Adults who smoke often end up lighting a fire in children

The bubbly 16-year-old was in for her annual sports exam. She, like most teen athletes, was a pediatrician's dream. She ate a balanced, low-fat diet, had a fabulous body mass index and obviously exercised more than many of her peers.

Though she seemed to have a great deal of common sense, I still felt obliged to review various social habits, including cigarette smoking. I often broach the subject by asking if family members or close friends smoke. One thing I've found over the years is that no matter how reluctant they are to admit to any failings in themselves, kids are more than willing to incriminate their parents.

My teenage patient readily volunteered that her mother smoked in the home. "Do you smoke?" was my follow-up question. "No!" she reacted quickly, wrinkling her nose in disgust.

Fast-forward to a grandmother, who I observed driving out of the parking lot with her little grandchild safely restrained in his car seat. Hanging from her lips was a long, lit cigarette. Great, I thought to myself, the little guy will be protected in a fender bender, but he and grandma are going to be sharing a smoke all the way home.

How many of my healthy teenage patients are going to turn into that chain-smoking grandmother? I can't say for sure, but I do urge parents who smoke to lead by example and help their kids avoid this fate. Health experts find that when parents stop smoking, their tobacco-using children are more likely to join them in successfully kicking the habit.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that every day, 4,000 kids between ages 12 and 17 start smoking. Eight percent of U.S. middle-school students and 23 percent of high school students currently smoke cigarettes. Gender equality exists, with a fairly even split between young male and female cigarette smokers.

It's a little surprising that a significant chunk of the younger population also chooses to smoke cigars. I can't see the appeal, but statistics show that 5 percent of middle schoolers and 13 percent of high schoolers puff on stogies.

The American Academy of Pediatrics continues to encourage its young patients to avoid nicotine. In addition to the long-recognized increased incidence of lung cancer and heart disease, the academy warns that teen smokers risk gum disease, frequent respiratory illnesses, diminished lung growth and function, and an overall decline in physical fitness.

Kicking the tobacco habit can save that smoking grandmother and her young grandchild. It can also protect 6.4 million (a conservative estimate) of today's kids who, if current tobacco trends continue, are expected to die prematurely from a cigarette-related illness.

Parents and teens who smoke should discuss smoking cessation strategies with their doctors. They can also find helpful links online at www.cdc.gov/tobacco/quit_smoking/how_to_quit/index.htm.

If you don't have access to the Internet, put in a call to the 800-QUIT-NOW help line.