CiggArrest Programs

Smoking cigarettes has become an activity among the youth that defines fashion and trendy for the past several decades. Smoking prevalence among youth has fluctuated in puzzling and unexpected ways. The fact that cigarette smoking is dangerous to your health is hardly new information. Cigarette smoking is the single most preventable cause of disease and early death in the United States.

Graphs of the time-series trends reveal two variables that have expected effects. Increases in cigarette prices reduce smoking, particularly in the most recent years, and higher marijuana initiation (or use) is associated with greater smoking during most of the time period. However, much of the change in youth smoking, particularly the most recent rise and fall, remains unexplained.

The chemical in tobacco called Nicotine acts in the brain where it can stimulate feelings of pleasure, and pleasure feels good! It also will work as an appetite suppressant for many people; other people believe it relieves stress. Ask any model her secrets for being thin; most say caffeine and cigarettes. This is one main reason that youth get attracted to smoking cigarettes.

Nicotine also raises the levels of a neurotransmitter called dopamine in the parts of the brain that produce feelings of pleasure and reward. Dopamine, which is sometimes called the pleasure molecule, is the same neurotransmitter that is involved in addictions to other drugs such as cocaine and heroin. Researchers now believe that this change in dopamine may play a key role in all addictions. Once this addiction is caused, it becomes very hard for people to stop smoking.

Experimental smoking among youth usually begins the habit. Next comes occasional cigarette smoking at parties, on weekends, with friends or when trying to lose weight. This is the most dangerous stage, because it usually leads to an addictive phase, when teens become regular smokers. People who start smoking before the age of 21 have the hardest time quitting.

Every cigarette causes some harm to the body. Once smoke touches the lips, it begins to attack living tissues, and it continues its attack wherever it goes. Cigarette smokers have less ability to carry oxygen to the rest of the body and this is why smokers have less endurance when running or participating in sports.

Smokers get more respiratory infections (colds, coughs, sore throats, and sinus and ear problems). The infections are a result of damage to cilia in the lungs. Cilia are tiny parts of the lung that act like little brooms, sweeping out bacteria, viruses and dirt. When they stop clearing the lungs, the germs and dirt stay there, resulting in more frequent and longer-lasting colds.

The young smokers are more prone to get seriously affected by lung cancer and other related ailments. Some teens resort to smoking because of their peer group pressure and other environmental factors like the emotional and financial stress that they face through family, friends or school.

There is no good time to quit smoking. There should be awareness among the youth about cigarette smoking and its negative impact on the human body and mind to get the youth to quit smoking and lead a healthy life for good.