I tried smoking for the first time when I was 11. I had been bullied and found solace in hanging out with a group of kids who had been singled out for one reason or another themselves. Not one of them hid that cigarettes were their vice and while they did not push me to smoke, the offer was always there.

Eventually I had one, two, three, and four. Then I had a few more.

Smoking then was a come-and-go experience. If there were cigarettes around, I would smoke, but I could go months without a cigarette. At that point in my life, I didn't see what the big deal was about smoking. Of course I was at an age where I was invincible and cigarettes were my hobby after an exceptionally difficult day of hearing bullying slurs spew from a group of kids during gym, in the halls, at lunch, and even in class. Those days, that came and went inconsistently, were ones where I would sneak out of school 20 minutes early and hang out on the greenbelt with a group of kids who hated school, classmates, and life as much as I did and light up. Continue Reading

Bullying comes in many forms; teasing, name-calling, hitting, kicking, and spreading rumors are just a few examples. But to be bullying it must happen more than once and over a period of time. Unfortunately, children who are bullied often resort to making poor choices just to fit in with any crowd. For me, smoking was one way to be accepted by someone without hearing or experiencing:

"Oh look! It's the Jolly Green Giant!"

"Hey four-eyes."

"Where did you find that outfit; in the dumpster?"

"It's the stuck-up goody-goody writing in that notebook again. I can't imagine what she's trying to achieve next."

"Just push her down in that puddle of mud."

"She should live in the garbage can. She's just trash."

I was always one of the tallest in my class. I stood on the top riser in choir performances and Christmas pageants. I excelled at high jump. I was a versatile runner with long legs allowing me to sprint and run long distances. With my parents both above 6' tall, genetics were in my favor to tower above those with shorter parents. But instead of seeing what I could do, I spent years being called the Jolly Green Giant and it hurt.

Glasses in the 80's and 90's were not so fashionable as they are today or common. When I was in third grade, I was forced to don these hideous pink, plastic frames on my face to ensure I could see what was on the chalkboard. I listened to four-eyes for months before my glasses happened to not make it home one day after school. I hated wearing them, but hated being teased by the same group of kids that called me the Jolly Green Giant even more than the luxury of seeing. I had many outfits my mom made for me growing up. No matter what was purchased for me, it never fit. I had pants with elastic waste bands and matching shirts as clothing from stores would fall off or be too short in the leg. I never wore clothing from a dumpster, but I certainly donned outfits lacking any style or semblance of fashion. Continue Reading

The U.S. Surgeon General's Office stated in a report released on March 8, 2012 that more work needs to be done to keep young Americans from lighting up. The report suggests that increasing bans and raising tobacco taxes will help in this measure.

The concern of the U.S. Surgeon General's report shows that the number of teens who smoke is plateauing at 1 in 5. In prior decades that number was significantly higher and efforts to assist in curbing teens smoking was effective, but with the plateau in the decline, the Surgeon General's office wants states to increase efforts to deter new smokers from ever starting.

Statistically, 99 percent of American's who smoke start prior to the age of 26 with 80 percent lighting up before the age of 18. It is extremely important to prevent teens from trying cigarettes as the earlier a person begins to smoke, the greater the risk of a long-term addiction to nicotine. For teens who begin smoking, the health effects include reduced lung function, impaired lung growth, early heart disease, and other health problems including asthma.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Surgeon General Regina Benjamin said, "In order to end this epidemic, we need to focus on where we can prevent it and where we can see the most effect, and that's with young people. We want to make our next generation tobacco-free, and I think we can." Continue Reading

"Cigarettes were at first regarded as an exclusively Turkish product and addiction to them was accounted as a mark of personal distinction."

That statement appeared in the New York Times on February 8, 1883.

Times have changed and we have learned a great deal more about cigarettes including why children turn to cigarettes and what parents can do to help them abstain from a deadly addiction.

We've learned . . . Continue Reading