Running head: YOUTH SMOKING

Youth Smoking
Minerva Sanchez
COH 435
National University
May 26, 2015

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Abstract
Smoking is a health behavior that presents a burden of a preventable disease around the
globe. Smoking and tobacco use, unhealthy diet, sedentary lifestyle contributes to over one
million deaths annually in the U.S only. Although smoking prevalence in the U.S has dropped by
half since the publication in 1964 on first Surgeon Generals Report on Smoking and Health,
there is still increasing number premature deaths estimated at over 400,000 annually; the
prevalence among the use of tobacco products in the younger populations is on the rise. Report
by World Health Organization on the worldwide spread of tobacco use and smoking, it has
warned on billion lives being lost by the end of the century. Identified as a significant source on
premature mortality or death and preventable morbidity such as diseases and illness; cigarette
smoking is one of the preventable behaviors that through the use of the media and public health
legislation can effectively be eliminated.

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Introduction
Health behavior can be termed as an activity undertaken with the essence of prevention or
the detection of disease or towards improving the health and the well-being. The notion attached
to the interest on the respective behaviors impact on everyone health and the well-being is
attached on diverse assumptions. The assumptions are; a large proportion of the mortality
attributed to the leading causes of the death is commonly attributed to the behaviors of
individuals, and such behaviors can be modified. The stipulated approach on the assumptions
indicated has attributed to the development of health behavior campaigns aimed at reducing the
burden of disease and perceptions held by individuals engulfed in such behaviors such as
smoking.
Analysis
Over 443,000 American lives annually are attributed to cigarette smoking related diseases
(U.S Department of Health and Human Services, 2004). This includes the list of those who are
affected indirectly such, as babies born prematurely caused by the prenatal maternal smoking and
also the victims on the secondhand exposures to the tobacco carcinogens. In 2004, U.S used over
$193 million on cigarette smoking cost with $ 97 billion in unutilized or lost productivity. The
cost also extends to $96 billion on the direct health care expenditures or an average of $4, 260
per adult smoker (U.S Department of Health and Human Services, 2004). The current
technological innovations on cigarette smoking through the introduction of E-cigarette is likely
to increase smoking rate with over 7,000 chemicals contained in cigarette smoking threatening
lives in US (U.S Department of Health and Human Services, 2004). Within the 7,000 chemicals

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contained in cigarette smoking, 69 of them have been discovered to cause cancer. Cigarette
smoking as health behavior directly causes estimated 90 percent of lung cancer deaths among
others.
In the United States, it is estimated that around 8.6 million people are diagnosed with at
least a particular illness caused by smoking (U.S Department of Health and Human Services,
2004). The notion attached to the availed facts depicts the scenario where every time an
individual dies of smoking attached disease, there exists around 20 more people suffering from at
least a single serious illness related to smoking. Medical researchers indicate that of the current
smokers 73 percent of smoking-related conditions on chronic lung disease are apparent.
They also indicate 50 percent of smoking attached conditions are diagnosed on smokers
who having quitted smoking. Some of the diseases that are caused by smoking include; coronary
diseases, stoke, lung cancer, COPD, oral, throat, kidney, acute myeloid leukemia, cataract
pneumonia, and pancreatic cancers among other conditions (U.S Department of Health and
Human Services, 2004). The life expectancy of smokers is low compared non-smokers; this is
based on the studies indicating men having 13.2 years and women 14.5 (Eroglu, 2013). The
prevalence of smoking for the young American population of 18 years and younger increases
each day by 4,000 in the United States alone (Henry, 2013). Many factors that could be
contributing to young age smokers include peer pressure, the parental influence of smoking, and
advertising campaigns from the Tobacco industries.
Legislation
Tobacco control legislation helps prevent minors from smoking and thus decreases the
prevalence of disease. President Obama passed the family smoking prevention and tobacco
control act in 2009 known as House Resolution 1256 (HR 1256). Within this Act, the FDA can

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regulate products containing tobacco that will help prevent adolescents of 18 years and younger
from using tobacco products (Henry, 2013). The Tobacco tax is used to help fund state and
control programs that will help control and discourage tobacco use especially among the youth
populations. The FDA also has the authority to regulate packaging and labeling on tobacco
products. This is part of the control policy to help discourage users. Labeling now includes
pictorial images and health risk warnings. The images vary from diseased lungs, decaying teeth,
people with tracheostomies, and death as a result of smoking and exposure to second-hand
smoke. Furthermore, pictorial warnings have been effective within 90% of Canadian youths
(Hammond, 2012). Scare tactics could have some positive effect and may help deter use among
young adults.
Conclusion
Public Health care authorities have a broad privilege, which allows them to have the
power to institute a wide variety of measures to protect the publics health and safety. The
assurance on a high level can play a beneficial role for people. Although tobacco packaging and
labeling policies may promote public understanding of the risks associated with tobacco
products, the evidence lies within the prevalence of morbidity and mortality rates of Americans.
Public awareness and education programs through the tobacco tax opens the pathway to making
better decisions and being well informed on how to promote health and prevent disease.

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Reference:
Hammond, D. (2012). Tobacco Packaging and Labeling Policies Under the U.S. Tobacco Control
Act: Research Needs and Priorities. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 14(1), 62-74.
Henry, B. J. (2013). Impact of Tobacco-Control Legislation. Clinical Journal Of Oncology
Nursing, 17(2), 195-200. doi:10.1188/13.CJON.195-200
Koyun, A., & Eroglu, K. (2013). The Stages of Change Model (The Transtheoretical Model) and
Smoking Cessation Guide Prepared by Stages. Ankara: Palme Publishing
U.S Department of Health and Human Services. Health Consequences of Smoking: A Report of
the Surgeon General, 2004.