Teenagers Start Smoking Mainly Due to Peer Pressure

Abstract

Peer pressure turns out to be a problematic and perturbing phenomenon as kids grow considering their peers as an exemplar or role model. Peer pressure, to a certain extent, is a social institution that transforms the behaviours of the teenagers by making them pander to risky behaviour for instance smoking in an early age. This observable fact has indeed explored its approach into our tertiary institutions and amongst our teens who are the leaders of future. This research paper examines cigarette smoking habit among teenage students due to peer pressure. Data were acquired through the organization of a structured questionnaire comprising of 20 questions to seventy five students of two well known schools in the United Kingdom. Results proved that 65 percent of cigarette use among teenage students was reported for by peer pressure.

Table of Contents

Abstractii

Introduction1

Literature Review2

Effects of Cigarette Smoking in Teenage3

Smoking Addiction, Smoking Cessation, and Public Policy5

Methodology10

Questionnaire10

Conclusions11

References14

Teenagers Start Smoking Mainly Due to Peer Pressure

Introduction

Although smoking is traditionally viewed as an adult issue, it represents a significant paediatric concern. Teenagers experiment or begin smoking for a number of reasons, counting parental and social norms, movies, advertising and popular media, weight control, parental smoking and curiosity. However, the most widespread reason behind teenage smoking is “Peer Pressure” (Hillier, 2006). Eighty five percent of adults who ever smoked daily report their first cigarette use was prior to the age of twenty one. Estimates suggest that each day in the United Kingdom, approximately 3,500 children and teenagers under the age of eighteen smoke their first cigarette, and 1000 children and teenagers turn out to be daily cigarette smokers (Hillier, 2006).

In 2006, it was approximated that 2.3 million U.K. teenagers aged 13 to 19 were current cigarette smokers out of which more than 65 percent admit that they start smoking due to peer pressure (Hillier, 2006). In general, teenagers are more likely than non-smokers to think they can quit at any time and greatly underestimate the addictive properties of nicotine. Estimates suggest more than 75% of teenagers aged 13 to 19 years are thinking about quitting, and more than 60% have made a quit attempt. Unfortunately, only about 3% of teenage smokers successfully quit each year, with failed quit attempts higher for youth than for adult smokers (Hillier, 2006). Although youth who enrol in tobacco cessation programs are twice as likely to quit, most teenagers neither plan attempts to quit nor seek assistance in quitting. Because tobacco use often begins in adolescence, it is important that health care providers deliver tobacco prevention and cessation messages to youth and their parents (Alexander, Piazza, Mekos & Valente, 2001).

Literature Review

Peer pressure, to promotion, to availability, to the main reason, harmful influences. These are some motives that lead teens to smoke prior to the age of eighteen. Peer pressure is considered as one of the most widespread and frequent effects that provoke teens to smoke (Matsueda & Anderson, 1998). Particularly when hanging out with friends, a number of teenagers get ...