{"id":5447,"date":"2012-06-26T09:13:28","date_gmt":"2012-06-26T13:13:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ccpa.scottbuckingham.ca\/blog\/?p=2172"},"modified":"2015-07-03T15:52:58","modified_gmt":"2015-07-03T19:52:58","slug":"children-youth-and-tobacco","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ccpa-accp.ca\/fr\/children-youth-and-tobacco\/","title":{"rendered":"Children, Youth, and Tobacco"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>\u201cThe health effects of cigarette smoking have been the subject of intensive investigation since the 1950s.\u00a0 Cigarette smoking is still considered the chief preventable cause of premature disease and death…\u201d (NLM, 2012, Online) The relationship of smoking and mental health disorders had long been overlooked and underestimated.\u00a0 The primary reason for the underestimation, is that those who were addicted to cigarettes, as well as having a mental health disorder were often within the norm of society.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Tobacco has a significant effect upon one\u2019s emotional and cognitive wellbeing.\u00a0 Have you ever witnessed someone who is desperate to have a smoke? They are often agitated, anxious, jittery, and in some form of emotional distress.\u00a0 Tobacco\u2019s primary stimulate is nicotine which is linked to being the catalyst for its addictive nature. Nicotine is said to be more addictive than cocaine, methamphetamine or alcohol.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

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WHAT IS THE ATTRACTION TO SMOKING?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The allure of smoking is manyfold.\u00a0 Children and youth are hooked by advertisements; the presence of smoking at home and within their communities; sports and music icons; and the use of smoking in movies, television programs and on the web.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Children and youth are defenseless to the attractiveness of smoking.<\/p>\n

The attractiveness is further fostered by the physiology side-effects. \u201cNicotine stimulates the brain to release dopamine, which is associated with pleasurable feelings, and smokers quickly develop regular smoking patterns. Eventually, smokers need increasing levels of nicotine to feel \u2018normal\u2019. As the nicotine content in their blood drops below a certain level, they begin to crave a cigarette. This craving makes the smoker feel \u2018stressed\u2019 until the craving is relieved. The relief felt when this craving is finally satisfied is the feeling that smokers commonly mistake as \u2018relaxing\u2019.\u201d (ASH, 2012, Online)<\/p>\n

THE EFFECTS OF TOBACCO ADVERTISEMENTS <\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cResearch has shown that young children\u2014younger than 8 years\u2014are cognitively and psychologically defenseless against advertising.\u201d (AAP, 2012, Online) Therefore, if the advertising world <\/em>says that smoking will enhance your libido, make you more attractive, or make you a better athlete; then the message sent out to children is that their lives will improve with the use of tobacco.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cYoung people face enormous pressures to smoke. The tobacco industry devotes an annual budget of nearly $4 billion to advertising and promoting cigarettes… Clearly, young people are being indoctrinated with tobacco promotion at a susceptible time in their lives.\u201d (NLM, 2012, Online) It is this bombardment of advertising that nulls out the senses making the use of tobacco acceptable.\u00a0<\/p>\n

WHAT\u2019S THE HARM WITH SMOKING?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The United States Surgeon General reports that \u201ctobacco use by youth and young adults causes both immediate and long-term damage. One of the most serious health effects is nicotine addiction, which prolongs tobacco use and can lead to severe health consequences. The younger youth are when they start using tobacco, the more likely they\u2019ll be addicted.\u201d (Surgeon General, Online, 2012)<\/p>\n

Factors commonly associated with tobacco use:<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n