As a teenager, I would remember seeing those smoking ads while I was riding the bus. In those billboards, the picture of a virile man holding a cigarette and a svelte, attractive woman smoking made an imprint that smoking goes with sophistication and prestige, with being socially accepted. The scenario was definitely appealing. Looking at them, it seemed that I would want to achieve the same state of relaxed, mature and sophisticated demeanor which will ultimately be realized by lighting a holding a cigarette. Naïve as I was I thought that I would be invulnerable to the harshness of the world, thus I was under the notion that smoking is be harmless.
It was just so tempting to try to experience that unperturbed elegance that smoking models portray. Perhaps I was not the only teenager with such thoughts racing through my head. In fact, until now, such psychological imprint of smoking ads holds true to a majority of teenagers.
has long since been a prevalent problem with 6000 teenagers trying to smoke everyday and 3000 of them becoming habitual smokers for life. Smoking ads and campaign have so much to do with teenage smoking as unscrupulous manufacturers are well aware of their subliminal persuasion to the populace. Teenage smoking is constantly on the rise and more often, smoking does not end with adolescence.
Ninety percent of habitual smokers started with teenage smoking and the habit stays with them for life. Adolescents who have been introduced into teenage smoking are more likely to smoke for up to 20 years. Remember those cigarette candies that we all get in our stockings on Christmas? As harmless as they may seem, they actually leave a subconscious message into the minds of children. Making believe that they are holding a real cigarette, they can actually realize those fantasies during adolescence, thus smoking begins. Most facts of reality are instigated by fantasies, thus the mere idea of cigarette candies can eventually slide into teenage smoking.
Advertising is more than seeing pictures or entertainment on TV, and such has performed an elemental role in
. With teenagers being susceptible to suggestion, teenage smoking can little by little be introduced into the psyche of the young as those advertisements give them a false notion of glamour. As much as a smoking adult looks cozy with a cigarette, a majority of adolescents engage in teenage smoking oblivious of its consequences. Being naïve and ignorant that they are of adult realities of nicotine addiction and lung cancer, adolescents take a crack at teenage smoking blinded by what they see in billboards and TV commercials.
Up to $6 million of cigarette sales for Camel shot up for camel after the Joe Camel campaign, with 32% of the youth market swayed into teenage smoking. And what about the Marlboro man? Who would not want to be as cool and suave as him? The teenage life is more inclined on believing appearances, thus teenagers become deluded that being cool, suave and sexy has to do with smoking. The biggest risk of teenage smoking is that it predisposes adolescents into other substance abuse as well such as that of marijuana, heroin and cocaine. Schools, households and the community have so much to do with the prevention of teenage smoking.
Once adolescents are made aware, educated and disciplined, they can be spared from
and a life of ill health and binding addiction.
Check out our Special Store for approved products that can solve your problem.
The information contained in or made available through this website does not substitute the services of trained professionals in any field. Healthzine.org makes no representations or warranties concerning any treatment, action, or application of medication or preparation by any person following the information offered or provided within or through this website. Neither we nor our partners, or any of their affiliates, will be liable for any direct, indirect, consequential, special, exemplary or other damages.