Teen Smoking: What Are the Health Risks and How to Stop the Habit

According to studies, it is said that almost 3 million teenagers are smokers. Nearly 20% of high school kids are smokers. Studies also say that among smokers, 90% of them started smoking when they were teens. All of these studies and facts prove that teens are likely to be attracted to the awful act of smoking. Smoking is one such habit that is not fruitful but only dangerous to everybody. And for teens who are still developing, smoking can be hazardous to both their physical and mental health. Teens try smoking or make it a habit for various reasons such as peer pressure, copying their parents, and the most famous one trying to be cool in front of their friends. There are many risks associated with smoking, especially for teens who smoke.

Here are some of the risks for teens associated with smoking –

1. Yellow teeth – The nicotine and tar in tobacco cause teeth yellowing, which is one of the side effects of smoking. It can quickly turn your teeth yellow, and heavy smokers frequently remark that their teeth are nearly brown after years of smoking.
2. Gum disease – Gum disease can also be caused by smoking. Smokers have a higher risk of developing bacterial plaque, which leads to gum disease. In addition, the gums are harmed because smoking depletes oxygen in the bloodstream, preventing infected gums from healing.
3. Often coughing – The cilia lose some of their ability to drive chemicals and other undesirable items out of your lungs when you smoke. As a result, pollutants stay in your lungs for considerably longer than they would otherwise. As a result, you’ll have to cough more to get the chemicals out of your lungs.
4. Senses – It is said that the more you smoke, the more you lose your feelings, such as taste, smell, or even vision. This is due to the tar on their tongues and nasal passages. This may not be apparent to a smoker until after he or she has stopped smoking and notices changes in the way foods taste and smell.
5. Long-term disease – Yes, it is true that smoking leaves short-term effects and long-term ones such as heart diseases, lung diseases, and even cancer. Cancer is one of the fatal diseases and may lead to death as well.

If you are worried about your teen smoking or you are a teen and want to get rid of this hazardous habit, then here are some of how you can quit or stop the habit –

1. Know the reason – If as a teenager you started smoking or your teen started smoking, then you need to know the reason as in first place why did they start smoking and what led them to continue with this habit. After knowing the reasons, you can help them eliminate it and thus will help you find a reason to quit smoking.
2. Consider negative effects – Talk about the negative effects of smoking on life. Once you analyze the negative effects, it will immediately give you the strength to start quitting smoking.
3. The art of avoiding – Once you or your teen has decided to quit smoking, you need to avoid people you started smoking or places you used to go for smoking. You need to avoid the temptation as well. If you hold out for some time, the nicotine cravings will pass out eventually. Patience and the strength to avoid are factors you need to quit smoking.
4. Products – You can use nicotine patches, nasal sprays, inhalers, etc., which can help you in the quitting process.
5. Help – Even after all the determination, if you cannot give up the temptation, you can always seek help from rehabilitation or support centers.

So these were some of the points that can help a teen stop smoking.

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