Every day, more than 3,200 people under the age of 18, smoke their first cigarette. Back in 2012, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found out that 7% of middle school children and 23% of high school students regularly smoke cigarettes. And those who started smoking around this time of their lives, find it hard to quit when they turn into adults.

Nicotine which is found in all tobacco product is highly addictive. It causes an alteration in the brain which makes the smoker feel momentary pleasure from every puff. Quitting is hard, and the withdrawal can be very unpleasant. So before you get started or become thoroughly addicted to smoking, here are some quick facts and statistics from the World Health Organization about teen smoking that will make you cough your lungs out.

Cigarette smoking significantly affects the lung function of the smoker as it reduces the rate of lung growth. If you start early, your lungs might not fully develop.

Even someone in their adolescent stage has shown early signs of heart disease and stroke.

The overall fitness of young people regarding endurance and performance has been greatly affected by smoking. The average smoker lives seven years less than those who never smoked a day in their life.

Smokers in their young adult years have a faster heart rate than the nonsmokers. Their resting heart rates are two to three beats faster than the average.

The earlier you start smoking, the higher the risk of contracting smoking-related cancers like lung cancer.

Teens who smoke are more like to suffer from breathing difficulties and produce more phlegm than the average non-smoking teen.

A young adult who smokes is more likely to use marijuana, cocaine, or any other illegal substance.

Remember, it is rather easy to start a bad habit, but it is very hard to quit. I hope you are as scared as I am to start smoking. If you are having any trouble understanding the effects of smoking or find it hard to quit it, feel free to talk to any responsible adult.