Teenage Smoking: The Cause and Treatment - Essay Example

It is almost like an escape for them, a release from their stress and tension but not in a positive manner. The President himself, along with the American Medical Association has gone to great lengths to try and minimize the occurrence of teenagers smoking and have urged the tobacco companies to curtail their advertising that seems to be aimed at the young people. Nevertheless, this research will ultimately show that despite all the maneuvering that has been carried out and the intervention that has been implemented, "pack-a day" smoking has been proven to have risen thirty three percent among the youth population alone.

This research examines these issues and discusses various ways that it might still be combated to hopefully turn young people away from it altogether. All in all it is an uphill battle because as it will be proven, despite all the efforts that policy makers have made in attempting to minimize teen smoking it is still a growing problem in the country. There is no doubt that from the myriad of surveys and articles that have been published over the years, teenage smoking is increasing all the time.

It is estimated that this adverse occurrence among the younger generation is increasing at the rate of one million new recruits per year (Moss et al 1992, pg. 23). Regardless of the sincere efforts of governmental bodies and other independent agencies to curtail the tobacco industries focus on the younger population, these tobacco plants seemingly continue to sell cigarettes to young people at an extremely alarming rate, much being due to "peer pressure, propaganda, and the availability of the tobacco products themselves" (Moss et al 1992, pg. 23). There is not a question to the fact that something has to transpire to change this negative scenario and to improve the health of the younger generation in the United States.

If something is not found to be effective against this continuing activity, in order to make people aware of the risks then there is felt that only negative health complications will result for the many concerned in the near future. It is easier for minors to obtain cigarettes than one might think it is. For instance, young people have various types of access to tobacco products from a variety of locations. The possibility that they could steal them from a parent, older friend, or other relative is a common scenario.

In fact the family themselves just might give the child cigarettes if they don't view it as a negative impact on their young lives, or simply don't see any harm in it since they smoke themselves (Perry & Staufacker 1996, pg. 55). Another example is how some businesses still have the old-fashioned vending machines available. Children are able to purchase cigarettes from these machines because they are not monitored and are constantly available in more rural areas. If none of the above is convenient for the young person then they will simply ask someone to go buy them some cigarettes and quite often this is what takes place.

Convenience stores are habitually being fined for selling tobacco products to underage youth, yet despite the fines and warnings many of these small chain stores continue to sell when they not it is legally