Parent Tips Revisited

Teen Smoking

Should parents in 2025 be concerned about children smoking cigarettes or using tobacco in other ways? The answer is yes. While the number of teens smoking has declined. A 2024 study by the National Cancer Institute reports that of the 9.8% of children in grades 6-12 are tobacco users.   The study reminds us that 90% of those smoking today tried their first cigarette by age 18. 

There is little doubt that smoking causes serious health problems including cancer, Education and legislation both state and national have led to laws restricting smoking and taxing has raised the price of cigarettes. Cigarettes are heavily taxed and vary in price from about $6 to $10 a pack across the country. In Iowa a pack costs $5.83 and $2.37 is tax. However, there are other means of accessing nicotine. E cigarettes are an alternative used by these underaged smokers despite efforts to keep them out of reach. A study done in 2025 showed e-cigarettes has also become an option for young adults.. A 2024 report issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention focuses on the risk this alternative is to adolescents as well as adults

In a 1997 Parent Tip I wrote, “Some teens try smoking out of curiosity and others to flex their independence muscles with a little rebellion. Parents have been cautioned that it might lead to drug experimentation and other self-destructive behavior.” Today extensive education in our schools and the banning of smoking in many environments has resulted  in fewer children smoking. It has also resulted in children nagging parents not to smoke. The rate of adults over age fifty who may have started smoking by age 18 continues to be high despite many strategies to help people stop.

Parents can reinforce with what our schools are teaching by voicing their own concerns about smoking and vaping. Parents or grandparents who smoke should also be concerned about their own health and the fact that they may be role models for their children or grandchildren.

I have included a short bibliography information on which this post was based. All references have websites.

References

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
   • Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking – Smoking causes cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung disease, diabetes, and COPD.
     👉 CDC – Smoking and Tobacco Use
   • Quick Facts on the Risks of E-cigarettes – E-cigarette aerosol is not harmless “water vapor,” contains nicotine, ultrafine particles, and toxins.
     👉 CDC – E-cigarette Facts
2. National Cancer Institute (NCI)
   • Smoking causes at least 15 types of cancer; e-cigarettes expose users to fewer toxicants, but long-term risks are not fully known.
     👉 NCI – Harms of Cigarette Smoking and Health Benefits of Quitting
     👉 NCI – E-cigarettes
3. U.S. Surgeon General
   • Youth and young adults are uniquely at risk from nicotine in e-cigarettes, with effects on brain development, learning, and attention.
     👉 Surgeon General – E-cigarettes and Youth
4. National Institutes of Health (NIH)
   • Reports that vaping exposes users to formaldehyde, acrolein, and other carcinogens formed when liquids are heated.
     👉 NIH – Vaping: What You Need to Know
5. World Health Organization (WHO)
   • E-cigarettes are harmful to health and not risk-free; they expose users to nicotine and other toxic substances, though generally at lower levels than cigarettes.
     👉 WHO – Tobacco: E-cigarettes
6. American Lung Association
   • Vaping causes lung irritation and may increase risk of asthma and COPD; smoking remains the top cause of preventable death.
     👉 American Lung Association – Health Risks of E-cigarettes