Teen Smoking

Learn what the teen smoking warning signs are and what you can do if you see the warning signs of teenage smoking. 1 in 2 teens have tried smoking. Because smoking is so addictive adolescents will need a lot of support to stop smoking. Find ways to help.

According to teen smoking statistics from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 2,000 teens become regular smokers every day. Indeed, with 54 percent of high school students saying that they had tried smoking at least once, there is a one in two chance that your teenager has tried cigarettes.

Teen smoking can be a serious problem. It can result in lasting health effects, including increase in the risk of heart disease, problems with lung function, lower immune system, increased risk of blood clots and some types of cancers.

Additionally, smoking is addictive. The nicotine in the cigarettes is addictive, and many times a teen will become psychologically addicted to having a cigarette as well. This means that it is hard to stop smoking - even if the teen knows that smoking is bad for him or her.

One thing you can do to help see that your teen gets help for a smoking problem is to watch for the warning signs of teen smoking. Indeed, if you catch the teen smoking warning signs early enough, you may be able to stop this serious problem before it gets too far.

Teen smoking warning signs

There are some warning signs of teen smoking that are easy to spot. Others are a little more difficult to detect. But here are some of the signs of teen smoking:

Smoke smell. This is a more obvious warning sign of teen smoking. Your teenager’s clothes or hair may smell like smoke. It may be something you smell when you do laundry, or you may notices a “cloud of smoke” accompanies your teenager.

Acquisition of lighter. The sudden acquisition of a lighter. This may be harder to spot, since it is a small object that can be easily hidden in a drawer or carried in a pants pocket. But be on the look out. One of the warning signs of teen smoking is that there always seems to be a lighter around. Your teenager may even have multiple lighters.

Another thing to be on the look out for is an increase in the number of matches you find. Does your teenager keep matches in his or her room all of a sudden? Are you finding burned matches lying on the ground outside or in garbage cans throughout the house? This may be an indication that someone in your household - possibly a teen - is smoking.

Burn holes in clothing. Sometimes, teen smoking can result in round burn holes. These cigarette burns may be in clothing. It is something that you may notice when doing laundry or when your teenager comes home. Other places to look for cigarette burn holes and marks could include the upholstery of the car your teen drives and his or her backpack.

Increase in the use of breath fresheners. Some parents notice that their teenagers always seem to popping some sort of breath freshener. The sudden desire to use mouthwash, or to carry breath mints or gum can be one of the signs of teen smoking. These fresheners are used to disguise the smell of tobacco on one’s breath.

Open windows. Has your teen been leaving his or her bedroom window open a lot lately? One of the teen smoking warning signs is a desire to have the bedroom window open often, even when it may be very cold or very hot outside. Teen smokers do this in order to “vent” the room, preventing it from smelling like smoke. This can be done to disguise the fact that smoking is actually happening in the room, or it can be to air things out in general, since the smoke smell on clothes can permeate a bedroom.

Excuses to go outside. It is normal for teens to want to leave the house on occasion and be in their own space. But making excuses to go outside frequently is one of the teen smoking warning signs. Be on the look out for behavior that indicates your teenager is spending more time outside than necessary. This can be especially true if your teen continually looks for reasons to go outside, even when the weather is unpleasant.

What to do if you see teen smoking warning signs

If you see the warning signs of teen smoking, it is important to address the subject. Try to do so in a non-judgmental way. Make sure that your teenager knows you care about him or her, and that you are more interested in talking about the health consequences than anything else. Make sure your teen knows that you are available to talk, and to provide help and support if he or she wants to quit smoking.