Addressing the 'costs of quitting' smoking: a health promotion issue for adolescent girls in Canada

While intense efforts have been implemented to address the problem of cigar ette smoking, the prevalence of tobacco use among adolescents, in particula r young women, remains high. Older adolescent girls are joining their young er counterparts in taking up the smoking habit. The literature has examined the reasons for young people starting to smoke; however, little is known a bout the smoking cessation process in adolescents. This paper reports findi ngs from an in-depth qualitative study of 25 girls ages 18 and 19 which unc overed the struggles young women experience as they attempt to quit smoking . These struggles and losses are referred to as the 'costs' of quitting smo king. The 'costs' reflect not only their 'real' experiences when attempting to quit smoking, but also reflect 'anticipated' struggles and losses. The study addressed the 'costs' in relation to the social, emotional and physio logical domains of the adolescent girl's life. Findings from this research project provide theoretical direction for the development of comprehensive health promotion interventions. If health care professionals are to assist in reducing cigarette smoking among young women, the 'costs' which girls se e to quitting smoking must be considered.