Generation Z, primarily comprised of middle school and high school students, reported: lowest smoking rate According to data from the CDC and FDA, the trend could be on record by 2024, but that trend could be in jeopardy.
“Overall, the number of smokers in the United States is decreasing; [down] Dr. Neil W. Schluger, a pulmonologist and dean of New York Medical School, told FOX News Digital.
But some experts fear a resurgence of the “cool factor” could make a new generation hooked on smoking.
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There are reports that some people are trying to beautify it again. smokingsaid Schulger.
One Instagram account, @Cigfluencers, posts photos of celebrities holding cigarettes to more than 83,000 followers.
“Smoking hot!” reads the caption of a provocative image of Sabrina Carpenter smoking over a bathroom sink. Also, smoking = hot.
Other celebrities who have been open about their tobacco use and are pictured on @Cigfluencers include Ben Affleck, Jeremy Allen White, and Natalie Portman.
“Influencers can be influenced by marketing dollars and may attract younger generations, especially if the channels used, such as social media, are popular among young people,” said Dr. Judith J. Prochaska, a professor at Stanford University School of Medicine in California, whose research focuses on developing effective treatments for tobacco addiction.
Studies show that adolescents and young adults who watch smoking-related content are more likely to start using tobacco products in the future, but engaging with tobacco content on social media increases that risk.
“For young people who take their cues from pop culture and culture, this is a confusing and dangerous contradiction. celebrity influencerAnd they are especially susceptible to believing that smoking is more popular than it actually is,” said Robin Koval, CEO and president of the Truth Initiative, in a news article on the group’s website.
In a recent opinion piece published in the BMJ, the author wrote that smoking is experiencing a “pop culture resurgence” and that it is an “unwelcome throwback to society.” public health. ”
“The normalization of smoking risks is reinvigorating the harmful cultural association between tobacco and coolness, and young people are especially vulnerable,” the article says.
In the mid-to-late 1990s, about one-third of high school students smoked cigarettes. Today, that rate has dropped to less than 3%, according to the American Lung Association.
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“Trends are more difficult to track youth and youthBecause they tend to be less connected to research efforts and their behavior can change quickly,” Dr. Daniel J. Boffa, vice chair of the American College of Surgeons Committee on Cancer and chair of thoracic surgery at Yale School of Medicine, told FOX News Digital.
“The signals we’re getting suggest that smoking rate For Gen Z, it’s much lower than for previous generations. ”
However, Boffa noted that about 8% of Gen Z teens use e-cigarettes. “This is important because we don’t really know the long-term effects of vaping yet and some young people will switch from vaping to vaping.” smoke a cigarette. ”
Prochaska said e-cigarette smoking rates spiked in the U.S. in 2019, largely due to the popularity of the JUUL brand, which resonated with young people due to its high nicotine content, discreet design, kid-friendly flavors and appealing marketing strategy.
E-cigarette use is also on the rise among young people, in part because they are aging into young adulthood, she added.
Boffa noted that more than 90% of long-term smokers start smoking before the age of 18.
“The problem with smoking among teens and young adults is that the most serious health-related effects may not appear for decades, making it easier to ignore warnings,” he warned.
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When someone continues to smoke, the burnt tobacco or paper they inhale damages the small air sacs in the lungs called alveoli that facilitate the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide. This damage can cause problems such as: Chronic obstructive pulmonary diseaseAccording to the Mayo Clinic.
Health experts warn that this habit may also increase your risk of cancer. Humans randomly generate mutated cells that can: get cancerbut a healthy immune system normally eliminates those cells.
But when someone smokes, toxic substances enter the body and weaken the immune system, giving mutated cells a chance to multiply and become cancerous.
Repeated exposure can also increase the risk of oral health problems. harm from pregnancysexual dysfunction and even mental health effects, Prochaska warned.
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Smoking is also a risk factor coronary artery diseaseAccording to the FDA, these include aneurysms of the aorta (the heart’s main artery), peripheral vascular disease, and heart attack or stroke.
“Reducing tobacco use in the United States is a major advance in public health, and we should be wary of going backwards,” Schluger said.
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To sustain this progress, doctors advocate banning smoking in public places, increasing tobacco taxes, increasing funding for smoking cessation programs, and cracking down on illegal advertising and sales to minors.
