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Essay on Why Do Adolescents Begin Smoking Between 12-14
The purpose of this paper is to illustrate that Why Do Adolescents Begin Smoking Between 12-14. Tobacco smoking is thought to be responsible for more than 1 million premature deaths annually worldwide. The Surgeon General has labeled smoking as the chief single avoidable cause of death in the United States and the most important public health risk. Numerous studies have shown that adolescents are the group most at risk for beginning to smoke and that smoking in early adolescence is a strong predictor of smoking in adulthood. Smoking is also a, predictor of other dangerous behaviors in late adolescence, such as other substance abuse, alcohol abuse, promiscuity, and reckless driving.
Cigarette smoking among adolescents has been found to increase fivefold between junior and senior high school. Pressure from peers and the influence of the media are two important factors in the onset of smoking. In addition to the harmful effects of cigarettes, a strong relationship between smoking and levels of alcohol and other drug consumption has been reported (Pirkle, 1996) For example, research suggests that smoking is a gateway substance for alcohol use among Hispanic adolescents.
Tobacco smoking is thought to be responsible for more than 1 million premature deaths annually worldwide. The Surgeon General has labeled smoking as the chief single avoidable cause of death in the United States and the most important public health risk. Numerous studies have shown that adolescents are the group most at risk for beginning to smoke and that smoking in early adolescence is a strong predictor of smoking in adulthood. Smoking is also a, predictor of other dangerous behaviors in late adolescence, such as other substance abuse, alcohol abuse, promiscuity, and reckless driving. Pederson found that the risk of initiating smoking increases steadily from age 12 to 16 years and then begins to decline.......
