4 Troubled Teens Blog

Thursday, August 07, 2008

Most Teen Smokers Unable to Quit

A Canadian study of teenaged smokers found that most were trying to quit, but could not. The average boy who starts smoking at 16 years will smoke for another sixteen years; the average girl, for another twenty.

Researchers at the University of Montreal kept track of 319 teenagers for five years. Seventy percent tried to quit, but only 19 percent managed to remain smoke-free for a year. At the beginning of the study, the teens were 12 to 13 years old, and only occasional smokers. By the end of the study, the majority were smoking on a daily basis.

This study appeared in the American Journal of Public Health.

Learn more: Help for Teens Quitting the Smoking Habit

Labels: teenagers, smoking, smokers

Posted By: Aspen Education Group

Comments:

troubled teen program on 8/14/2008
For me, one of the many reasons why most teen smokers are struggling to quit from smoking is because the parents do smoke as well. As parents, living the way we want our children to live has more influence than merely lecturing them about what values should they have. Teach by example is still the best tool for effective parenting teens.