Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
Alexa Hilkens
After reviewing many of the different topics to choose from, smoking prevention and
cessation stood out to the student as an issue that she would like to address to adolescents.
Adolescents have the highest smoking prevalence among all age groups (US Department of
Health and Human Services, 2014). With so much information on the Internet about smoking,
the student wanted to confine research that she thought would stand out to young people while
The resources that were most helpful in developing the pamphlet was the Center
for Disease Control cdc.gov. There is a lot of information specific to the use of cigarette smoking
among adolescents. Another resource was Health Effects and Challenges for Tobacco Control.
That article helped to reveal different effects of smoking not just from a physical aspect but on
the emotional and mental health effects as well. This pamphlet would be helpful at any point in
an adolescent’s life. The earliest exposure to the ill effects of smoking would be most useful to
try to prevent it before it became habitual. The younger adolescents would need the information
and statistics to make more informed decisions when presented with the opportunity to smoke. It
would also be beneficial to read when an adolescent is already a regular smoker. The pamphlet
has information and resources on smoking cessation specific to that age group. The placement of
this pamphlet would need some insight about where it would be best placed. Places such as
schools, malls, movie theaters, coffee shops, and restaurants would be the most beneficial due to
The pamphlet could have been improved with providing more information about the
long-term effects of smoking. The student chose to keep the pamphlet short and direct to keep
the attention of the reader. The student did not want to distract the reader with too much
information, but instead gave the reader resources to contact if they are struggling with smoking
cessation or are interested in quitting. The student would have also liked to put in first-hand
accounts of adults that started smoking recreationally as teens and how it has affected their life as
an adult. Also having information about how expensive smoking is and how they could use their
money in a different way would have been beneficial to address. To make the pamphlet more
interesting, the student placed a before and after photo of a long-time smoker to show the effects
it has on appearance overtime. Teens are inherently concerned with their physical appearance
and deviating from beauty standards can have a drastic influence on their choices in life (Schab,
2016). The student believes that many teens would pick the pamphlet up because it would
Developmental Level
The developmental level targeted was Identity vs. Role Confusion. At this level,
adolescents are exploring their independence and development of self. The pamphlet attempts to
show teens how the use of tobacco can affect them as adults and discourages them by showing
how it will hurt their bodies. At this stage, teens are trying to create their identities as who they
will become as adults. Adolescents are also influenced by what the majority does and looks like.
The best way to demonstrate the effects is to show the possibility of what you may become from
it. Showing the negative consequences of tobacco helps to steer them away from that image.
During this developmental period, they explore possibilities and begin to form their own identity
Safety Issue
The topic of smoking being a safety issue is clear. Smoking can lead to death and a
decreased quality of life, so presenting it as a safety issue is appropriate. With smoking being a
safety issue, it is important to address any variables that can improve the outcome. Socio-
economics and culture were not addressed because smoking affects a wide range of teens,
stemming from all classes in society. The use of tobaccos does present gender differences.
Worldwide, males smoke five times more than females. However, in countries such as The
United States and Canada, woman smoke at the same rate as men (Erazo Bahamondes & Ness,
2016). Finding this information allowed the student to point the targeted audiences to male and
female adolescents, since both groups are just as likely to use tobacco products. Language was a
minor issue in developing the pamphlet. It was difficult to use terms that most teens would
comprehend without being too technical. The main goal of the pamphlet was to reach as many
adolescents as possible while providing language that was easy to understand from all
intellectual abilities. The learning principle that the student applied was knowing that the readers
prior knowledge can interfere with new learning. Many adolescents have the feeling that they are
invincible, and that only bad things happen to other people. With providing information about
how most long-term smokers start out as teens, this gives the reader a chance to reflect on how
this could be their outcome if they continue to participate in tobacco use. It is important for
adolescents to realize that the choices they make today can cause them a future that they may not
foresee. Proving a pamphlet that emphasized the effects of smoking on physical appearance and
References
Erazo Bahamondes, M., & Ness, K. (2016). Cigarette Smoking : Health Effects and Challenges
for Tobacco Control. Hauppauge, New York: Nova Science Publishers, Inc. Retrieved
from http://monroeccc.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search-ebscohost-
com.monroeccc.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=e000xna&AN=1457902&site=ehost-live
Schab, L. M. (2016). Self-Esteem for Teens : Six Principles for Creating the Life You Want.
url=https://search-ebscohost-com.monroeccc.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=e862xna&AN=1251165&site=ehost-live
US Department of Health and Human Services. (2014). Teen Smoking Is Epidemic. In R. Espejo
(Ed.), At Issue. Teen Smoking. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press. (Reprinted from
Preventing Tobacco Use Among Youth and Young Adults: A Report of the Surgeon
http://link.galegroup.com.monroeccc.idm.oclc.org/apps/doc/EJ3010274216/OVIC?
u=lom_monroecccl&sid=OVIC&xid=b5 1021f3