Teenagers continue to chain-smoke

Published on February 19, 2008 5:20 AM

A study of 2671 Australian teenagers from private and public schools has shown that teenage smokers are more conscious of smoking hazards than non-smokers, but still continue to smoke. Dr. Mazanov and Dr. Burne have also found that adolescents know that smoking tobacco is bad for health but they don’t want to quit.

A study showed that 42,000 adolescents who smoke know the risks of smoking but just don't care.

Even the Federal Government's $25 million, National Tobacco, Youth Strategy and the Victorian campaigns have a little effect on young smokers. Officials confessed that they need new anti-tobacco measures.

One of such measures are inspirational messages sent to smokers’ mobile phones, which will contain information about smoking disadvantages. Hundreds of smokers will receive such messages in order to increase their chances of quitting. TV and Internet can also be good means to help young smokers quit.

"Teenagers think that if they quit by 30 they can undo the damage," Ms Sharkie said.

Ms Sharkie believes that young individuals smoke in cases when people around them smoke too. "Smoking is also presented by the tobacco industry as fashionable, groovy and sophisticated, which young people feel is a more attractive message than the one telling them they are going to get lung cancer," Ms Sharkie said.

Fiona Sharkie, Quit Victoria executive director, stated that teenagers believe that any damage from smoking "can't happen to them". Teenagers think that they don't risk dying because they are young.

As the result of this research most anti-tobacco campaigns have discovered that young smokers are refusing to give up, even though they know that smoking may kill them.