Teenagers Believe Smoking Cigarettes Will Help Reduce Stress

People who have quit smoking say stress is the number one reason for relapse. Smoking does not actually relieve stress. In fact, it causes more tension and anxiety.

Some people smoke when they feel stressed. They use smoking as a way to cope. Over 50 percent of teenagers in India smoke cigarettes because they believe it helps reduce stress, and because smoking makes them appear "cool" among their peers, finds a survey.

The survey showed that over 52 percent teenagers believed that smoking helps increase concentration levels. While nearly 90 percent of teenagers said they would continue smoking if there is no resistance from their parents, over 80 percent teenagers noted that it is okay to experiment with smoking at least once.

Cigarette Smoking - A Silent Killer-Facts, Passive Smoking & How to Quit
Smoking kills the smoker silently, pushing him towards serious illnesses, which slowly lead to death.

‘Teenagers in India smoke cigarettes because they believe it helps reduce stress. The feelings of relief may just be relief from short-term symptoms of withdrawal from nicotine.’

"Smoking is plaguing the society and we are moving into an era where it is acceptable for younger age groups to begin smoking and engage in other risky behaviour," Samir Parikh, Director (Department of Mental Health and Behavioral Sciences) at Fortis Healthcare said in a statement on Monday.

Further, 87 percent teenagers reported that watching actors smoke in movies promotes smoking, while 78 percent teenagers said that celebrity figures featuring in anti-smoking campaigns would help them quit.

Over 60 per cent teenagers also believed that disclaimers showing harmful consequences of smoking can help in prevention.

Smoking among Women / Rise in Tobacco Usage in Women
Tobacco use in women is on the rise. The health risks of tobacco are far too many has never done a woman any good psychologically or health-wise.

The survey highlights the need to change the youth's perception about smoking as it can lead to the early onset of lifestyle related diseases.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), smoking claims the lives of over seven million people each year. A study published in the journal The Lancet showed that over 11 percent of 6.4 million deaths worldwide were caused by smoking in 2015 and 52.2 pecent of them took place in China, India, Russia, and the US.