Smoking and alcohol consumption among children

Smoking and excessive drinking during adolescence have both immediate and long-term health consequences. Establishing smoking habits early on increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases, respiratory illnesses, and cancer (Currie et al., 2012). Smoking during adolescence has immediate adverse health consequences, including addiction, reduced lung function and impaired lung growth, and asthma (Inchley et al., 2016). It is also associated with an increased likelihood of experimenting with other drugs, as well as engaging in other risky behaviours (O’Cathail et al., 2011). Early and frequent drinking and drunkenness is associated with detrimental psychological, social and physical effects, such as dropping out of high school without graduating (Chatterji and DeSimone, 2005).