The negative impacts of smoking around the globe, not just in the United States of America, cannot be overstated. Smoking-related diseases and deaths that are a direct consequence of smoking continue to be overwhelming even though they are preventable (Memetovic, Ratner, Gotay, & Richardson, 2016). It is worth noting that findings on smoking by young people indicate susceptibility and exposure of the youth to smoking habits as early as their teenage years despite the fact that there have been extensive concerted efforts to prevent and where possible curb such occurrences (Memetovic et al., 2016). The effects of smoking on the general health outcomes of young people in the US is quite alarming and would require further research and intervention to overcome. The study explores the possible factors that encourage early smoking debut amongst young people and the possible measures to counter these factors in a bid to overcome this harmful habit amongst the youth.
Several predisposing demographic factors have been associated with an early debut in tobacco smoking amongst the youth in the US. Some of the factors that have been associated with the increase in susceptibility of young people to early smoking include the presence or absence of a biological mother or father, parental smoking and finally the socio-economic background that surrounds these youths (Bird, Staines-Orozco, & Moraros, 2016). It is saddening how in some countries, such as Mexico, smoking has become more prevalent amongst the youth compared to adults (Bird et al., 2016). Consequently, it means that a majority of the next generation of adults will be smokers. Nicotine, which is the most active content in tobacco, is very addictive. Therefore, there are high chances that a smoker will continue with his or her smoking habit long into adulthood and possibly his or her entire life (Bird et al., 2016).
As earlier discussed, the factors that predispose young people to early smoking may encompass parents who smoke. Young people are very adventurous and may ape their parents’ smoking habits out of curiosity. They may then become hooked to smoking in the process. Similarly, the youth brought up by single parents may lack the close protection of a well-knit family. Consequently, they are easily exposed to smoking habits out of peer pressure or out of frustration. Frustrations induced smoking may be further fueled by bad company. Finally, the economic status of the family also plays a significant role in exposing young people to early smoking. Youth from low-income families are more susceptible to engaging in smoking habits than their peers from well-off families. Low-income backgrounds contribute to creating a sense of hopelessness among young people and thus make them susceptible to risky habits including smoking (Memetovic et al., 2016).
I reiterate the fact that the care and protection of our young people, who will be the next adult generation, is in our hands. We all need to coordinate efforts and ensure our youth are protected from every underlying factor that can increase their susceptibility to an early start of engaging in smoking habits. Smoking endangers the lives of these young people. Smoking is associated certain lifestyle diseases and deaths that are preventable by minimizing exposure to tobacco smoke. It is important for parents to avoid smoking in the presence of their ever-observant children if they must smoke. It will also be beneficial to run community programs that mentor young people and encourage them to rid themselves of any risky behaviors especially those that compromise their health outcomes. The government also has a role to play. It has the resources to roll out grand anti-smoking campaigns and set up rehabilitation centers. When families can meet their daily basic needs and access to formal education sufficiently, the state of hopelessness among the youths belonging to those families will be overcome. Consequently, these young people will easily make beneficial life choices that will not only improve their health outcomes but will also improve their overall life expectancy and general wellbeing.
References
Bird, Y., Staines-Orozco, H., & Moraros, J. (2016). Adolescents’ smoking experiences, family structure, parental smoking and socioeconomic status in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. International Journal for Equity in Health , 15 (29), 1-9.
Memetovic, J., Ratner, P. A., Gotay, C., & Richardson, C. G. (2016). Examining the relationship between personality and affect-related attributes and adolescents‘ intentions to try smoking using the Substance Use Risk Profile Scale. Addictive Behaviors 56 () , 56, 36–40.
