The Scoop On Smoking from ACSH: what every teen should know about tobacco

Miss Thayng

age: 19
started smoking at age: Age 12, so seventh grade.
smoking frequency: I'm down to about five to ten cigarettes a week. At my worst, I smoked a pack a day.
monthly expenditure on tobacco: At my worst, about $150-$170. Now about $12.
tried to quit at age: I'm in the process of quitting smoking cigarettes.
finally quit at age: N/A

Interview

the basics

Tell us about yourself

I live in Boston, am going to college, and am generally an outgoing.

What is your current status of tobacco use and in what form? (# of packs/cigs daily, quit, trying to quit)

I'm down to about five to ten cigarettes a week. At my worst, I smoked a pack a day.

Is smoking very popular among your friends?

Yes, although more and more of them are thinking about quitting.

Do your parents know that you smoke?

They know that I have socially smoked, but they don't know that I am actually addicted and that it was an everyday habit.

If they do know, what do they think about it?

The times they caught me, especially when I was younger, I was scolded and usually punished. There was a no tolerance policy when it came to smoking. In the later years, when my parents knew that I knew better, I wasn't punished, but they laid on the guilt pretty thick.

Do you know the current dangers of smoking?

Yeah.

Are you worried about how tobacco will impact your health in the future?

Yes, I am very worried now.

the beginning

Why did you start smoking?

Because I wasn't allowed and it made me feel rebellious.

If you obtained tobacco products before you were 18, how did you get them?

Well, I just asked strangers outside stores if they could get them for me since I didn't have ID yet, or just bummed them, or I took them from parents of friends.

Do you worry that you will not be able to get tobacco products when you need them?

Not so much now that I am quitting, but before that, yes.

Did anything or anyone influence your decision to smoke, i.e. friends, movies, ads, family?

Friends smoking influenced me a bit I suppose, but mostly I influenced myself.

How aware were you of the health dangers when you started smoking?

Very aware.

Did the health dangers scare you when you started?

No.

Why not?

I guess you could say I was a victim of the "it won't happen to me" theory.

the effects of smoking

What were some of health effects you experienced?

respiration: I developed a constant cough
stamina: Actually, I had difficulty running, even if it was just up more than three flights of stairs
skin color: I had some yellowing of my fingertips during the time I was rolling my own cigarettes.
teeth: Nothing noticeable. Not much staining.
weight change: None that I noticed.
breath: It definitely smelled like cigarettes.
heart rate: It was faster when I was trying to exert what to non-smokers might be considered minimal energy that shouldn't raise your heart rate.
energy: Like I said, I had a harder time with stairs and stuff.
coughing: Constant.
mucus: There was some yellowish-greenish discoloration, and coughing up of mucus from smoking.
mood: Being unable to have a cigarette put me in a really foul mood.
other: No.

Did smoking have any effects on your personal life?

Relationships (friends/parents/significant others): I had to lie to my parents and keep trying to convince significant others that I was trying to quit or would quit. Non-smoking friends were bothered by the smell and second-hand smoke and didn't think I should be smoking anyway. My parents would take away any cigarettes they found and told me that smoking was not an option and that if I wanted to ruin my voice, then there was no point in them paying for me to go to school to use my voice that I was damaging.
Sports or hobbies: Smoking really affected my stamina while dancing. It also really had an impact on my ability to sing for long periods of time as well as my voice range. My voice teachers didn't notice and it wasn't until college that I informed my voice teacher of my addiction and he agreed that being a smoker just can't be an option for me if I want to continue to sing.

quitting

Have you ever tried to quit?

I tried to quit multiple times before now. So far, this has been my most successful attempt and hopefully my last. I really want to quit.

If you have tried to quit, what was your motivation?

My voice, which is a tool I want to use to make a career for myself. I am a voice and theatre major at school and am very serious about performing.

How did you quit (cutting back, cold turkey)?

I'm cutting back.

Have you had any lasting health problems since quitting/cutitng back?

Laryngitis. I lose my voice very easily. It's a frustrating problem and I need it to stop if I want to make a living at this.

Have you experienced any health improvements since quitting?

My voice is smoother and I have more stamina. I can sing longer before feeling exhausted. Hopefully I will stop losing it so easily. Initially, I was coughing up mucus but that has passed.

If you have not tried to completely quit, why not?

N/A

Do you think you will have trouble quitting when you decide to completely quit?

Oh, I am. This has been very hard. I'm on my third try for a reason. It is not easy!

Do you think you are addicted to cigarettes?

Yes!

the picture

Would you like to see a graphic picture of what happens to a smoker's body?

I'll see it, but I know it's going to be bad.

Comments?

Yeah, definitely turns my tummy and is quite effective for making me nervous about damage I may have done or could do if I don't kick this habit.

If you had seen this picture before you started smoking, would you have started?

Yeah, I think I would have. I know I have seen photos like this that should have stopped me, but they didn't.

parting words

Lastly, do you have any words of advice you would like to give to other teenagers who are either considering starting to smoke or already smoking?

IT IS NOT WORTH IT. Though I am just 19, in the last year I have really grown to realize the importance of my body. I may still be young but my body WILL age with me and it will age more quickly if I don't take care of it. Our bodies are amazing tools, they are a gift and we should treat them that way. Don't start smoking.