Is there an age when someone is old enough to start smoking and have that decision be respected? -

Is there an age when someone is old enough to start smoking and have that decision be respected? -

And no, I-m not a kid who-s just started smoking and yes I do realize that smoking-s unhealthy. I-m asking this because I-ve seen a lot of questions from parents who want their kids to stop smoking -- a couple of questions that come to mind refer to a 9 and a 12 year old.

I think that when a kid-s relatively grown up and independent they should be allowed to make their own decision about smoking. Probably somewhere around 16 -18. The age when kids are already old enough to drive and work and (in many peoples opinion) to have sex. I know it-s a bad habit, I-m just wondering if theres an age when someones decision to smoke should be respected.18 is the age of majority in this country, whereby you are entitled to vote, and are legally considered an adult and outside of parental authority. For pretty much every purpose except buying alcohol and consuimg it in public, you are entitled to act as you please within the law.

As a practical matter, however, if you are legally or functionally an adult, but still living within your parent or guardian-s home, they are entitled to call the shots about what goes on in their house, including (but not limited to) your smoking behavior. Why? Because they pay the bills and run the household. When you are ready as an adult to either kick in your share, or take responsibility for your own living situation, then you get full authority.

Any parent who has a problem with a smoking 9 or 12 year old has totally abdicated control of their child and parental responsibility. I find it amazing how many kids today are raised without firm rules and discipline in their home, by parents who seem to think it it someone else-s responsibility to raise their child, usually cable television and the public school system.

Yes, at some point children can and should be given control over the choices that affect their life. That-s what growing up is all about. Those changes start to happen slowly, from dressing themselves and learning to brush their teeth, bathe, etc. all the way up to doing their homework, riding a bike and eventually driving a car. The pivotal person who facilitates this process is the parent, who watches, waits, advises, counsels, helps, disciplines, corrects, etc. and otherwise prepares that child to grow up to make rational and positive decisions.How can you respect someone who intentionally wants to cause themselves and those around them pain and suffering?Don-t start an addiction that is so hard to break.Such an age would be the age of majority - 21.21You are old enough to legally drink.It should be the same for cigarettes. Now a days smoking is out( and bad for you, but so are donuts),So I don-t know if it will ever be respected. It-s your body, you can do anything with it ,Have a nice day,it-s going to be a hot one.I am a cancer nurse and if it were my choice, I would make smoking illeagal until the age of 21 and if your caught smoking before the age of 21, it should be punishable with jail time or some type of work program.
There is not excuse for having such a bad habit in this day and age. We know the problems which are associated with smoking and we know it is addicting. Tobbacco companies are being sued and the freaking smokers are winning their cases. Why? Because they chose to start smoking and say they did not realize the consequences. Back then, maybe not, but in these times we definitely know the result.
I figure by the time you are 21, some of the peer pressure to be cool and do adult things is past. If you still want to smoke at 21, its your money, not your mom and dads.
PS: I know people who should not be allowed to have sex until they are 21 too. Having sex does not mean you are responsible.I-d say if someone makes it to 100yrs old, they can do whatever the hell they like!I would say around 18, since that-s the earliest it-s legal for them to buy tobacco products anyway. If my child wants to smoke, they-re damn well going to be paying for the habit themselves. I think most parents come to the realization when their child is 18 that they are considered an adult and are willing to ease up on a lot of things they disapproved of when the person was younger.18. BTW, 16 is not old enough to have sex. 16 years olds are too young to be having sex.You have to be 18 to buy tobacco, how could you be respected at 16 to start smoking.

I have a hard time respecting anybodies decision to start smokin, most smokers didn-t decide to start. They tried and now can-t quit!

Don-t start that is respectable!

Is there an age when someone is old enough to start smoking and have that decision be respected? -

I have stopped smoking, is it too late at 22? -

I have stopped smoking, is it too late at 22? -

i am 22 and have smoked about 10-15 cigarettes a day since i was 13, i have stopped smoking, i want to know if i have allready done irreversable damage to my body or if i can fully recover and how long does this take? Also is it true that your skin gets better and the whites or your eyes whiter after stopping smoking or is this just a myth? thanksNo its not too late at all. I have read some scientific papers which show that the damage of smoking can revert to normal within 10 years of not smoking. I did my whole thesis on this, so I know for sure.

Smoking narrows your blood vessels, so most definately you will feel much healthier. Lots of oxygen will reach your skin and eyes and you will look much more brighter.

Well done for giving up. Your a star

xWithout a doubt the have done SOME irreversible damage to your body by smoking for so long...

But, stopping is an incredible thing to do and you body will start recovering as soon as you put down your last cigarette, although I could take up to 2 years for you body to recover and up to 20 years to recover completely and leave you with no problems, as you would be if you hadn-t smoked.

