increased respiratory symptoms

the bottom line

The more cigarettes a teenager smokes, the more likely that person is to have respiratory symptoms.

just the facts

• in a recent study in Ireland, 13- and 14-year-olds who smoked were three times as likely as nonsmokers to have symptoms of cough and phlegm.
• In a study of more than 6,000 12- to 15-year-olds in Hong Kong, smokers were found to have higher rates of cough, phlegm, throat and nose problems, and wheezing than nonsmokers did.

explanation

Many scientific studies have shown that teenagers who smoke have more respiratory symptoms, especially cough with phlegm (the kind of cough that brings up material from the lungs) than nonsmokers of the same age do. For example, in a recent study in Ireland, 13- and 14-year-olds who smoked were three times as likely as nonsmokers to have symptoms of cough and phlegm. In a study of more than 6,000 12- to 15-year-olds in Hong Kong, smokers were found to have higher rates of cough, phlegm, throat and nose problems, and wheezing than nonsmokers did. The more cigarettes a teenager smokes, the more likely that person is to have respiratory symptoms. Some studies indicate that girls have more symptoms than boys do at the same level of smoking.