Youth and Smoking Podcasts

Young Smokers

Current Tobacco Product Use Among Middle and High School Students—United States, 2011–2012
Recorded: November 19, 2013; posted: November 21, 2013

[Announcer] This program is presented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

[Dr. Gaynes] Welcome to A Cup of Health with CDC, a weekly feature of the MMWR, the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. I’m your host, Dr. Robert Gaynes.

Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death and disease in the U.S. A recent study found that emerging tobacco products, such as e-cigarettes, are gaining popularity among middle and high school students.

Rene Arrazola is a researcher with CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health. He’s joining us today to discuss ways to prevent young people from using tobacco products. Welcome to the show, Rene.

[Dr. Arrazola] Thanks for having me, Bob.

[Dr. Gaynes] Rene, at what age do most young people start smoking?

[Dr. Arrazola] We’re seeing smoking start as early as in middle school. In fact, nearly nine out of 10 smokers start smoking by age 18 and 99 percent of them start by 26.

[Dr. Gaynes] What kinds of tobacco products are most popular among young people these days?

[Dr. Arrazola] Well, traditional cigarette use remains a significant problem. We have seen an increase in the use of electronic cigarettes among middle school and high school age kids, and an increase of hookah use among high school age kids. Also, high school boys smoke cigars at about the same rate as cigarettes, and among high school age African Americans, cigar use has more than doubled since 2009. I should point out, we think a lot of the cigar use is in a relatively new category of cigars. They look almost identical to cigarettes but are much cheaper and can be made with candy and fruit flavors.

[Dr. Gaynes] What kinds of problems are young people experiencing from tobacco use?

[Dr. Arrazola] A major problem with tobacco use at a young age is of addiction. Many teens and young adults get hooked on nicotine, even if they plan to quit after a short time. They often find out too late how addictive nicotine can be. And the best way to avoid a lifetime of addiction is to never start using tobacco in the first place.

[Dr. Gaynes] What can be done to discourage kids from using tobacco products?

[Dr. Arrazola] Specific strategies and programs work to prevent and reduce tobacco use. These include raising the price of tobacco products, this is specifically true for young people; making public places 100 percent smoke-free; hard hitting media campaigns that show the deadly and disfiguring dangers of tobacco use; and programs that help people quit. At an individual level, adults can set a good example by quitting tobacco and making their homes and vehicles tobacco-free.

[Dr. Gaynes] Rene, where can listeners get more information about preventing tobacco use among young people?

[Dr. Arrazola] They can visit our website at cdc.gov/tobacco.

[Dr. Gaynes] Thanks, Rene. I’ve been talking today with CDC’s Rene Arrazola about ways to keep young people from using tobacco products.

Remember, tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of disease and death in the U.S. Discussing its dangers with kids is important for preventing the use of these products later in life.

Until next time, be well. This is Dr. Robert Gaynes for A Cup of Health with CDC.

[Announcer] For the most accurate health information, visit www.cdc.gov or call 1-800-CDC-INFO.

Tobacco Stinks

[Announcer] This program is brought to you by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

[Chris] Hi kids! Welcome to CDC Kidtastics Radio! I’m Chris Kidtastic. Today, we’re talking about tobacco and why it’s bad news for our health.

[Caydan] Tobacco? Like cigarettes?

[Chris] Caydan, tobacco is used to make cigarettes, but it’s also used to make cigars and smokeless tobacco, also known as chew, snuff, dip, or spit tobacco.

[Karmen] Tobacco contains nicotine, which is addictive. Nicotine narrows your blood vessels and puts added strain on your heart.

[Kaya] Smoking can wreck lungs and reduce oxygen available for muscles used during sports. Smokers run slower and can’t run as far.

[Chris] Yeah, and if tobacco wasn’t nasty enough, companies add other things to it when they make cigarettes. They know the stuff is bad for people’s health, but they add it anyway!

[Karmen] Cigarette smoke contains 69 chemicals that are known to cause cancer. There are super-dangerous chemicals in cigarettes that would make front-page news if they were in anything else!

[Caydan] No wonder everyone says smoking is so bad for you. I’m glad I know why, now!

[Chris] Thanks for listening to CDC Kidtastics Radio. We’ll talk to you again soon. Until then... be a safer, healthier kid!!

[Announcer] For the most accurate health information, visit www.cdc.gov or call 1-800-CDC-INFO.

El tabaco apesta (Tobacco Stinks)

[Locutor] Este podcast es una presentación de los Centros para el Control y la Prevención de Enfermedades.

[Tomás] ¡Hola chicos! ¡Bienvenidos al programa Kidtastics de los CDC! Soy Tomás, de Kidtastics. Hoy vamos a hablar sobre el tabaco y por qué es malo para nuestra salud.

[Mateo] ¿Tabaco? ¿Como el cigarrillo?

