If all young people were to stop smoking from 2032, this would save around 120,000 cancer diagnoses by 2045. This is evident from research by the Integrated Cancer Center of the Netherlands. An illusion, because they see that young people are smoking more and more. This also appears at the Summa Sport College in Eindhoven. “I feel a bit bad about it,” says one of the students.
Smoking is bad for your health. The students at Summa College know that. Still, that doesn’t stop them from smoking or vaping. “I was depressed and that’s why I started smoking. Now I’m addicted,” says a boy who is taking the level 4 sports training. “So it’s important that I quit smoking, but yes… All my friends smoke too.”
The sports training includes guest lessons on chronic diseases, such as COPD. “Then someone comes along who has such a disease and he explains about his life. Usually these people have undergone major operations or they cannot even walk for five minutes without being out of breath,” says another student, while he smokes a cigarette. “That makes you think.”
The boy is training to become a movement psychologist. “I do have good intentions. I want to stop. I still have a slip from Greece, but when it runs out I will stop,” he promises. “I wouldn’t want to get cancer. So if quitting smoking can make a difference, I’ll think about it.”
One of the girls from the course also hopes to quit. “I started because of stress. I saw everyone smoking and then I wanted to try it too. It looks attractive,” she says. “But I do think about the risks and I’m afraid of getting cancer early. I won’t smoke in five years, I promise!”
“I don’t think there is anything that can motivate me to quit smoking.”
While some young people do think about the consequences of smoking, there are also those who don’t care. “I feel a bit bad about it. I don’t think there is anything that can motivate me to quit smoking,” says one of the sports students resolutely. “I’ll still be smoking in five years. Then I think I’ll be a chain smoker.”
Not only cigarettes are popular among young people, vaping is also popular. “I usually smoke during breaks or when I’m outside and I also vape,” says another student. “I think more young people have started smoking because of flavored vapes. Cigarettes stink, but vapes don’t.” This boy doesn’t think he’s going to stop just like that either. “I will only stop when a pack costs 25 euros.”
“Vaping is an alternative to smoking, but it contains a lot of nicotine.”
For Jolanda Sinha of the Netherlands Comprehensive Cancer Center, it is painful to see that young people do not always think about the consequences of smoking. And she also sees that vaping has become an important part of the problem. “The tobacco industry has been very smart. Vaping is an alternative to smoking, but it contains a lot of nicotine, so it is just as addictive as cigarettes.”
The cancer center’s research shows that lung, bladder and esophageal cancer are the main cancers caused by smoking. “We have calculated what will happen if all young people stop smoking from 2032. Then we arrive at 120,000 cancer diagnoses that we can prevent over the next 20 years.”
Sinha knows that it is an ambitious goal to get all young people to quit smoking. “It is not realistic, but we want to show with these figures that it pays to aim for a smoke-free generation,” she says. “Unfortunately, many young people still think that it is ‘cool’ to smoke and we really need to get rid of that. It should no longer be cool, it should be banned.”
According to Sinha, that responsibility does not only lie with the smokers themselves. “The government must draw up rules around the marketing of tobacco. They must enforce illegal tobacco imports and create smoke-free environments. And we must focus on smoking cessation programs, for example through the GP or through schools,” she explains. “Parents can also start the conversation. It is the responsibility of all of us.”
