Smoking and Youth Summary Smoking cigarettes has many health risks for everyone. However, the younger you are when you start smoking, the more problems it can cause. People who start smoking before the age of 21 have the hardest time quitting. Teens who smoke are also more likely to use alcohol and illegal drugs. The problem is not just cigarettes. Spit tobacco, e-cigarettes, and cigars are not safe alternatives to cigarettes. Low-tar and additive-free tobacco products are not safe either. Young people who do not start using tobacco by age 18 will most likely never start. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Institute on Drug Abuse Find an Expert American Lung Association American Lung Association National Institute on Drug Abuse National Institute on Drug Abuse Specifics Bidis and Kreteks Centers for Disease Control and Prevention MedlinePlus: E-Cigarettes National Library of Medicine Menthol Cigarettes National Cancer Institute Clinical Trials ClinicalTrials.gov: Smoking and Youth National Institutes of Health Statistics and Research Frequency of Tobacco Use Among Middle and High School Students — United States, 2014 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Percentage of U.S. Adolescents Who Smoke Cigarettes Department of Health and Human Services State Estimates of Adolescent Cigarette Use and Perceptions of Risk of Smoking: 2012 and 2013 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Toll of Tobacco in the United States of America Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids Youth and Tobacco Use Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Related Issues Health Effects National Cancer Institute Path to Smoking Addiction Starts at Very Young Ages Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids Tobacco Harm to Kids Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids What Is a Hookah? Nemours Foundation Reference Desk How Lungs Work American Lung Association Start Here Kids and Smoking (For Parents) Nemours Foundation You(th) & Tobacco Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Prevention and Risk Factors Preventing Tobacco Use Among Youth and Young Adults Array Teen Smoking Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Youth and Tobacco Food and Drug Administration Journal Articles Smoking and Youth Teenagers Smoking (For Teens) Nemours Foundation Smoking and Asthma (For Teens) Nemours Foundation Children Smoking and Asthma (For Parents) Nemours Foundation Health Check Tools Smoking Quiz: Do You Need Help to Quit? American Cancer Society Array Smoking Stinks! (For Kids) Nemours Foundation Talking to your child about smoking Latest News No Drop in Teen Use of Tobacco Products, CDC Says, and E-Cigs May Be Why HealthDay Most Americans Support Rise in Legal Smoking Age HealthDay E-Cigarette Ads May Help Lure Teens to The Habit HealthDay FDA Launches Ad Campaign Against Chewing Tobacco HealthDay
