An issue in our community is teens who smoke. Frequently, I see minors smoking on corners with their friends. Just the other day, a young teen walked up to me and asked if I had a cigarette and a lighter.

Smoking is very bad for you.

I think that teens who smoke are making a bad choice. Anyone who smokes is making a bad choice. It’s bad for you, and it kills you. You are doing something to make your life shorter.

Most smokers start before the age of 18. More than 3,000 young people become regular smokers daily.

Cigarettes are considered a “gateway drug.” Their use tends to precede the use of alcohol and the use of other drugs.

A recent survey says that teens that smoke cigarettes are more likely to smoke pot than teens who don’t touch tobacco.

Smoking brings along danger not only to you, but also to the people around you.

I think that if adults or people in general see teens smoking that they should report it. Police should start coming down on teens who smoke and on parents who give out cigarettes to minors. They could send the kids to the smoking cessation school where they teach you about what happens to you and show you pictures of what your lungs look like after you have smoked. People need to understand what they are going to themselves and others when they smoke.

Ben Hartnett, Auburn