true stories
Reading all of these statistics, it is all too easy to forget that tobacco affects hundreds of thousands of real teenagers every day.
Click on one of the links below to read the stories of teens sharing their real-life experiences with tobacco and how it has affected their lives. Some are smokers, some are former smokers and some are friends or family of smokers. Some know the harmful effects it has on the body and quit, some know but can't quit because they can't overcome their addiction, and others just don't care and continue to smoke. What they all have in common, however, is that they have been affected by tobacco and want to speak out to share their stories so that others teenagers can learn from their experiences.
If you would like to share your story with us, please email us at thescooponsmoking at acsh.org.
Jenna Lee
"I see way to many of my friends from high school that had the attitude of "it wont happen to me" and all I have to say is that it may not happen in the same way, or at the same pace, but eventually it will happen to you."
Jenna Lee about Mr. and Mrs. Lee
"With my aunt, watching her go through the process of dealing with the emphysema over the years, when I started to have problems breathing, it made me take a look at myself and see that I could be in her position in the future."
John Doe
"It's hard to notice the [health] effects while smoking. You really notice how it affected you after you stop and look back at how you felt when smoking more. "
Miss Thayng
" IT IS NOT WORTH IT. Though I am just 19, in the last year I have really grown to realize the importance of my body. I may still be young but my body WILL age with me and it will age more quickly if I don't take care of it. Our bodies are amazing tools, they are a gift and we should treat them that way. Don't start smoking."
Yumi Demicco
"It was a rebellious thing. I wanted to rebel against my father, so I did something that was "bad." My father didn't find out I smoked until I was 19. I told him myself, though. I think it was enough for me to do it without most people knowing. "
The American Council on Science and Health is a consumer eduction consortium with a board of 350 physicians, scientists, and policy advisors.
