There are numerous reasons why a person starts smoking but most of them start smoking in adolescence between the ages of 14-18 years. Some may succumb to peer pressure and start social smoking. Others start smoking as a way to appear “cooler” than their peers while many hold the belief that smoking is a way to alleviate boredom or stress.

In India 8.5% currently use some form of tobacco (boys 9.6%; girls 7.4%); 4.1% smoke tobacco and 4.1% use smokeless tobacco. 21% of youth (ages 13–15) are exposed to secondhand smoke in enclosed public places, and 11% are exposed at home. Bidis, cigarettes, and hookahs are the most common ways that tobacco is consumed in India.

Modern media may depict smoking as cool and stress relieving, but it is in fact a deadly habit that can cause lung cancer and a host of other health problems. Through popular culture, advertising, and social media, this generation has been brainwashed into believing that smoking is cool and a fashion statement, far away from being the deadly poison that it can eventually turn into. As a result of these media portrayals, many people believe that smoking makes you appear more attractive because it gives an appearance of being more stylish and outgoing. The problem, at least for the majority of them, is that the more frequently they smoke, the more addicted they become, which leads them to continue smoking for a long time.

A teenager is under constant pressure to be ‘cool’ at school, but it can take a toll on the mental and psychological minds of the teenager. During the pre-teen and teenage years, your child is asserting their independence and exploring their identity. They still crave the approval of their peers and often worry about being rejected, so they see smoking as a way to be accepted by their peers but eventually get addicted to smoking.

Most teen smokers are portrayed by tobacco companies as cool, self-reliant individuals who like to have a good time and live on the edge of their comfort zones. As a result, they decide to give smoking a try, not realizing that even smoking a few cigarettes can lead to addiction. Social smoking is said to be not harmful but it’s a myth, cancer, lung disease, cardiovascular disease, and stroke are all major risk factors caused due to social smoking.

Drug co-dependency may run in families. However, studies on addiction in genetics should not be interpreted as concluding that a gene for addiction is inherited. An individual’s propensity to develop a habit like smoking is a major factor for addiction but Smokers with a genetic susceptibility to smoking can still quit, but it may be more difficult than for others. Smoking habits can be influenced by shared environmental factors such as exposure to smokers at school or in the neighborhood, or by parents.

It is extremely challenging to break the habit of smoking for young people who begin the practice at a young age. According to recently published research, majority of adolescents who smoke cigarettes make multiple attempts to kick the habit, but the vast majority of them are unsuccessful. The study found that the majority of the adolescents who smoked had expressed a desire to give up the habit; however, only a few of them were successful in giving up smoking. Smoking during the adolescent years can cause several health problems. Nicotine exposure can have long-term effects on adolescent brain development. It also causes shortness of breath and decreased stamina in children and teenagers. It is one of the leading causes of death and disease in India, killing nearly 1.35 million people each year. Smoking may seem cool, but it causes many chronic illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung diseases, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and the dangers it poses to your health are more real than illusionary.

(The author is Founder & CEO, Capture Life Dental Care. Views expressed are personal and do not reflect the official position or policy of FinancialExpress.com.)

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