Smoking remains a prevalent problem at B-UHS

     Teen smoking is getting better, but it is still a very large issue. Most teens either smoke themselves or know someone underage who does. Taylor Rice, a freshman at B-UHS, says she knows five to ten underage smokers. Another freshman, Justice Courtney, says she thinks kids start smoking due to “peer pressure and too look cool.”

     Peer pressure has become a very heavy weight on teenagers; having to dress and act in certain ways is almost required. An anonymous student shared, “I was twelve when I started smoking, and I’m fourteen now.” She said she smokes three to four cigarettes a day on weekdays, and one every hour or so on weekends. That’s approximately 42 cigarettes a week. When asked why she tried her first cigarette, she said, “It’s because I was in a bad mood and I thought it would help, so I got one out of my mom’s pack.”

     As is widely known to many, major health risks are involved in smoking, yet today’s youth are still so quick to pick up a cigarette when feeling stressed or upset. The anonymous student commented that she regretted smoking with a deep and resounding “yes,” saying this without any hesitation in her voice.