IN AN AGE when most teenagers are very aware of the health hazards of tobacco, why do many still choose to use it? One young smoker from Baltimore answered that question very bluntly: "A lot of people smoke to give the finger to the world."14

Smoking: an act of rebellion

That frank statement reflects one of the more common reasons kids start smoking: defiance of authority. During the teenage years, young people begin to break their ties with home and become adults. Part of this process involves resisting control by their parents and other elders. Some defy authority in small ways like staying out past their curfew, others in more serious ways by breaking the law.

While the purchase of tobacco products is illegal, under federal law, for people under eighteen years of age, the law...