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Deceived by Peer Pressure
By James A. Aderman
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Why Teens Smoke
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Some kids want to fit in so much with their peers that they will even choose to do things that they know are wrong. Some people call it "peer pressure" when friends try to make other friends do something wrong. I call it "peer choice," because you can choose who your friends are and what you do together. You know that "everyone else is doing it" is not an excuse to make a choice that hurts you or someone else. ---Ron Goldsmith, MSW, South Dakota State University
[1] Agency for Health Care Policy and Research,
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Smoking is a team sport. Every day between 5,000 and 6,000 U.S. teens light up for the first time. (Nicotine will eventually hook half of them.) Virtually everyone of those new smokers sucks in the first lung-full of Marlboro because his/her friends smoke. The Department of Health and Human Services reports that one of the factors that influences teens to begin smoking is "having friends who smoke and having a best friend who smokes."
The power of peers to get their friends to smoke is considerable. For one thing smoking appeals to teenagers because it's a symbol. Smoking says, "I've broken away from my parents; I'm independent, an adult." Smoking with peers says, "I'm tight with my grown up friends."
Lighting up usually begins quite innocently with friends. You're hanging out. One of the guys shares his pack of kings. "Hey, you want one?" he asks. You don't want to put your friend down by saying no. And it looks cool, adult, and even glamorous.
Besides a cigarette now and then is no big deal. It can't hurt. You're not going to get hooked.
And smoking helps you keep the pounds off. At least that's the word on the street.
Ah, but there's the problem. Thinking something is true doesn't make it true. And there's a lot of lies teens pass on to each other about smoking.
Truth is, everyone's not doing it. Three quarters of high school seniors refuse to smoke. And those who do smoke wish they didn't. Seventy-five (75) percent of all teen smokers have made at least one serious attempt to quit [1]. Seventy (70) percent of adolescent smokers say they would not start if they could choose again [2]. So what sense does it make to start if teens who do smoke are struggling to quit?
Truth is, people don't think smoking is glamorous. It's not glamorous to have sickly yellow teeth. (Should I mention a higher incidence of tooth disease and raw sores in the mouth?) It's not glamorous to have bad breath and pre-maturely wrinkled skin. It's not glamorous to have stinking hair, clothing, and cars. It's not glamorous to have a cigarette hanging off your lip or clothes peppered with ash-burns. It's not glamorous to keel over wheezing after running 20 yards.
Truth is, if you smoke you've just cut deeply into the number of people who will date you. Seventy-five (75) percent of teenage boys and 66% of teenage girls who do not smoke say that they would never date a smoker [3]
Truth is, if you smoke you are probably being influenced by kids who won't achieve much. Up to 70% of high school dropouts are smokers [4]. Forty-seven (47) percent of D average students are smokers (only 7% of A average students smoke) [5]
So look around the next time you light up. Maybe it's time you got some new friends. Friends who see smoking for what it is: stupid.
Be sure to read, Why Don't Christian Teens Smoke?
For more information check out:
http://www.healthatoz.com/atoz/lifestyles/smokeout/...
http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/tobacco/smokfact.htm
ftp://ftp.cdc.gov/pub/Publications/mmwr/rr/rr4302.pdf
Pastor Aderman serves the Savior as pastor at Fairview
Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He is also the
editor of LivingBold.
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