Surgeon General's Warning: Smoking is hazardous to your health. There is no one who smokes that has not heard of this warning. Smoking is and has always been one of the greatest problems in our society, especially under age smoking. Smoking has many harmful effects on the human body, some which are even incurable mainly to teenagers. The nicotine in the cigarettes causes addiction. Smoking also causes asthma and various types of lung diseases. Although such a warning exists in every cigarette pack, teenagers are not fully aware of the long term and short term affects of smoking. Majority of the people start smoking when they are young. In the U.S., eighty to ninety percent of the smokers started smoking before the age of 20 (Worsnop, CQ Researcher). This statistic shows us that the usual smokers start at a young age. Elimination of under age smoking would obviously decrease the amount of smokers worldwide. Governments through out the world should make up plans to reduce smoking among teenagers and by making teenagers aware of the harmful effects of smoking, under age smoking can be reduced.
The first step in reducing under age smoking is by banning cigarette advertisements. However, tobacco companies sometimes claim that the First Amendment makes such an advertising ban unconstitutional (Worsnop, CQ Researcher). The First Amendment states, " Congress shall make no law respecting and establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances". Even though such claims were made, increased tobacco awareness has already caused the courts to prohibit tobacco advertising on television and radio. But prohibiting tobacco advertising on television and radio has little effect because the tobacco companies will transfer their resources to other types or promotions.