American Medical Association Family Medical Guide - American Medical Association [231]
• Enjoyment Smoking ruins the smell and taste of food, for the smoker and for others.
• Endurance All forms of tobacco, including smokeless tobacco and cigars, can affect endurance and overall athletic performance by narrowing blood vessels, straining the heart, and reducing oxygen to the muscles and lungs.
• Poison factor Cigarettes contain poisons such as nicotine (which is also used in insecticides to kill insects), formaldehyde (the chemical used in biology classes to preserve dead animals), and cyanide (the same chemical found in rat poison).
• Cost It’s expensive to smoke.
For some teens, using tobacco can be an early warning sign of other problems. Smoking is associated with high-risk behaviors such as fighting and having unprotected sex. Teens who smoke are more likely than nonsmokers to drink alcohol, smoke marijuana, or use cocaine.
Alcohol and Other Drugs
Alcohol is the drug most commonly abused by teens. Many teens drink alcohol regularly and, of those who do, many drink heavily. Binge drinking (having more than five drinks in a session for males or four drinks in a session for females) is a serious problem on most college campuses. Almost half of teens have tried marijuana. Other drugs less frequently abused by teens include amphetamines, heroin, and cocaine (see page 737).
Problems with alcohol and other drugs are occurring at increasingly younger ages. Teens whose parents use alcohol or other drugs are more likely to use them too. Teens use alcohol and other drugs for some of the same reasons adults do—they think it will relax them, give them self-confidence, or help them feel better temporarily. Some teens try alcohol and drugs out of curiosity, or because their friends do and they want to fit in. Many teens who abuse alcohol or drugs have behavioral problems or learning disabilities (see page 415).
The average teen may experiment with alcohol or marijuana but will not use it regularly. If drug use progresses beyond the stage of experimentation, the teen’s behavior will be affected as getting high becomes more and more important. Young people are especially vulnerable to the effects of drug use because their body and brain are still developing. As teens become psychologically or physically dependent on drugs, they tend to spend a lot of time alone or disappear for long periods, and their friends and interests change. They often become depressed and unmotivated and their grades fall. Drug use can also lead to hostility, violence, and delinquency.
It’s hard for teens to deal with drug or alcohol abuse problems by themselves. They might think that they don’t drink much or that addictions happen only to other people. Here are some steps you can take to help a teen realize that he or she may have a substance abuse problem:
• Find out before you talk to the teen where he or she could go for help. Be prepared to offer the information.
• Tell the teen at an appropriate time (preferably when he or she is not under the influence) that you think alcohol or other drugs are causing problems for him or her and you are worried and want to help.
• Don’t accuse the teen of being an alcoholic or drug addict, and don’t blame him or her for the problem.
• Don’t show pity or be condescending.
• Give examples of what you’ve seen him or her do when he or she is high.
• Be prepared for the teen’s anger and denials.
• Encourage the teen to talk to other people who have recovered from substance abuse problems.
• Try to get the teen to see a counselor who specializes in substance abuse problems. The child’s safety, health, and life may depend on it.
Inhalants
An increasing number of teens inhale substances such as common household products because they are inexpensive, easy to obtain, and have a legal intended use. Using inhalants is extremely dangerous because these chemicals can make the heart beat rapidly and irregularly and cause cardiac