Introduction
Smoking is one of the worst things teen girls can do to their bodies. Although nearly 4, 400 teen girls between the age of thirteen to twenty begin to smoke everyday! According to a tobacco-free organizational website, “A September 2000 study showed that one quarter of 11 to 13 year olds who smoke as few as two or three cigarettes a day become addicted in just two weeks” (Reynolds). These teens ignore the risks and consequences involved with smoking and they still do it. Why? There are numerous reasons that teens take up this addictive habit. One major reason why young people being to smoke is because they are influenced daily by tobacco industries and their marketing tactics. Steven Reinberg states, "Anti-smoking ads on television produced by tobacco companies and aimed at parents may actually be encouraging children to start smoking, a new research paper reports" (Reinberg). They advertise using methods such as thin models, colorful ads, and beautiful people. On the other hand, some teens may begin smoking because they are pressured by their surrounding peers, while others may start because they want to resemble their parents who have been smoking since they were born. On the other hand, some may have grown up around many people who smoke and they feel it is the 'cool' thing to do. Today, more than 22 million American women and girls under eighteen smoke cigarettes. Smoking is an over-the-counter substance that can lead to terminal illnesses and be the leading cause of preventable death all at the same time.
Also, along with the above mentioned reasons why smokers start, one of the most important reasons is because teens want to know what it's like. Usually, when young people first try smoking or chewing tobacco they don't like what it tastes like. They experience feelings such as burning in their throat and lungs, which is a signal from them telling you that they don't like this feeling and that you're poisoning your body!
The point is, regardless of what cigarette ads or friends tell you, smoking is extremely harmful to your health. Young girls may be facing pressure from friends and boyfriends that smoke, or they might just be stressed trying to manage school, work, and their free time. Don't let these factors pressure you to smoke, there are many better alternatives such as shopping and going to movies.
