Background Information:

Young people and smoking – current trends
By the age of 16, two-thirds of young people have experimented with smoking. In 2002, 26% of girls and 21% of boys in the 11–15 age range were regular smokers in England. While the trend has varied up and down over the last twenty years, this represents a slightly downwards trend but still more girls smoking than boys.

Starting smoking – what influences young people?
Research evidence suggests young people are three times more likely to smoke if both parents smoke. Parents disapproving of them smoking contributes to non-smoking behaviour. Young people tend to smoke heavily promoted brands and brands popular with the groups they hang out with. The latter tends to be more to do with peer identification. For those influenced by smoking behaviour of friends, this appears more a ‘joining in’ thing than to do with peer pressure. Advertising can have the effect of suggesting that smoking is a socially accepted norm and sports sponsorship in particular has been shown to increase brand awareness among young people. (See also Quit: A Breath of Fresh Air in this series.)

Withdrawal symptoms – are they real?
The body quickly becomes dependent on nicotine and adapts to the effects of the chemicals within tobacco smoke. When people stop smoking they can experience a range of withdrawal symptoms: drop in pulse rate; drop in blood pressure; sleep disturbance; slower reactions; tension; restlessness; depression; irritability; constipation; difficulty in concentration and a craving for tobacco.

Do young people really become addicted so quickly?
Young people who experiment with cigarettes quickly become addicted to nicotine in tobacco. A survey of young people aged 11–16 who smoked found they had similar levels of nicotine dependence as adults. The same survey also found that one-third of those smoking one or more cigarettes a week were smoking their first cigarette within 30 minutes of waking up. Over half of regular smokers said they’d found it difficult to give up for a week and 72% thought it would be difficult to give up altogether. During periods of abstinence young people experience withdrawal symptoms similar to those experienced by adults.

Women and smoking
Women who smoke have more reproductive tract infections, more fertility and menstrual disorders and an earlier menopause. During pregnancy there is a greater risk of premature detachment of the placenta. Once detachment has occurred, perinatal death rates also increase.