| There is a serious rise in young women becoming | | | | Many girls report that they smoked their first cigarette |
| smokers, more so than young men! My daughter | | | | before aged 13 and may suffer as a consequence |
| became a smoker at a young age, what age, I | | | | from mood swings, hyperactivity, insecurity and |
| suppose I'll never find out! She has now stopped and I | | | | interpersonal demands of young adulthood. |
| am so thankful. | | | | Smoking may even increase the risk to use drugs or |
| It is worrying that women become addicted to nicotine | | | | lead on to substance abuse. Once addicted to nicotine |
| even if they smoke less or even smoke cigarettes | | | | the path has been eased for other addictions, and |
| with lower nicotine content and inhale less deeply. | | | | there are many of them on offer to young women. |
| The following are some of the problems associated | | | | Girls that smoke are generally less well behaved and |
| with the dangers of young women smokers: | | | | are more susceptible to peer pressure and rejection. |
| - Nicotine leads to greater lung function impairment for | | | | This could ultimately lead on to a more deviant group |
| young women, and it is far more difficult for them to | | | | of peers. As a parent, I have experienced this sort of |
| quit smoking. | | | | behaviour and it is not an experience I would like seen |
| - Smoking can interfere with normal menstruation and | | | | repeated. |
| increasing the risk of pain and other irregularities. | | | | Smoking may depress the appetite and in turn will |
| - Women smokers will have more headaches, neck | | | | affect the overall well-being of the smoker. It is said |
| and stomach aches, shoulder pain, nausea, | | | | that girls who smoke eat less dairy products, fruit and |
| nervousness, restlessness and sleep problems | | | | vegetables but are inclined to eat more fast foods |
| compared to non-smokers. | | | | containing high-saturated fats. Couple that with an |
| - Heavy smoking has a depressive effect on the | | | | inclination to do less sports and exercise and you have |
| central nervous system which explains that | | | | an early recipe for bad health and even obesity. |
| anti-depressants help with nicotine addiction. | | | | It is known that the tolerance to nicotine and alcohol is |
| - Short of breath and wheezing when taking part in | | | | lower in young women and are, therefore, more |
| sports activities is apparent. | | | | susceptible to the affects of them. |
| The above are but a few of the problems that may | | | | There's no easy way to help young women and girls |
| be caused by young women smoking. I omitted lung | | | | to quit smoking or, in fact, for anyone to quit smoking. |
| cancer as it doesn't seem to be a problem to a | | | | You will always get the stock answers from a |
| smoker's way of thinking (I am immune! It won't happen | | | | smoker: It helps me relax, I'm not addicted, all my |
| to me!) | | | | friends smoke, my great granny smokes!! |
| Smoking and lung cancer go hand in hand particularly | | | | There are ways to help yourself and others to quit |
| for those who start in early adolescence and is the | | | | smoking, some really effective and some not. Smoking |
| leading cause of cancer-related deaths among | | | | is an addiction and needs to be accepted and treated |
| women. During puberty and early adolescence young | | | | as such. |
| women are particularly sensitive to carcinogens. | | | | |