Yes, whose statements are true because smoking ruins your skin and makes the white in your eyes appear with yellow tint, so once you stop then they will start to recover.There are a lot of -know nothings- that always have negative things to say. Yes, you will fully recover from the effects of smoking for such a short time. And, no it is not too late - not by a long shot. Congratulations on quitting, everything for you, from the color of your skin to the odor surrounding you, gets better every day now. Once again, congratulations for making the smart move.I quit smoking when I found out I had brain cancer. My medical oncoloIogists nurse told me that after a month of not smoking your improve your lungs greatly and after a full 8 years of not smoking your lungs are near fully repaired. At the 8 year point the rest of your body is near repaired also.Funnily enough effects wear off within 72 hours, then weeks, then months then years. The horror of the effect is disproportional to the time it takes to go i.e. you-ll feel much better in a week, and some slightly blocked arteries will take longer to clear but will be unnoticeable.Sorry to break this to you but, and this may come of a shock to you at your age, you-re going to die anyway.





I-m off to cross the road now and have a pint...*thump*.....*ne-naw ne-naw ne-naw*The risks of heart disease decrease by a lot almost immediately after stop smoking but you could have already done damage- sorry =)
Well done for quitting though !!There will be some scar tissue. It is always better to stop because some can smoke 50 years and be ok (besides emphysema) and I-ve seen some smoke 5 years and get cancer. That-s rolling the dice.My parents gave up about 8 years ago. My Dad-s 60 this year. He feels much better for giving up. In other words... it-s never too late.

Oh and good luck :DIt is never too late. Congratulations !!!!!!!!!!i have stopped for four months and people keep telling me my skin does not look so grey and the little lines around my mouth are going22 is still very young ... you lungs are recovering already :)it-s better to stop at 22 than never.

I have stopped smoking, is it too late at 22? -

I have read that smoking can be a contributing factor to depression.? -

I have read that smoking can be a contributing factor to depression.? -

Does anyone have any personal experience of stopping smoking and feeling better in a mental capacity, ie feeling less down as a result?When I started exercising a couple years ago, it made me want to quit smoking as well. The combination of the two DID WONDERS for my depression, I felt SO much more alive.. Well, the exercising eventually died down but I never picked smoking back up. The depression hasn-t returned, thank GOD. So now I think I can safely say that not smoking certainly is a potential factor in depression relief. I remember that when I was a smoker I just felt all sluggish and slow all the time, didn-t want to do ANYthing but curl up in a ball and repel people out of my life. At first I didn-t know if it was more the exercise or the stopping smoking, but now it definitely seems to have more to do with being off the smokes, and just the general change in lifestyle helped me to get there.

GOOD LUCK to you!! Depression seriously sucks, I wish you all the best.All of the health complications that are caused by smoking will lead to depression.I-ve never smoked myself. But I have been subject to a great deal of second-hand smoke that burned my eyes and made me cough. And I felt a whole lot better once I got out of the environment with it.

Think about it: Among other things, cigarette smoke has carbon monoxide in it. And that keeps valuable oxygen from getting into your blood and to where it-s needed in your body. That-s not even considering the other poisons.

Once you get over the withdrawal and get used to not shelling out money for the cigarettes, you-ll find you feel great! Or at least, considerably more in control.I once stopped for six months and felt great, but depressed that I couldn-t have my fags, so I feel better and thinner and happier on them. I know they are killers but what the hell, so is booze and breathing, or going in to hospital.I-m a depressive yet I started smoking. However last year I was a comfort eater of large ammounts of junk food. It was an addiction all I thought of a lot of the time as the next load of sugary junk to eat. It made my depression much worse because of the cravings and it distorted any hope for being happy. I went cold turkey last month and started smoking three weeks ago. At Xmas I had indulgences in food and smoking but in moderate ammounts. Now I do enjoy control eating of junk food.

It-s like any addiction it lifts you up and cures your depression intially, but when you hooked it makes it worse because any little happiness you had is gone, dependant on the addiction.

I-d say cut down on smoking, just have one a day and on social occasions. Recognise if you taking it for a controlled high or for addiction. These things are OK as one source of happiness but not the only one, and addiction makes depression worse.Smoking is a kind of blame all habit, currently it is responsible for various forms of cancer, hard arteries, hard failure,etc.
The list seams to be increasing every day.
I suspect that if you are a depressed person then the last thing you really need to do is give up smoking with all the associated mood swings/withdrawals.
Ja.i-m not sure... but the reason i started smoking was b/c of depression...a cigarette is like a reward..hehe yes unfortunetly i enjoy my cigarettes : /I am sorry but I know smoking is bad for you, but they will be saying Jack the ripper killed people because he was a smoker next. Pick on drinkers for a change I say.I started smoking because I was depressed - it has helped LIFT my depression. So I would have to say no, it doesn-t contribute to depression, not with me anyway :Pyes i quit over 2 years ago- within 6 months my depressive mood had lifted considerably- of course it is best to quit not only for your mental health but for your physical help. I suggest talking to a doctor before quitting as you stand the best chance of succeding- good luck!

I have read that smoking can be a contributing factor to depression.? -