Smoking is a dangerous habit that unfortunately still ensnares many young people. The ages at which girls begin smoking vary, but studies show that most girls who smoke take up the habit as teenagers. Understanding when and why girls start smoking can help parents, teachers, and public health professionals work to prevent smoking initiation.
When do most girls start smoking?
Research indicates that most girls who smoke daily start the habit in their mid-to-late teens. According to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the percentage of high school girls who reported smoking cigarettes daily increased from 9.2% among 9th graders to 17.7% among 12th graders.
Other research shows that many girls start occasionally smoking cigarettes as young as 11 or 12 years old. A study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health found that 12% of 6th grade girls and 19% of 7th grade girls had tried cigarette smoking. However, regular daily smoking was still more common in the later high school years.
This data indicates that while some girls experiment with smoking in middle school, most girls who go on to become regular smokers take up the habit at 15-17 years old.
Age breakdown of initiation of daily smoking among girls:
- Age 11-12: Very few (less than 5%)
- Age 13-14: Around 10%
- Age 15-16: Around 15-20%
- Age 17-18: Around 20-25%
In summary, the risk of becoming a regular smoker increases significantly throughout the high school years, with the late teens being the most likely time for girls to start daily smoking.
Factors that influence what age girls begin smoking
There are a number of risk factors that can make a girl more likely to experiment with smoking at an earlier age and progress to regular smoking.
Peer and social influences
Having friends or peers who smoke is one of the biggest risk factors for adolescent girls beginning to smoke. According to a National Institutes of Health (NIH) report, having two or more friends who smoke increases the risk of teen smoking by 2 to 6 times.
Girls who perceive smoking as a normative social activity, have lower refusal self-efficacy, or lack assertiveness skills to resist peer pressure are also more likely to initiate smoking earlier, frequently in middle school. Positive portrayals of smoking in media further normalize the behavior.
Family factors
Girls who have parents, siblings, or other family members who smoke are significantly more likely to start smoking at younger ages themselves. Having a parent who is permissive of smoking or does not strongly discourage it also increases the risk.
Girls from families with lower socioeconomic status backgrounds tend to begin experimenting with smoking earlier as well.
Individual risk factors
Certain personality traits and behavioral issues can also lead girls to start smoking cigarettes at younger ages, such as:
- Low self-esteem
- Poor academic performance
- Rebelliousness
- Risk-taking tendencies
- Stress or mental health issues like anxiety and depression
Girls facing difficult life circumstances or trauma are at higher risk of early smoking initiation as well.
Genetic and biological factors
Studies show that certain genetic variants affecting nicotine metabolism and the brain’s reward pathways may predispose some girls to start experimenting with smoking earlier in adolescence when peer smoking is present.
Early pubertal maturation has also been associated with increased risk of early smoking among girls.
Why is it important to prevent early smoking initiation?
The younger a girl starts smoking, the greater her risk of becoming a regular lifelong smoker and experiencing smoking-related health problems. According to the CDC:
- 8 in 10 adult smokers started before age 18
- Each day about 2,000 kids under 18 years old smoke their first cigarette
- Only 1 in 100 people who begin smoking after age 25 become daily smokers
Plus, health risks are greater the earlier smoking starts due to prolonged exposure. People who start smoking before age 15 are twice as likely to develop lung cancer later in life compared to those who begin smoking at age 20 or older, according to the NIH.
That’s why public health efforts aimed at youth smoking prevention are so critical. The adolescent brain is still developing and more vulnerable to nicotine addiction. Stopping girls from even trying cigarettes until the adult years can drastically reduce their lifelong tobacco addiction risk.
Strategies for preventing early smoking initiation
Here are some evidence-based strategies that can help prevent girls from starting to smoke cigarettes at young ages:
School smoking bans and anti-tobacco education
School policies prohibiting tobacco use and tobacco sales to minors help denormalize the behavior. Integrating anti-tobacco messaging into school curriculums has also been shown to reduce smoking initiation among youth.
Limiting media depictions of smoking
Reducing positive portrayals of smoking in youth-oriented media like movies, TV shows, advertising, and social media helps limit the influence of pro-smoking social norms.
Increasing cigarette prices
Higher cigarette prices reduce youth smoking rates by making it less accessible for teens and youth.
Parental education and smoking bans at home
Parents should learn about teen smoking risks and set clear rules against smoking at a young age. Quitting, or at least not smoking in front of teens, also helps prevent early smoking initiation.
Access to smoking cessation support
Making cessation resources readily available can help some teens quit smoking before they transition into adulthood and reduce the likelihood they develop lifelong nicotine addiction.
What age do girls start smoking regularly?
While some girls may try their first cigarette at 11 or 12 years old, regular daily smoking is uncommon until the mid-to-late teens. Here is an overview of the data on the ages at which girls typically escalate to regular smoking:
Ages 11-14
Most girls have not started smoking regularly at this age. Around 5% smoke occasionally. Less than 2% smoke daily.
Ages 15-17
Smoking increases substantially during high school. About 13% smoke occasionally and 7% smoke daily at age 15. By age 17, about 22% smoke occasionally and 18% smoke daily.
Age 18+
Daily smoking prevalence continues to rise in the late teens and early 20s, peaking around age 20-25 years old. After age 25, rates of daily smoking begin to decline.
In summary, while smoking occasionally may begin as early as age 11 or 12 for some girls, regular daily smoking is most likely to start in the mid-to-late teenage years and peak during the early twenties before declining in the late twenties.
How many cigarettes do teenage girls smoke per day?
Among girls who smoke regularly, the number of cigarettes smoked per day typically begins low in early adolescence and increases with age as addiction strengthens.
Studies show that teenage girls who smoke typically consume the following number of cigarettes per day on average:
- Age 13-14: 5 cigarettes per day
- Age 15-16: 8 cigarettes per day
- Age 17-19: 12 cigarettes per day
However, there is considerable variation among individuals in smoking frequency. Here is a breakdown of the percentage of teen girls who smoke different amounts each day:
| Age | 1-5 Cigarettes | 6-10 Cigarettes | 11-20 Cigarettes | 21+ Cigarettes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13-14 years | 70% | 25% | 5% | Less than 1% |
| 15-17 years | 30% | 40% | 25% | 5% |
| 18-19 years | 15% | 35% | 40% | 10% |
As seen above, the percentage of girls smoking more than 10 cigarettes a day rises substantially between ages 13 and 19 as addiction increases with prolonged smoking.
Conclusion
Smoking continues to be a major public health threat that typically starts in adolescence. While some girls may experiment as early as middle school, regular daily smoking is most likely to begin in the mid-to-late teen years. The risk rises with age, with almost 20% of girls smoking daily by 12th grade.
Early initiation sets up a lifetime of addiction and health issues. That’s why comprehensive tobacco control strategies are needed to prevent adolescents from ever trying that first cigarette in the hopes of substantially reducing smoking rates for generations to come.