Harmful Effects of Teen Smoking

Tobacco use in teenagers and young adults can cause both immediate and long-term harm. Though some parents
may emphasize the long-term impact of smoking on their teen’s health — as they should — teenagers and young
adults may be more persuaded by the immediate and early negative effects. These include:

 Reduced physical fitness. Smoking reduces lung function and lung growth. It also causes shortness of
breath, coughing, wheezing and increased phlegm
 Early heart disease. Smoking can damage the heart and blood vessels which can increase the risk for
atherosclerosis and heart disease
 Poor oral health. Smokers may suffer from yellow teeth, bad breath and other mouth problems
 Poor skin. Smoking is associated with skin wrinkling and early skin damage

Alcohol poisoning
Anyone who drinks a lot in a short space of time can suffer alcohol poisoning.
The level of alcohol gets so high that it can seriously affect the parts of the brain that control balance
and speech, as well as affect the nerves that control your breathing and heartbeat and lower your
body temperature, which can lead to hypothermia. It can also cancel your gag reflex, putting you at
serious risk of choking to death, especially if you vomit.

1. Accidents and Injuries

Just as with adults, drinking alcohol can reduce a child’s mental and physical abilities at the
time, affecting judgment and co-ordination – which can lead to mishaps and sometimes
accidents and injuries
Due to a young person’s lower body weight and limited ability to metabolise alcohol, acute
intoxication can occur rapidly in children and young people . 3

Research shows adolescents who tested positive for alcohol were more likely to get injured or
have accidents than non-drinkers . 4

2.
1. Appearance and Side Effects
Research shows that underage drinkers are more likely to suffer from a range of health issues
including weight loss, disturbed sleep, headaches.5

2. Brain Development and education

During childhood and teenage years, the brain is still developing. Alcohol can affect memory
function, reactions, learning ability and attention span – all especially important during their
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school years.
Evidence also reveals that children who start to drink by age 13 are more likely to go on to
have worse grades, to skip school and, in the worst case scenario, to be excluded from
school .
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3. Mental health
43% of young people, who drink alcohol, have reported that they are drinking to cope in some
way, such as to cheer themselves up or to forget about problems8.
Evidence also points to alcohol misuse and mental problems being closely related 9.
 4. Other substances
While excessive drinking by adolescents is a problem in its own right, it is at times linked to
other harmful behaviours – like taking illicit drugs.
Compared to non-drinkers, underage drinkers are more likely to smoke tobacco, use cannabis
or use other hard drugs .
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5. Vulnerability
Puberty is often a very tricky time for kids – both emotionally and physically. Their natural
tendency can be to experiment and take risks is increased. Drinking alcohol can put them in
vulnerable or dangerous situations. For example, among 10 – 17 year olds who have had an
alcoholic drink, 12% have experienced a serious harm as a result of their drinking (trouble with
the police, being a victim of crime, been taken to hospital or gotten into a fight)11.

6.
Liver damage
Drinking alcohol can increase the risk of developing liver disease and young people who drink
regularly are also at risk and start to damage their livers without realising.
The warning signs only show after a few years. In Britain, significant numbers of people are now
dying with alcoholic liver disease in their twenties12.