Dear Davon,

You’re smart to ask these questions before deciding to smoke. Even though cigarettes are legal for people 18 years of age and older, nicotine is one of the most dangerous drugs on the planet. Most people begin smoking cigarettes when they are young. It is estimated that one-third of all smokers have their first cigarette by the age of 14. Ninety percent of all smokers begin before the age of 21. A disturbing statistic is that one out of three young people who become regular smokers will die of a smoking-related disease.

Another danger with cigarette use is that it is impossible to know how many cigarettes you need to smoke before you become addicted to nicotine. What we do know is that cigarettes can be highly addictive and some say that nicotine is the most difficult drug addiction to overcome. This is especially true for people who begin smoking at an early age, as they are more likely to develop severe levels of nicotine addiction than those who start at a later age. For teens who have smoked at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetime, most of them report that they would like to quit, but are not able to do so.

The wisest decision you can make would be to avoid cigarettes altogether. That way you can avoid becoming one of those grim statistics yourself.