According to the Center for Disease Control Prevention, or CDC, “Each day in the United States, approximately 3,450 young people between 12 and 17 years of age smoke their first cigarette, and an estimated 850 youth become daily cigarette smokers.”

The CDC also found that approximately 17.2% of high school students in 2009 smoked cigarettes.  This number is much lower than 36.4% of high school students that the CDC found who smoked in 1997.  Although 17.2% is less than 36.4%, some people still think that the number of high school smokers should be lower.

               It was common for teenagers to smoke cigarettes in the 50s, 60s, and 70s because people then did not realize damaging effects that smoking had on one’s health.

                Mrs. Susan Nelson of the NDA science department said, “At Premontre, students were allowed to smoke right outside the school building.  I also know that it was common for students to light up in the classrooms at colleges and universities back then.  Some professors would even smoke during class.”

               By the 80s and 90s to the present day, smoking in general, and teenage smoking in particular, has not been as common because there have been thousands of ads, articles, commercials, websites and books published describing the dangers of cigarette smoking.

               Mr. Brian Bobinski of the NDA math department said, “Less than 10% of kids that I knew smoked in high school.  People were aware of it by the 90s.”

               Although everyone is aware of the dangers, teenagers still smoke.  The legal age to purchase cigarettes is 18, but seniors Erin Daul and Rachael Schuster know how easily teenagers under 18 can purchase cigarettes.

            Daul and Schuster used to participate in a program called Wisconsin Wins. According to the Wisconsin Wins official website, “The Wisconsin Wins (WI Wins) campaign is a science-based, state-level initiative designed to decrease youth access to tobacco products.”

               In order to achieve the goal of a tobacco-free Wisconsin, “WI Wins uses positive reinforcement to reduce illegal tobacco sales to minors. It congratulates local clerks who do not sell tobacco to youth, while educating those who would,” as stated on the website.

 Schuster explained how she and Daul were involved in the WI Wins program.

 “The police officer would give us $10 or so and drop us off at a gas station, a convenient store or a grocery store.  We would go inside, pick out something to buy and then we would go buy cigarettes as well.  We had to be specific about which brand we ‘wanted’ because people who smoke don’t just go in and ask for a pack of cigarettes.”

  Both Schuster and Daul are currently 18 years old, the legal age to purchase cigarettes. However, they were involved with this program when they were 17 years old. 

  “Teenagers can buy cigarettes very easily,” said Schuster.  “Most people don’t even ask for an i.d.”

  When Schuster and Daul successfully purchased cigarettes, they would call the police immediately because it is a crime to sell cigarettes to a minor.  When the police officer came on the scene, he would issue a fine to the establishment that sold the cigarettes and issue a separate fine to the employee who sold the cigarettes illegally. 

  “A weird thing is that many times the tobacco company would pay the fine for the establishment because they like when minors purchase their products,” said Schuster. 

  If Schuster or Daul had their i.d. checked by an employee and were denied the purchase of cigarettes, the police officer would present the employee with a gift certificate to Washington Commons in Green Bay just for following the law. 

  Unfortunately, because of funding reasons, the Wisconsin Wins program has stopped in Brown County, but it does continue in other areas of the state. 

  Although Wisconsin Wins no longer operates in Brown County, most students at Notre Dame Academy are aware of the dangers of cigarette smoking and would not try to purchase cigarettes anyway.   

  Senior Jordan Steitzer said, “I would never try smoking.  I couldn’t imagine having something blocking my air space,” and junior Rachel Simonet said, “I would never try smoking because I could get cancer.”

  Senior Will Drew said, “I would never do it because it’s bad for your lungs,” and senior Grace Burkard said, “I hate smoking.  That’s the one thing I’m absolutely against.”

  Steitzer, Simonet, Drew and Burkard are only a small sample of how students at NDA feel about smoking, and although they are all against it personally, there are still teenagers in society today who smoke.

  Senior Elise Frohna believes that teenage smoking is a problem in society today. She said, “It’s everywhere.”

  Frohna believes that teenagers smoke because, “They’re bored and think it is cool,” while Burkard believes that teenagers smoke “to look cool or maybe because their parents smoke.” 

  Some studies suggest that teenagers who smoke are among those with poorer grades and lower self-images than the average teenager. 

  Senior Samantha VanGompel agrees with that consensus because, in her opinion, “it seems like all people who use tobacco are losers.”

  As far as students from NDA smoking cigarettes, Drew, Burkard, and senior Calvin Berceau do not believe that it is a problem.  Drew said, “I don’t know any people who do that,” Burkard said, “Cigarette smoking is not the problem,” and Berceau said, “I don’t think that it’s too big of a problem.”

  Senior Yunji Lee, an international student from South Korea, agrees with Drew, Burkard, and Berceau that teenage smoking is not a problem at NDA in comparison to where she comes from in South Korea. 

  “I don’t know people who smoke here, but a lot of people smoke in Korea,” she said.

  Regardless of what country teenagers come from, smoking cigarettes is unhealthy.

  According to the Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide,  “Several public health initiatives are aimed at preventing teens from smoking. These include raising taxes on cigarettes; passing laws to restrict exposure to secondhand smoke and tobacco advertising and to prevent young people from purchasing cigarettes; and launching mass media campaigns to encourage prevention. In addition, a number of school-based prevention programs are offered nationwide.”

  Overall, if a teenager is unable to quit smoking for whatever reason, they now have the option of smoking a “healthy” cigarette.

  “The electronic cigarette is a battery operated, rechargeable electronic device, that mimics the experience of smoking a cigarette while removing the harsh smoke, carbon monoxide and a majority of the chemicals found in tobacco,” according to www.electroniccigarettesinc.com.