Teenage SmokingThis is a story about Stephanie. When she was 16, she smoked her first cigarette, in the back of her friend's car. Her friend lit a cigarette then offered one to Stéphanie. Stephanie knew smoking was bad for your health, but everyone else she knew had tried it. She wanted to feel like she belonged. She smoked the cigarette and thought, "Hey, this is pretty cool. I feel so relaxed. Two years later, Stephanie was a senior citizen and smoked a pack a day. She found it difficult for survive her eight-hour school day without smoking She knew she was addicted, but she enjoyed the fact that she was part of the smoking crowd at her school Four years later and about 450 packs of cigarettes. later, Stephanie was there. She knew she wanted to quit, but she didn't think she could do it with all the stress of college. She wished she had never smoked her first cigarette at the age of 16. because she wouldn't be addicted now If there had been a law banning smoking among teenagers, she would never have started. 000 adolescents smoke their first cigarette per year, adolescent smoking is increasing alarmingly. In fact, in Ohio, 35 percent of high school students smoke. A number much higher than the 24 percent of adult smokers. Ohio needs a strict law to ban teens from smoking so these percentages will be lower in years to come. The government must target adolescents, because they are the ones who will become the future smokers. Instead of focusing on addicted adults, they should prevent young people from getting started. It is difficult to get adults who have smoked for many years...... middle of paper ...... this policy would be great for our country and our people. If fewer teenagers start smoking, within a few years there will be fewer adult smokers, which means fewer smoking-related deaths. Health care costs could be significantly reduced. The government should spend less money on anti-smoking campaigns that don't work and on treatments for ex-smokers. And the government would make money from the fines collected. Who knows, maybe one day smoking might disappear. Yes, I may be dreaming, but if you want to know, I'm Stéphanie. And I know that as a seven-year smoker, I wish there had been laws years ago that stopped me from starting. I know that if it was illegal, I would never have done it and I would have become as addicted as I am today. Ohio law banning teens from smoking could prevent them from starting and avoid regrets years later..