Teen Unhealthy Behaviors - take Tobacco Abuse. For more than 30 years, researchers and tobacco control experts have attempted to find a solution to the problem of underage smoking. Billions of dollars have been spent. Countless studies and surveys have been conducted. Numerous programs and approaches have been tried, from school-based anti-tobacco education programs to the banning of tobacco advertising. All apparently to no avail, because today's youth smoking rates are as high as they were 20 years ago.

From 1999 National Youth Tobacco Survey found with middle school students 12.8% and of high school students 34.8% who used some form of tobacco {cigarettes, smokeless tobacco products, cigars, pipes, bidis (thin unfiltered flavored cigarettes or kreteks (clove cigarettes)}. Let's face it - kids these days have a hard time growing up under this influence. Making the move to adulthood even more complex are the possibility of family problems, poverty and illness.

The solution to avoiding teen unhealthy behavior (tobacco use, alcohol use, use of other abused drugs) starts with a strong community support system for each and every youngster that will be there in the good times and help them get through the rough times. The support system (guidance, reinforcement) consists of a combination of parents, grandparents, educators, religious groups, siblings and close friends serving as role models - total community involvement. The goals are to both teach right and wrong by example and have the youngsters feel good about themselves. When children feel valued, have self-esteem and have a positive attitude they are more likely to develop healthy skills, avoid risky behavior and remain in school.

We'll all agree that the kids in our communities have plenty of outside pressures to lead them down the wrong trail. School performance is a critical point where some of our youngsters can start to have problems. There are sort of two groups: one group is of the students doing well in school, that gets the most attention from educators and can look forward to attending college and having a bright future. The second group has a much more difficult time. Peer pressure is important here - the kids in the first group all of sudden no longer want to bother with kids who fall into Group #2. School is not going well and group #2 students may have difficulty relating to peers or even may have problems at home. These kids naturally want to fit in, to belong, and get the feeling sometimes of "why even try," and start to look for alternatives that can lead to unhealthy behaviors. Wanting to be accepted, they start searching out fellow students with similar problems. Others may be already engaging in unhealthy behaviors--they find it "cool" to take unhealthy risks and jeopardize their future.

We can't let this happen because these kids ARE our future. Continuous on-going support to convince each student he/she can be successful, has to be in place; we need to convince the students in Group #2 that everyone can be successful and have a positive future with effort. A program needs to be in-place that helps students determine their interests and capabilities, that they are capable of pursuing these interests and that their pursuits would lead to good availability of jobs. We need to provide direction and continuous encouragement to convince the children to believe in themselves; to help the students succeed and create a path for them to accomplish their goals.

Job availability - for a community support program to be successful there must be the availability of jobs for these kids. It is impossible to stop abusive behavior if we can't guarantee a positive future with a little bit of effort on the part the teenager. Recently a spokesman for the African American community indicated that 40% of black males between the ages of 16 and 65 are unemployed. Another obstacle: Smokers Need Not Apply!! - this message has begun to appear more and more on job descripions.

We all want our youngsters to become happy, successful productive members of our communities. Let's get started helping these kids through their difficult years.

We must realize that some of the most successful people were late bloomers or slow achievers who never gave up-we must find the reason why they did not give up.