Fact: The habit of smoking still remains the primary cause of preventable diseases and death in the United States.

The situation is alarming because many teenagers have taken up the habit of smoking and the numbers are increasing with each passing day. As worrisome as it is for the parents of teenagers, the situation has also added to the concern of education institutions that are responsible for producing healthy and responsible citizens for the benefit of society at large. The shift of large groups of teenagers from a healthy lifestyle towards indulgence in smoky affairs is not without reasons. The main reason being the easy access of teenagers to flavored tobacco in different forms and lack of solid research in this regard.

Tasty cancerous sticks for all tastes

Consumerism is a scourge of American society. We love new products, especially when the products are flavored… Yummy! Flavored tobacco is one of the most innovative products flowing into the American market from all directions and has gained immense popularity among teenagers who consume this product in the form of cigars, cigarillos and hubble-bubble. The main attraction for youth is of course the diverse range of flavored tobacco available in the market. In addition, the sweet tasting cigars or cigarillos (most popular flavored tobacco products among teenagers) are considered a better alternative to the sour tasting regular cigarettes.

The trend is catching up with teens because…

Flavored cigars are taxed at a lower rate than cigarettes at the state level. So much so that sales of little cigars have risen dramatically from 1997 to 2007. This shows an increase of almost 240% and amounts to 80% of the market share. The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act was passed in 2009 to ban non-menthol flavored cigarettes. Yet again, fruit and candy flavored little cigars eluded the legislation and has maintained their presence in the market. According to a report released by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), published on October 22, 2013, in the Journal of Adolescent Health, more than 40% of middle and high school students who smoke were either using flavored cigarettes or cigarillos.

Health alert

Nicotine is a powerful addictive that can stunt the development of a teenager’s brain. "That may be one reason many teens feel dependent on tobacco after using it for only a short time," states a 2012 Surgeon General’s report. 

Tim McAfee, director of the CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health stated, “Little cigars contain the same toxic and cancer-causing ingredients found in cigarettes and are not a safe alternative to cigarettes.”

Meanwhile, Tom Frieden, CDC Director, stated in a press release, "Flavored little cigars appeal to youth and the use of these tobacco products may lead to disfigurement, disability and premature death."

Role of parents

Networking with a group of parents who can help you make your child/children quit smoking habit is a reasonable option. Upon finding out the child’s dirty little secret, parents should not overreact because the teens will return the favor in kind. Instead, keep monitoring your offspring and continue talking to them about the issue. Then there is National Cancer Institute’s Smokefree TXT program that sends teenagers two to three motivational messages or simple questions each day for six weeks. Last but not the least, parents who smoke should quit first to set an example. If that’s a problem then narrate your own smoking related struggles to help them quit the habit. Good luck!