Smoking Habits Among Teenagers and the Impact of Public Health Awareness Campaigns

Nicotine Addiction among Teenagers
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Nicotine Addiction among Teenagers
Introduction Cigarette usage has risen considerably among teenagers in the United States since 2011, posing a severe public health threat. Nicotine is an addictive drug that can impair the development of a teen's brain. Adolescents are particularly susceptible to nicotine addiction, and they frequently overlook the addiction hazards connected with smoking since they assume they are puffing moisture. This research aimed to examine the importance of addressing smoking among teenagers through the evaluation of information about existing smoking habits and the impact of public health awareness campaigns.
The risks of smoking are widely published in the research papers, and many tobacco users begin at adolescence. According to U.S. Food and Drug Administration [FDA] (2018), much nicotine intake is a serious public health problem. Unlike combustible tobacco leaves like traditional cigarettes, youngsters are unaware of some dangers of smoking like electronic cigarettes. E-cigarettes are said to produce vapor and hence the term 'vaping' among adolescents. Vaping has become more popular among teenagers. Vaping can expose teenagers to nicotine, and they may be unaware of the dangers of being exposed to addictive drugs (Braak et al., 2020). A pod of e-liquid for the JUUL contains an equal amount of nicotine as one pack of traditional cigarettes. Newer vaping devices, unlike conventional cigarettes, do not have a smell, as the vapor disappears fast, which makes it hard to be detected.
At different phases of a person's life, other variables may be predicted to have a larger or lower impact on behavior: Early adolescent smoking variables may differ from those that apply in mid-to-late adolescence or early adulthood. Conversely, the importance of several smoking variables differs based on the stage of smoking start, such as the formation of a drive to smoke vs. nicotine reliance. Early adolescent smoking variables may vary from those that apply in mid-to-late teenage years. There is also some proof of uniqueness in the traits that predict smoking among teens at various stages of tobacco use (for never smokers, experimenting smokers, and permanent smokers), with friend smoking and a lack of school connection being the most relevant factors. Other factors such as sadness, criminality, parental smoking, and familial ties could not be stage-specific, making all smoking stages different. Furthermore, media may have had a significant role in teen nicotine use, particularly concerning e-cigarettes, when they were experimenting.
Smoking is increasingly common among teenagers in middle and senior school, offering exposure to potentially hazardous substances such as nicotine, affecting the developing brain. According to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (2018), E-cigarettes became the most common tobacco product amongst middle and high school kids in 2018, with one in every five high school students in the United States using one. Many active substances, like nicotine and flavored liquids, are produced when people vape. Nicotine is a highly addictive drug that can lead to problems related to character, memory, inattention, and psychological issues (Douglass & Solecki, 2017). In addition, nicotine increases blood pressure, pulse rate, and vascular constriction of someone's artery and vein. Also, smoking has the potential to cause academic problems and a drop in grades.
Health Promotion Strategies, Programs, and Interventions
N-O-T: Not on Tobacco
With the high number of nicotine dependants admitting they started smoking during their teenage years, it is crucial that programs are introduced to help teenagers address this vice. One program that has been in existent for some time and is considered widely successful is the Not on Tobacco Cessation program. N-O-T is a program that aims at empowering the teenagers with the information they need to make better decisions and judgment. Furthermore, this program seeks to promote healthier living habits that will help teenagers adopt better ways of living. According to The American Lung Association (2021) the N-O-T program is tailored to the teens and seeks to address the problem of smoking from the perspective of teenagers. The program is founded on behavioral theory, mainly the belief that behaviors are acquired or learned from one’s surrounding, and with the right stimulus, people can learn other forms of behavior. Therefore, the idea with the N-O-T program is that teenagers will be taught how best to cope with their addictions, and slowly adopt healthier habits.
The N-O-T program is divided into 10, 50 minute sessions (The American Lung Association, 2021). These sessions are divided into different topics with the instructors taking the participants through an interactive session where the teenagers are expected to be active participants. The essence of the program is to have teens become as informed as possible about nicotine, its effects, the process of quitting, the benefits of quitting, challenges to quitting, and staying committed to the decision to quit (The American Lung Association, 2021). As they become more informed, the belief is that a majority of teens will seriously consider the option of quitting. In 2020, the CDC reported that 62.5% of teens who use tobacco and tobacco products were trying or considered quitting. Further, 65.4% of teens who use tobacco and tobacco products report having stopped using tobacco for at least a day. These teens reported trying and fighting to quit the use of tobacco. With such reports, there is indeed a need to make sure that more teens are becoming increasingly interested in fighting the urge to continually use tobacco and its products.
It is crucial to note that N-O-T factors in the number of participants per session with an ideal number being between 6 to 10 teens. As The American Lung Association (ALA) (2021) indicates, having a small number is ideal because it creates some intimacy and makes it easier for the participants to warm up to the idea of quitting. Also, having such small groups helps to promote a teamwork spirit, and in the end, the journey to quitting nicotine becomes collective success.
Evidently, N-O-T has been quite successful in its quest to help teens fight and overcome nicotine addiction. ALA (2021) notes that nearly 90% of the teenagers who enroll and actively take part in the program end up either quitting the use of tobacco and its products or cutting back. A challenge that could be impacting the program is the willingness of the young to enroll in the program. Even though help is available for the young people, it can become elusive, especially if they are not willing to receive the help being extended. However, the only problem that needs to be corrected or improved is the lack of instructors to help guide the teenagers. There is a need to encourage more instructors to join the program and help teenagers to fight their urge to use tobacco products.
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