The Effects of Smoking On Youth

Team: 50


Area of Science: Medicine and Health

Abstract: Problem Definition:
Assuming 3 individuals have the same health, who would die first? A non-smoker, first-hand smoker, second-hand smoker?

Among young people, the short-term health consequences of smoking include respiratory and no respiratory effects, addiction to nicotine, and the associated risk of other drug use.
Smoking reduces the rate of lung growth.
Smoking at an early age increases the risk of lung cancer.
For most smoking-related cancers, the risk rises as the individual continues to smoke.
Teenage smokers suffer from shortness of breath almost three times as often as teens who don't smoke, and produce phlegm more than twice as often as teens who don't smoke.
Teens who smoke are three times more likely than nonsmokers to use alcohol, eight times more likely to use marijuana, and 22 times more likely to use cocaine.
Smoking is associated with a host of other risky behaviors, such as fighting and engaging in unprotected sex.

Team Members:

  Steven Enriquez
  Russ Enriquez
  Serena Swindle

Sponsoring Teacher: Jimmy Crawford