October 3rd 2016

Dear Future President of the United States:

I believe that underage smoking is a enormous problem around the US. Smoking hurts your appearance. It damages your skin, and yellows your teeth. Smoking can damage your lungs, often causing lung cancer. Smoking can make people short of breath, so they can have a hard time moving around or playing sports. Smoking also sends chemicals into the air making many other people around you sick. Cigarettes contain nicotine which is highly addictive. Smoking is pretty damaging to adults, but just imagine kids and teens smoking. Adults are done growing but kids and teens are just beginning. We don't need young kids and teens getting started in the beginning and won't stop and potentially damage their insides and prevent them from growing correctly. This is why we need to put an end to underage smoking.

If you are going to be the commander and chief, you're responsible for the health and safety of our citizens of the United States. 90% of teens with a substance abuse problem started to take on smoking and started drinking alcohol before they turned the illegal smoking and drinking age. 30% of teenagers who started smoking and continue smoking will die early from smoking related diseases. Research has also shown that on a average that most teen smokers die 13 - 14 years earlier than non smokers. Some studies have proven that the first tobacco use takes place before teenagers have even graduated high school. To go along with the fact that 25% of highschool kids are most likely smokers, 90% of teens/kids who have started smoking started before the age of 19. Teen smokers are the most likely to have panic attacks, anxiety disorders and suffer from depression. Teen cigarette smokers are also more likely to carry around and use weapons, also more likely to attempt suicide from depression and suffer from mental and health problems, which is an issue for everyone’s safety

First of all we need to put an end to underage smoking. But I understand that it's not easy. Here's a few helpful suggestions: We need to publicize this topic. We need to make it loud and clear. Along with this, we need to show people why this is a problem, what are the effects to smoking underage, or just smoking in general. I know you can't put a complete end to it, but you can at least try. Not only can we publicize this on TV but we can make posters and organizations to create awareness. You may not be putting an end to this epidemic but just know that anything can make a difference.

Since you are the president, you need to have our best intrest at heart. You need to make sure that us Americans are safe and healthy and are protected from the dangers of under age smoking.

Thank You,

Hayley Thomas Shover