
Exercise frequently.
Think positively about the benefits on not smoking.
Take deep breaths to relax your self when you fell the craving.

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