Before you take that first puff, there are a number of things you may want to consider.

There are a number of reasons people start smoking. Some claim it is because of peer pressure, others think it makes them look older (do you know anybody in their 30s that are doing everything in their power to look older?), and others do it out a sense of rebellion (do you see people in their 40s rebelling against their 70 year old parents by smoking?). No matter why they started, people continue to smoke for one reason.

Many teenagers think they will only smoke a few cigarettes a week to be cool or sociable and that will be it. When asked, only 3% of teenagers believe there is a chance they will become addicted to cigarettes. The reality is if a person smokes even a few cigarettes a week, there is an 87% chance of becoming addicted to nicotine. Once hooked it is extremely difficult to quit. Upwards of 70% of current smokers have expressed a desire to quit smoking but each year only 5-10% are successful in their quit attempts.

When asked what they think the odds of getting a disease from smoking such as cancer, emphysema (COPD), or heart disease; smokers reply by saying they think their odds are around 15%. The reality is that their chances are closer to 50% (1 in 2). The chances of dying early from tobacco related diseases is 33% (1 in 3) and the average loss of years is 13-14 years.

Is smoking cigarettes really worth losing 14 years of your life?

Using tobacco causes many other health problems, but we should move on to cover other things because it isn?t going to happen to you - right? You won?t be among the people that become addicted. And, even if you do become addicted, you won't be among the 50% that get a chronic and fatal disease from it, or be among the 1 in 3 that dies from it - right?

What about the cost? The average pack a day smoker will spend over $38,000 over 30 years of smoking (if they live that long). What about other costs? More and more employers are refusing to hire smokers.

This is because employers know that smokers cost them more money to employ than non-smokers, because smokers have higher illness rates and lower productivity. Employers are not in business to lose money. When you go to apply for a job, you will be competing against the 80% of the population that does not smoke. 

You are likely to have to pay more than non-smokers for health insurance. You will have to pay more for auto and life insurance.

Consider the dating scene. Since 80% of the population does not smoke, your dating options in the years to come will be severely limited if you become a smoker. Even if you are able to impress somebody with some special WOW factor, that WOW factor will wear off soon because of your EWWW factor. You might be able to hold on for a little while, but eventually the EWWW factor will override any WOW factor you may have and you'll be going to the movies alone.

So, if a "friend" suggests you try smoking, think about some of these things and consider just how broke and lonely you could be.

Links to more smoking and tobacco information on our website:

Teen Tobacco Citation Class Information

Tobacco Industry Targeting Women and Girls Smoking Information

Free text messaging to help you quit! SmokefreeTXT

How Can I quit smoking?

www.tobaccofreeflorida.com

www.stupid.ca

www.thetruth.com

www.stinkytobacco.com

teen.smokefree.gov