270 Unit 4 Understanding and Avoiding Hazardous Substances Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Exploring a New Identity Some teenagers start to smoke as a way of trying out a new identity. Teens may associate smoking with maturity, sophistication, or glamour. They may believe that, by smoking, they will gain all of these things. Young people may also begin smoking because they want to be viewed as rebellious and tough, perhaps in part because buying cigarettes is illegal for most high school students. Most teenagers, however, do not view smokers as popular or cool. Sur- veys have found that teenagers see smokers as unhealthy, foolish, and poor performers in the classroom. Social Factors Some people begin using tobacco products because they want to fit in fi with or imitate community and cultural norms. These social factors have a strong impact on tobacco use (Figure 9.9). Parents Parents’ attitudes and behaviors about smoking have a strong influencefl on whether or not teenagers smoke. Teenagers are much less likely to start smoking if their parents set clear expectations, discussing and following through on consequences for smoking. Teens who describe their parents or culture as being strongly against smoking are less likely to smoke than teens who see their parents or culture as open-minded toward smoking. Smoking can lead to social rejection because of other dangerous behaviors that are associated with smoking. What behaviors do you associate with smoking? Figure 9.9