Why do adolescents smoke? (Essay Sample)

Running head: PSYCHOSOCIAL FACTORS AS TO WHY ADOLESCENTS SMOKE
Psychosocial Factors as to why Adolescents Smoke
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26 February 2014
Psychosocial Factors as to why Adolescents Smoke
Introduction
Smoking cigarette has been identified as a problem facing many countries and as one of the main preventable causes of cancer, heart disease, and premature death (Rezaei, Nedjat, Golestan and Majdzadeh, 2011; Lapointe, 2008). Tobacco consumption is responsible to many cases of premature mortality and morbidity in different countries of the world. For example, it has been estimated that about 5.4 million people die from tobacco related diseases every year (Rezaei, Nedjat, Golestan, and Majdzadeh, 2011). At the same time, it has been established that, if the current trends in tobacco consumption does not change, high possibilities point to a situation whereby, 8 million lives will be lost annually by the year 2030 due to tobacco consumption (Rezaei, Nedjat, Golestan, and Majdzadeh, 2011). Demographic factors such as age, gender, social class, race, and ethnicity, and many more may explain as to why many people smoke (Mercken, Snijders, Steglich, Vertiainen and Hein, 2010). Many factors explain why adolescents smoke and the primary objective of this study will be to identify and discuss psychosocial factors that lead adolescents into smoking tobacco.
Adolescents and Smoking in United Kingdom
By the year 2011, it was estimated that adolescents in England who start smoking every year numbered 340,000 aged below 16 years, and these adolescents have never smoked before (Action on Smoking and Health, 2011). At the same time, it has been found that every year, about 200,000 adolescents and children become regular smokers, and 67 per cent of these adolescents start smoking before they reach 18 years. Furthermore, 84 per cent start to smoke before they reach age 19 years. However, studies have shown that, on overall, the number of young people who smoke has been declining, and this may be attributed to many campaign initiatives aimed at increasing awareness and changing adolescents’ behaviour with regard to smoking. With regard to how frequent adolescents are likely to smoke in the country, especially in high schools, it has been established that many adolescents are regular smokers, since they are likely to smoke at least one cigarette per week. As a result, statistics of 2010 indicate that regular smokers among the adolescents smoked a mean (average) of 38.3 cigarettes in one week, while occasional smokers were found to have smoked an average of about 5.2 cigarettes a week (Action on Smoking and Health, 2011). With regard to gender and relation to adolescents smoking, it has been established that, for a long time now, girls as compared to boys are likely to be regular smokers and to have smoked more cigarettes than boys. On overall, the prevalence of regular smoking increases with age, from less than 0.5 per cent of 11 year olds to 15 per cent of 15-year olds (Action on Smoking and Health, 2011).
At the same time, other studies have been carried out to establish factors and prevalence of adolescents smoking in United Kingdom and Scotland. For example, one such study has been carried out by Edinburgh Study of Youth Transitions and Crime in 2004. The report titled, ‘Adolescent Smoking, Drinking, and Drug Use’ found out that numerous factors are likely to lead adolescents to start smoking and persist with the behaviour (McVie and Bradshaw, 2005). Key findings of the report indicated that tobacco consumption was much prevalent among the adolescents aged between 12 and 15 years; and among the adolescents aged 13 to 14 years, the increase in consumption of tobacco was drastic and sharp (McVie and Bradshaw, 2005). At the same time, the study found out that, girls as compared to boys were likely to be consumers of tobacco and were likely to start such behaviours at age of 13 years. Moreover, among the adolescents who were found to be smokers, it was established that some had started such behaviours much earlier when they were children, and all indications showed that they were likely to continue with such behaviours in their future lives. In addition, the report found out that, adolescents who smoked tobacco were likely to abuse other drugs as well, such as alcohol and illicit drugs (McVie and Bradshaw, 2005).
