Underaged Smoking Essay Research Paper Running Head

Underaged Smoking Essay, Research Paper

Running Head: UNDERAGE SMOKING

Underage Smoking:

And Ways to Prevent It

Jonathan McWhorter

Gautier High School

Outline

Thesis Statement: Many people start smoking at a very young age,

therefore the government should continue to develop laws to stop this. .

I. Introduction: Throughout childhood & teenage years, people have

always had the urge to undertake dangerous habits in order to appear older.

Smoking is a hazardous habit that many teens have turned to in attempts to

look mature.

II. Laws against teen smoking

A. If caught smoking

1. A teen would have to take an eight hour awareness class

2. The teen would also be charged with a $250 dollar fine

B. Possession

1. 180 days in jail

2. $1000 fine

3. In 1998-guilty of a class C misdemeanor

III. Programs that help

A. Police stings involving minor & retailers

B. The “We Card” program

IV. State goals

A. Ineffective enforcement programs

1. No goals passed, no cash for treatment classes

2. Underage smoking by 2003

B. States band cigarette vending machines

V. Ads

A. How they affect people

1. Joe Camel ads

2. Worse than family smoking and peer pressure

3. Non-smokers favorite ads

4. Non-smokers favorite brand

B. Actions against ads

1. Gov. restrict ads that appeal to minors

2. Gov. is considering plain packaging

VI. Health

A. Tobacco and health risks

B. Can get health risks at young age

VII. Picking up the habit

A. Exposure to smoking

B. Efforts are being made on family

C. Most teen smokers will continue

D. 1000’s try to quit a day but few are successful

VIII. Conclusion: If government will continue to aim more laws and greater consequences at underage smokers and retailers that allow minors to buy tobacco from them, then the rate of underage smokers will decrease.

Throughout childhood and teenage years, people have always had the urge to undertake dangerous habits in order to appear older (Kelder G. E., 1997, April). Smoking is a hazardous habit that many minors have turned to in attempts to look mature. (Braverman P. J., 1999, November 17). Many people start smoking at a very young age, therefore the government should continue to develop laws to stop this (Kelder G. E., 1997, April) .

There are many laws against teen smoking. If caught smoking the teen should have to suffer the consequences and repercussions. One of the consequences is that if the teen is caught, he/she will have to participate in an eight-hour tobacco awareness class. Also, if they do not go to the class then they will be forced to pay a two hundred and fifty dollar fine (Kelder G. E., 1997, April). Although if the teen gets caught again, with just possession of tobacco products, he/she will have to face up to one hundred and eighty days in jail (Strickland L. R., 1997, October, 2). Also they could be forced to pay up to one- thousand dollars. Since 1998, any teen caught with possession of tobacco products will be classified as guilty of a class c misdemeanor (Braverman P.J., 1999, November 17.

There are also programs to help adult and minor smoking problems. The .We Card” program is designed to educate retailers about underage smoking. It is a program that enables all retailers to card for picture identification to ensure that people are of the legal age to smoke (Hubard U., 2000, September 27). The police are in on it also. Police officers hire minors to go into stores or retailers that carry tobacco products and try to get the clerk to sell them the product. By doing this, the police can crack down on the selling of tobacco products to minors (Braverman P. J., 1999, November 17).

In the days of our society not many states have effective enforcement programs. In the United States, if a state fails to meet the goals, that state can lose their privileges and funds to run drug treatment programs in that state. Now all states are required to be eighty percent successful in having merchants refuse to sell tobacco products to minors by the year 2003 (Pipler C. H.,1999, Feburary 12). Also many states have prohibited the use of cigarette and other tobacco products that are sold in vending machines. Usually the retailers try to keep all tobacco products behind the counter (Kelder G. E., 1997, April).

Many tobacco ads have much to do with the problems of underage smoking. The Joe Camel ad campaign induced many young people to begin or continue to smoke or increased the risk that they would. Tobacco ads and promotion play a stronger role than peer or parental pressure smoking in increasing adolescents susceptibility to begin smoking cigarettes. Cigarette ads are so appealing to minors that sixty percent of all minors have a favorite cigarette ad. Also approximately forty percent of all adolescents who had never smoked could name at least one cigarette brand name that they would prefer to purchase (Stricktland L. R., 1997, October 2). There are also many actions being taken against tobacco ads. Many governments have instituted regulations, which r

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