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PATIENT PAGES

Important Facts for Teens About Smoking

From the American Cancer Society

Take the quiz below and see if you’re addicted to tobacco.

If You Have Ever Used Tobacco, Try Asking Yourself These 10 Questions...

YES NO 1) Have you ever tried to quit, but couldn’t? 2) Do you smoke now because it is really hard to quit? 3) Have you ever felt like you were addicted to tobacco? 4) Do you ever have strong cravings to smoke? 5) Have you ever felt like you really needed a cigarette? 6) Is it hard to keep from smoking in places where you are not supposed to, like school? When you tried to stop smoking... (or, when you haven’t used tobacco for a while...) 7) Did you find it hard to concentrate because you couldn’t smoke? 8) Did you feel more irritable because you couldn’t smoke? 9) Did you feel a strong need or urge to smoke? 10) Did you feel nervous, restless, or anxious because you couldn’t smoke?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you are hooked on tobacco. Don’t wait until you have all 10 before you try to quit. Many teenagers believe that they don’t have the willpower to quit. But nicotine addiction isn’t just "in your head." Nicotine causes physical changes in your brain. You feel these changes when you quit. Quitting tobacco is often hard, but it is always harder when you go it alone. Don’t be too proud to ask for advice. Your doctor is a good place to start.

For more information about tobacco and how it affects you or to get information about quitting, the Web sites listed below are good places to start.

Web address Topic http://www.lungusa.org/tobacco/ American Lung Association smoking cessation site http://www.quitnet.com/ Quitnet smoking cessation site http://www.getoutraged.com/ Get Outraged is sponsored by the Massachusetts Tobacco Control Program http://www.tobaccofreekids.org Center for Tobacco-Free Kids

Related articles in CA:

Tobacco Control for Clinicians Who Treat Adolescents

James D. Sargent and Joseph R. DiFranza
CA 2003 53: 102-123. [Abstract] [FREE Full Text]  

This Article Full Text (PDF) Submit a letter to the editor Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Related articles in CA Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Search for Related Content