The Relationship Between Smoking and SelfEsteem - Essay Example

In "Relationship Between Self-esteem and Smoking Behavior Among Japanese Early Adolescents (1999)," the authors define self esteem as "an evaluative term that reflects a persons perceptions about his or her personal characteristics and abilities" (p.1). In keeping with this definition, it is appropriate to discuss the ways that "self perception" is most unstable and negative during adolescence. Because this is the case, many studies focus specifically on self-esteem and its influence on one's decision to smoke during adolescence.

Because studies have adequately demonstrated that long term smoke use often starts in the teen years, it is appropriate to focus on adolescent smokers and on why they were initially drawn to the habit, even with the understanding of its health risks and taboo-like nature. Although my own research will seek to demonstrate the connection between low self-esteem and smoking in college students rather than adolescents, it still remains relevant to explore the reasons why individuals initially take up smoking.

Typically, these are many of the same reasons that these same individuals continue to smoke, and so this research will remain relevant through these same individuals' college years, giving way to my own research, which seeks to prove this connection among college students. So, given these reasons, this paper specifically explores smoking and self-esteem in adolescence in terms of the correlation between low self-esteem and initially starting to smoke. In their article, authors' Kawabata, Cross, Nishioka, and Shimai (1999) echo this idea when, after conducting in depth studies about self esteem and smoking, they report that, "One of the most important findings from this study is that self-esteem may be a factor associated with the initiation of smoking among early adolescents of both genders" (p.4) Many studies have proven that low self-esteem is linked to several risk taking behaviors.

Perhaps this is because, as authors Luhtanen and Crocker (2005) state, "Low self-esteem is associated with negative emotions which may lead to behaviors that offer an escape from self awareness" (p.1). Like alcohol, drugs, and other types of addictions, smoking often offers adolescents an escape from the pressures that life inevitably brings during the difficult teenage years. Clearly, when an adolescent is dealing with issues such as self image, depression, stress, and low self worth, he or she is going to have less of a problem entertaining the idea of something that might be hazardous to their health.

At this point, he or she is worried about issues that seem larger than the dangers of smoking and addiction. Specifically, if the smoking offers them some kind of solace from the world they are fighting with, of course they will be inclined to take the immediate escape. They are not thinking of long term consequences, but rather of the temporary feeling of relief that the cigarette can offer them. Of course, this type of thinking can become dangerous because there is no concern with potential dangers and/or consequences.

It is simply immediate gratification that is sought. The idea is that perhaps if an adolescent was taught to value him or herself more, and led to have higher self worth, then this dangerous