Tobacco prevention programs help teens stay away from cigarettes

By Staff Writer

Tobacco use among teens has been steadily during decreasing the past decade, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many educators, parents and experts agree that increasing awareness through programs for troubled teens has help curb the use of the substance. Furthermore, many states have instituted heavy taxes on cigarettes as a way to make them more expensive and less attractive to teens.

In New York, lawmakers have maintained funding for the the state's Tobacco Control Program, which the Health Department reports helped reduce teen smoking by 25 percent in 2009, according to the Albany Times-Union.

Lawmakers told the news source that continuing funding for public health programs and infrastructure may help reduce healthcare costs by preventing chronic disease, protecting against infectious outbreaks and monitoring changes in health status.

Many individuals begin smoking cigarettes during adolescence. Studies have shown that experimenting with tobacco may lead to the abuse of other more dangerous drugs, such as cocaine and heroin. Using the substance during the early teen years may impede adolescents' behavioral, social, and emotional development.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, approximately 20 percent of high school senior used cigarettes in 2009. Furthermore, nearly 13 percent of 10th graders reported smoking a month prior to the study.