[Cristi] Mateo, el tabaco es lo que se usa para hacer cigarrillos, pero también se usa para hacer cigarros y tabaco sin humo, también conocido como el tabaco de mascar o escupir.

[Carmen] El tabaco contiene nicotina, que es adictiva. La nicotina hace que los vasos sanguíneos se achiquen y esto añade presión en el corazón.

[Christy] Fumar puede destruir tus pulmones y reducir el oxígeno que los músculos necesitan cuando haces deportes. Los fumadores son más lentos para correr y no pueden correr distancias tan largas.

[Tomás] Sí, y como si el tabaco no fuera lo suficientemente desagradable, las compañías le agregan otras cosas cuando hacen los cigarrillos. ¡Saben que estas cosas son malas para la salud de las personas, pero lo hacen igual!

[Carmen] El humo del cigarrillo contiene 69 sustancias químicas que causan cáncer. En los cigarrillos hay sustancias químicas super peligrosas, ¡esto sería noticia de primera plana si estuvieran en otro producto!

[Mateo] Ahora entiendo por qué todos dicen que fumar es tan malo. ¡Qué bueno que ahora sé por qué!

[Tomás] Gracias por escuchar este programa de Kidtastics de los CDC. Nos hablamos pronto. Y, ¡no se olviden de mantenerse seguros y saludables!

[Locutor] Para obtener más información de salud, visita www.cdc.gov/español o llama al 1-800-CDC-INFO, es decir 1-800-232-4636.

A CUP OF HEALTH WITH CDC

High School Smokers
High School Students Who Tried to Quit Smoking Cigarettes—United States, 2007
July 30, 2009

[Announcer] This podcast is presented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC—safer, healthier people.

[Dr. Gaynes] Welcome to A Cup of Health with CDC, a weekly feature of the MMWR, the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. I'm your host, Dr. Robert Gaynes.

For teenagers, when it comes to smoking, it's a lot easier to start than to stop. According to a recent CDC report, 61% of high school students who reported smoking daily tried to quit, but only 12% were successful.

Dr. Ann Malarcher is an epidemiologist with CDC's Office on Smoking and Health. She's joining us today to discuss the problem of teenage smoking. Welcome to the show, Ann.

[Dr. Malarcher] Thanks Bob.

[Dr. Gaynes] Ann, what percentage of U.S. teens are smokers?

[Dr. Malarcher] Well, among U.S. high school students, 20 percent report that they're currently smoking.

[Dr. Gaynes] At what age are children most likely to begin smoking?

[Dr. Malarcher] Most try their first cigarette some time between age 12 and 14, and we know among adults, they report that almost all of them began smoking before they graduated from high school.

[Dr. Gaynes] Is smoking more common among boys or girls?

[Dr. Malarcher] Actually, girls are just as likely to smoke as boys when they're in high school.

[Dr. Gaynes] Ann, why do young smokers find it so difficult to quit?

[Dr. Malarcher] Bob, in our study we looked at smokers who reported that they were already daily smokers, and when you consider daily smoking, many of them have already developed nicotine addiction. Nicotine is the substance in tobacco that's responsible for making people maintain their cigarette use, even when they want to quit, and for making it extremely difficult for them to quit.

[Dr. Gaynes] So, what strategies or methods have proven successful for those who want to quit smoking?

[Dr. Malarcher] Counseling for smoking cessation by a doctor or other health care provider has been shown to increase quitting among youth by about 80%. Schools also do have smoking cessation programs that include counseling, and another effective resource is a National toll free telephone counseling service available though 1-800 QUIT NOW.

[Dr. Gaynes] What roles should parents play in helping their children quit?

[Dr. Malarcher] Well, if parents are currently smokers they should try to quit themselves, and that would set a great example for their kids. For those who are having trouble quitting, or now is not the right time to quit, it's important to establish smoke-free homes, cars, and vehicles, and by not allowing anyone to smoke in homes, cars, or vehicles, actually has been associated with increased cessation both among youth and adults, and finally, I'd say encourage your youth to talk with their health care providers about their tobacco use and about getting help with quitting.

[Dr. Gaynes] Where can listeners get more information about helping teen smokers kick this addiction?

[Dr. Malarcher] Well, they can go to our website at www.cdc.gov/tobacco, and for people interested in quitting smoking, they can call, as I mentioned before, the toll free quit line at 1-800 QUIT NOW.

[Dr. Gaynes] Thanks Ann.

I've been talking today with CDC's Dr. Ann Malarcher about smoking in teenagers. Remember, the best way to avoid becoming addicted to cigarettes is never to start smoking. However, for parents of teens who already smoke, talk to your children about the dangers of tobacco, and then speak with your health care provider about ways to help kick this deadly addiction.

Until next time, be well. This is Dr. Robert Gaynes for A Cup of Health with CDC.

[Announcer] For the most accurate health information, visit www.cdc.gov or call 1-800-CDC-INFO, 24/7.