High School Students Share Their Thoughts on Smoking

A group of high school students who live in the Dove Springs community of Austin, Texas share their honest thoughts, feelings, and experiences on smoking. Some of them have decided not to smoke in the first place because they have seen how badly it affects the health of their older relatives. Others did try smoking, but they quickly learned it made them feel horrible.

Alejandro - 17 years old - "When I was younger, I got asthma from cigarrettes because my family smoked so much. It persuaded me not to smoke."

Monica - 17 years old - "I want to say I started smoking because a lot of my family members did it - cigarrettes were easy to get, because they were everywhere. The reason I stopped smoking is because I want to have a healthy lifestyle - I noticed the impacts it was having on my health...I couldn't run without running out of breath."

Fred - 16 years old - "My grandma smokes, but it makes the house smell. My uncles smokes, too - it reeks up the kitchen. I fear that smoking will affect them - I hope that nothing happens to them."

Marta - 18 years old - "I don't like smoking because it's very unattractive to me. My uncle actually suffers from lung cancer, and I've seen him suffer throughout the years."

Louie - 18 years old - "The reason I don't smoke [anymore]...is because the side effects were starting to get to me, it was really bad for my body. And I noticed that my teeth were also getting yellow."

Wendy - 18 years old - "My dad was smoking a pack a day for 35 years. My mom tells he had anger issues, and she couldn't take it anymore. She asked him, for his child's sake, to stop. And he actually did."