Smoking Facts for Kids and Why Children Start Smoking
Even adults who smoke do not want their children to become addicted to cigarettes while they are still in school. However, adolescent and childhood smoking remains a common problem faced by many families.Why is child smoking dangerous?
Beyond the increased risk of all the diseases associated with smoking, tobacco use can disrupt the growth and development of a child's fragile body. Nicotine and chemicals in tobacco smoke harm nearly every cell of the developing body, weakening metabolic processes. This may cause immune suppression, slowed growth and physical development, mental and psychological issues, muscle problems including those affecting the heart, as well as lung and liver disease—all of which can be devastating.
A child's brain is especially sensitive to oxygen deprivation. School performance and physical activity, which are essential for growth and development, depend directly on blood oxygen levels. Chronic exposure to smoking deprives the brain of oxygen, reduces blood supply, and damages brain cells, impairing their function.
The effects of nicotine on a child’s nervous system are far more severe than in adults, leading to rapid addiction and multiple nervous system disorders.
Kills faster, poisons more
It’s important to note that nicotine toxicity is much higher for children than adults.
This is due to several reasons:
- First, children's bodies have less mass and surface area, so each organ absorbs more nicotine.
- Second, children's lungs, digestive tract, and skin are more active than adults', resulting in faster and more complete absorption of toxins.
- Third, a child's metabolic activity is generally higher. Figuratively speaking, toxic substances from a cigarette circulate through a child's body much more quickly than in adults.
- Fourth, children usually smoke in secret and while anxious, often taking quick, deep puffs, leading to greater exposure to smoke. Unlike adults who may smoke slowly and calmly, kids tend to inhale more heavily in a shorter time, increasing the harm.
Advice:
Our unique Parenting Mentor Test can help you understand why your child smokes and identify any emotional factors affecting your family. Completing it will give you detailed advice on how to support your child in quitting and how to build a friendly, supportive relationship.
Why do children smoke?
Parental behaviors that can influence children to start smoking:
- Frequent arguments or raised voices at home: Even if parents do not notice, constant stress can create anxiety in children, making them more likely to turn to cigarettes for relief as they grow older.
- Domineering or overly prohibitive parenting: If parents dictate what their child should or should not do, using phrases like: “As long as you live in my house, I am in charge,” or “I said no, and that's final,” the child may start smoking during adolescence as a form of rebellion.
- Lack of attention from busy or self-absorbed parents: If a child feels neglected or unimportant, they may seek comfort or validation in smoking.
- Dry, repetitive lectures and prohibitions: These can provoke the opposite reaction, making children more likely to do exactly what is forbidden.
- To calm down
- To appear more mature or gain status with peers
- To imitate parents or important adults, or to rebel against them
- Out of boredom
- Because of lasting depression
Why do children smoke? Surprisingly, it is often because they do not know how to refuse a cigarette and fear being left out. The desire to “fit in” is what prompts most young children to start smoking.
Children from dysfunctional families, where parents smoke, drink, or pay little attention, are at higher risk. These children often imitate their parents, and, showing off to their peers, lead even well-behaved children to start smoking.
Why do teenagers from non-smoking families smoke?
Some teens smoke as an act of rebellion against restrictions set by their conservative parents—especially when parental expectations do not match their real needs or interests. Family conflict can cause a child to withdraw and start smoking. This is a risky period, as teens may begin breaking more rules.
Negative peer groups can also have a strong influence. For children from highly controlled homes, smoking can be the first act of rebellion. Often, friends who already smoke introduce others by showing off at school. For these kids, smoking is driven by psychological motivations.
They want to:
- Experience the excitement of breaking a rule
- Defy adults
- Boost their self-esteem