Susan Dominus

About the author: Susan Dominus has worked as an assistant editor at Glamour magazine, a feature editor and contributor for The American Lawyer magazine, and senior editor at New York Magazine.

Each day more than two thousand youths try cigarettes for the first time. Some teens think smoking looks sexy or cool; others hope cigarettes will help them lose weight or make them seem independent. Having parents who smoke is also likely to influence a teen's decision in favor of smoking. With their busy schedules, many teens today suffer from similar stresses and anxieties as adults. Many turn to cigarettes for the same reason adults do; nicotine has the same calming effect on teen smokers as it does on adults. Cigarette advertising also encourages teens to smoke. Cigarette ads are designed to make smoking appealing, and many are...