Menthol cigarettes are no safer than regular cigarettes. But the unique flavor and “cooling” effect may be especially appealing to teens and young adults.

It’s not exactly a surprise to hear that some teens may drink, smoke or use drugs. But the sheer number of teens engaging in these behaviors may be a bit of a shock.

Popular music artists often sing about partying and drinking. Many underage kids listen to those songs, which sometimes can sound like advertisements for specific brands of alcohol.

Smokers tend to pick up the habit earlier rather than later in life. Fortunately, getting ahold of cigarettes has become tougher and fewer teens are lighting up these days.

Smoking is linked to many more health problems than bad breath and lung cancer. The key to preventing the health issues is to prevent children and teens from starting to smoke in the first place.

When a person smokes, those immediately around that person are forced to "smoke" also. If people around the smoker have asthma, the smoke can make their condition worse.

It's often possible to detect future problems among children who are disruptive in school. Even kindergartners who act up might be at greater risk for problems later — unless someone steps in.

"Do as I say, not as I do," may be an attractive saying for parents, but it may not work very well. When it comes to smoking in particular, children often follow their parents' examples.

They say where there's smoke, there's fire. But even if there's not smoke, there could still be a problem — when you're talking about tobacco and kids, that is.

Video games can be great for having fun, and they can even help develop spatial and problem-solving skills. But too much of a good thing might be a problem for some kids.