Ten Reasons to Quit – For teens

1 – It’s bad for your health

Look at the damage caused by tobacco use:

• Gum infections and mouth ulcers
• Cavities
• Frequent colds
• Cough, bronchitis
• Shortness of breath
• Erectile difficulties
• Mouth cancer
• Lung cancer
• Other cancers
• Heart disease

2 – Smoking is ugly!

• Yellow teeth
• Bad breath
• Premature wrinkles
• Yellowish complexion
• Yellow fingers
• Stinky clothing

3 -Smoking shortens your life expectancy

A study by the British Medical Journal shows that each cigarette you smoke reduces your life expectancy by 11 minutes. A pack of 25 cigarettes reduces your life by 4.5 hours!

4 – Go outside for a smoke and miss all the fun

It is now forbidden to smoke in public spaces, including bars and restaurants and fewer people tolerate smoking in their houses. Do you really want to miss the conversation by going for a puff alone, in the cold?

5 – Don’t puff away your pocket money

Think about it – if you are 15 years old and smoke a pack a day, by the time you are 50, you’ll have spent more than $250,000. All you’ll be able to do is look back at all the trips, clothes, and cars that you missed out on because of cigarettes.

6 – Be cool to your non-smoking friends

Would you hurt your best friends? Of course not. So why expose them to your second-hand smoke? Cigarette smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals, 50 of which are cancerous.

7 -Speaking of chemicals and dangerous substances… here are some that are found in cigarettes and what they’re used for.

• Arsenic: Used in rat poison
• Methane: Used as fuel… it’s like breathing in a car’s exhaust fumes
• Ammoniac: Used for detergents… hwo about a little shot of Windex?
• Butane: lighter fluid
• Acetone: Nail polish remover
• Pyridine: Dog repellant
• Formaldehyde: Used for embalming… you’re not ready for that!

8 – Smoke equals slim: It’s a myth

If this was true, ALL smokers would be thin.

9 – You don’t want to lose control

Do you really want to depend on something? Even if at first smoking gives you an impression of freedom, it’s really the opposite that ends up happening! Smoking as few as three cigarettes a week can get you hooked on nicotine.

10 – It’s just not cool

78% teens and young adults have never tried smoking a cigarette, 6% who’ve tried eventually quitt, which leaves only 16% who are smokers…if smoking was that cool, don’t you think the numbers would be different? 

01-18-07 Montreal Children’s Hospital