Youth smoking is prevalent:
• Children and teenagers make up 90% of the new smokers in
the United States.
• Each day, more than 4,000 young people between the ages
of 12 and 17 try their first cigarette and another 1,140
become regular, daily smokers. Of those, about a third will
die from a smoking-related disease.
• Approximately three million U.S. adolescents are smokers,
and they smoke nearly one billion packs of cigarettes each
year.
• 28.8 million packs of cigarettes are bought or smoked by
kids in Florida each year.
• Last year in Florida, 14.7% high school students and 6.1%
in middle school reported they had smoked cigarettes once
in the past 30 days.
• Young adults (18 to 24) smoke at higher levels than any
other age group. Relative to other age groups, young adults
also are the least likely to quit successfully.
Youth smokers become adult
smokers:
• The younger you are when you begin to smoke, the more
likely you are to be an adult smoker. Young people who do
not start using tobacco by age 18 will most likely never
start.
What youth should know about tobacco
and athletic performance:
• Don’t get trapped. Nicotine in cigarettes, cigars, and
spit tobacco is addictive.
• Nicotine narrows your blood vessels and puts added strain
on your heart.
• Smoking can wreck lungs and reduce oxygen available for
muscles used during sports.
• Smokers suffer shortness of breath almost 3 times more
often than nonsmokers.
• Smokers run slower and can’t run as far, affecting
overall athletic performance.
• Cigars and spit tobacco are NOT safe
alternatives.
What youth should know about tobacco
and personal appearance:
• Tobacco smoke can make hair and clothes stink.
• Tobacco stains teeth and causes bad breath.
• Short-term use of spit tobacco can cause cracked lips,
white spots, sores, and
bleeding in the mouth.
• Surgery to remove oral cancers caused by tobacco use can
lead to serious changes in the face. Sean Marcee, a high
school star athlete who used spit tobacco, died of oral
cancer when he was 19 years old.
What youth should know to avoid
tobacco:
• Know the truth. Despite all the tobacco use on TV and in
movies, music videos, billboards and magazines–most teens,
adults, and athletes DON’T use tobacco.
• Make friends, develop athletic skills, control weight, be
independent, be cool … play sports.
• Don’t waste money on tobacco. Spend it on CDs, clothes,
computer games, and movies.
• Get involved: make your team, school, and home
tobacco-free; teach others; join community efforts to
prevent tobacco use.
Source: Centers for Disease Control & Prevention