t's well known that most smokers took their first puff in their teens -- or even earlier. But the health risks associated with this decision aren't just of developing cancer decades down the road. Cigarette smoking in teens and children also can cause health problems in the short-term, including an increase in asthma and respiratory illnesses, decreased physical fitness, problem cough, increased phlegm production, cholesterol abnormalities and possible retardation of lung growth and lung function. Following are some statistics about teen tobacco use, courtesy of the American Lung Association: Each day nearly 5,000 adolescents (age 11-17) smoke their first cigarette. That's about 2 million annually. At least 4.5 million teens are current smokers; 22.4 percent of all 12th graders in 1998 smoked cigarettes daily. Approximately one-third of young smokers eventually die from smoking-related illnesses. Tobacco use primarily begins in early adolescence, typically by age 16. Virtually all first-time use occurs before high school graduation. Tobacco use in teens is associated with a range of other health-compromising behaviors, including high-risk sexual behavior and using alcohol or drugs. Most first-time cigarette users are encouraged to try by a friend, peer or sibling who already smokes. © Your HealthStyle, 2002.