Children Face Heavy Pressures to Smoke covers and provides many of the data relating to the pressures that children face pertaining to smoking. Researches have found that kids are influenced more by tobacco advertisements than peer pressure to smoke.[1] The tobacco industry has steadily increased its spending on advertisements and promotions of their products. In 1999 over $8.4 billion was spent - or more than $23 million daily, or nearly $1 million per hour. [4]
Tobacco is Easy for Children to Get covers the information surrounding how easy it is for children to purchase cigarettes. Young people are most likely to have experimented with smoking for the first time during early adolescence. [1] In Hawaii 63% of high school students reported trying cigarettes. In Hawaii 12% of students first smoked a whole cigarette before age 11. [2]
It's Easy for Kids to Get Hooked covers how susceptible children are to the addiction surrounding cigarettes. Everyday in the United States, more than 3,000 young people become regular smokers. This amounts to more than one million new smokers each year. [4] In Hawaii, 63% of high school students acknowledged ever trying cigarettes. [6]
It's Hard for Teens to Quit covers the common problems that kids face when trying to quit smoking. Over two-thirds of adolescent smokers report experiencing withdrawal symptoms during attempts to quit or reduce their smoking. Craving or strong desire to smoke was the most commonly reported withdrawal symptom. [1] Three motivating factors to attempt quitting smoking listed by young smokers were: [5]
The tobacco-related death or illness of a close relative
A request from their boyfriend or girlfriend
Advice from their doctor
Tobacco - A Gateway Drug covers how, in many instances, tobacco awakens people to other forms of drugs. Tobacco is usually the first drug in the sequence of drug use for young adolescents. Nationally, in 1999 9% [1] and in 2000 7% [2] of high school students smoked their first cigarette by age 11. Children who smoke at an early age when compared to those who don't are:[3]
3 times more likely to use marijuana
4 times more likely to use cocaine
Teenage Smoking in Hawaii covers a lot of the statistical data surrounding teenage smoking in Hawaii. More than 80% of all adult smokers began their addiction to tobacco before the age 18. [1] In Hawaii, 10.3% of high school students are frequent smokers.[3]
Smokeless Tobacco covers many of the problems surrounding smokeless tobacco. There are four types of smokeless tobacco products: dry snuff, moist snuff, plug/twist, and loose leaf chewing tobacco.[1] Using smokeless tobacco can cause cancer of the throat, larynx, and esophagus. Smokeless tobacco damages the lips, tongue, cheeks, and the floor and roof of the mouth. It can also lead to high blood pressure, gum disease, loss of bone in the jaw, and tooth decay.[2]
Health Consequences of Tobacco Use covers the different health problems associated with tobacco use. Cigarette smoking is the most preventable cause of death in Hawaii,[1] as well as in the United States, and has been called the nation's "number one" public health problem.[2] More than 400,000 Americans[2] and 1200 people in Hawaii[3] die each year from tobacco related causes.
College Students and Tobacco pertains to the differing problems that college students face associated with smoking. The tobacco industry is targeting its advertisement to 5.3 million college students through bars, special concerts, college newspapers, and promotional samples.[2,3] In Hawaii, 30.3% of 18-24 year olds are current smokers.[4]
Smoking and Women covers the problems some of the problems that women face when smoking. The tobacco industry aggressively targets women and girls with seductive advertising that blatantly exploits images of independence, power, emancipation, and slimness.[2] Bone density is very important for a woman's health. Those who currently smoke increase their risk of hip fractures when compared to non-smokers.[2]
Smoking and Pregnancy covers the issues relating to women when pregnant. Smoking is the most important modifiable cause of poor pregnancy outcomes among women in the United States.[1] Smoking cessation, either before or at an early stage of pregnancy, can reduce the risks of conception delay, infertility, pre-term premature rupture of membranes, pre-term delivery, and low birth weight.[2]
Smoking as You Get Older covers the issues relating to people as they get older and the possible negative impacts. Older Americans spend months and years in excruciating pain due to tobacco related diseases such as cancer, emphysema, heart disease and stroke; secondhand smoke also contributes to this problem.[3]
History of Smoking Legislation covers the progression of the legislative changes made in the state of Hawaii. The time frame that these legislative changes spans is from 1939 through 2003. It also includes the changes associated with each of the neighbor islands.
Secondhand Smoke and Heart Disease, Lung Cancer, and Other Health Risks covers how contact from secondhand smoke causes health problems. Secondhand smoke exposure at home, work, or both combined is associated with fatal coronary heart disease.[2] More than 35,000 heart disease deaths can be attributed to secondhand smoke.
Secondhand Smoke in Your Car and Home covers the problems those people face when encountering secondhand smoke in the car and home. Secondhand smoke is a mixture of the smoke given off by the burning end of a cigarette, pipe or cigar, and the smoke exhaled from the lungs of smokers. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that secondhand smoke is responsible for between 150,000 and 300,000 lower respiratory tract infections in infants and children under 18 months of age annually, resulting in between 7,500 and 15,000 hospitalizations each year.[2]
All references for citations are provided in the Fact Sheets themselves.