The three aspects were found to relate to each other. It has to be noted that majority of these adolescents start smoking habits as one-off affair, but many end up progressing with the habit, and with time, majority of them become addicted to the use of tobacco (McVie and Bradshaw, 2005). Lastly, majority of adolescents interviewed during the study indicated that those who smoke, especially the regular smokers, were likely to suffer from delinquency and victimization, higher impulsivity, and low self-esteem, greater involvement in unconditional activities, weaker parental supervision, and stronger peer influence (McVie and Bradshaw, 2005).
On the other hand, Action on Smoking and Health (2011) establishes that, smoking, especially among adolescents, is motivated by numerous factors that can be termed as risky. These factors include parental and sibling smoking, the little problems incurred while obtaining cigarettes, smoking by friends and peer group members, socio-economic status, exposure to tobacco marketing, and depictions of smoking in films, television, and other media (Action on Smoking and Health, 2011). The home environment has been established to be the major contributor in adolescents smoking whereby, more adolescents who live with parents or siblings who smoke are up to 3 times likely to become smokers themselves than children from non-smoking households (Action on Smoking and Health, 2011). As a result, every year, about 23,000 adolescents start smoking behaviour at the age 15 years largely as exposure to smoking in the home (Action on Smoking and Health, 2011).
Apart from other drugs playing role in the likelihood of adolescents becoming tobacco smokers, it has been established that adolescents who are largely truant with regard to schooling have greater chance of becoming regular tobacco smokers. For instance, those in school but largely seen to be truant have been found to be two times more likely to be become regular smokers, while those totally out of school have been found to be three times more likely to become regular smokers (Action on Smoking and Health, 2011). Moreover, there have been attempts to carry out studies aimed at establishing the impact of smoking, especially at young age. Majority of evidences indicate that, when adolescents start smoking at an early age, they are likely to be heavy smokers, likely to highly depend on others, exhibit low chances of quitting, and have higher mortality rates (Action on Smoking and Health, 2011). Therefore, smoking among adolescents is likely to result into long-term effects.
With regard to health impact, smoking among the adolescents has been associated with respiratory health problems, manifesting in short and long term. For instance, adolescents who smoke regularly are likely to be two to six times more susceptible to coughs and increased phlegm, wheeziness, and shortness of breath as compared to those who do not smoke. At the same time, according to studies carried on adolescents and children who smoke especially regular smokers, it has been established that majority are likely to suffer from lung impairment, which limits growth, and at same time, initiate premature lung function. Decline or dysfunctional lung results into increased risks of chronic obstructive lung cancer later on in the life of the victim.
Theories Explaining Smoking Behaviours among Adolescents
Smoking behaviours among the adolescents has been associated with numerous factors, which can be captured well in a number of theories or models (Luce, Smelser and USA-National Research Council, 1989). Simonich (1991) observes that, theories that explain why people smoke can be categorized into two broad groups: cognitive and con-cognitive theories (Gochman, 1997). Cognitive theories postulate that, individuals are likely to smoke based on the knowledge, perception and beliefs of the individual concerning particular behaviour or issue. On the other hand, non-cognitive theories state that an individual decides to smoke based on factors that are outside or external to his or her control (Gochman, 1997). As a result, cognitive theories can be seen to be based on individual’s consideration of what is right or wrong as a result of individual’s cost-benefit analysis. Therefore, an individual is likely to smoke based on personal conviction that smoking is right for him or her, not as explained or expressed by others but as personal intuition convinces the individual. Cognitive theories go further to indicate that smoking among individuals such as adolescents can be discouraged or minimised by adopting and implementing interventions that increase victim’s awareness of the negative consequences of smoking. Such negative consequences of smoking that may be highlighted include the dangers of smoking, higher cigarette prices, restrictions on the time and place of smoking, and emphasis on the positive aspects of smoking (Gochman, 1997).
On the other hand, con-cognitive theories posit that smoking among adolescents or any other group is not voluntary, but emerges from factors that are beyond control by the individual. In such cases, an individual is seen to be in dire need of help from external sources. For instance, some theories in this group have linked smoking to nicotine addiction, which of course did not originate within the individual but originated outside. Outside sources for such nicotine addiction may be from peer influence, cigarette advertisement, and other...