why do teenagers think its cool to smoke and drink at a young age?

Because they see there friends doing it and mom and dad tell them it's forbidden. The forbidden fruit is ALWAYS the sweetest. :(

Because the sort of world they are living in tell them to drink and smoke. All hollywood stars smoke and drink in front of millions of viewers and they make it look so attractive. Teenagers are bound to get sucked into this trend of binge drinking and smoking hash.

Despite having a legal drinking age of 21, binge drinking in the United States remains very prevalent among high school and college students. Using the popular 5/4 definition of "binge drinking", one study found that, in 1999, 44% of American college students (51% male, 40% female) engaged in this practice at least once in the past two weeks.

Canadian binge drinking rates are comparable to the United States, and resemble most the geographically similar states that border on it. For example, 29% of 15-19 year olds (35% male, 22% female) and 37% of 20-24 year olds (47% male, 17.9% female) report having 5 or more drinks on one occasion, 12 or more times a year in 2000-01.

Binge drinking is quite prevalent in New Zealand. Concerns over binge drinking by teenagers has led to a review of liquor advertising being announced by the New Zealand government in January 2006. The review considered regulation of sport sponsorship by liquor companies, which at present is commonplace. Previously the drinking age in New Zealand was 20, then dropped to 18 in 1999. In direct conjunction with the age-lowering, the Police were found to strictly enforce the on-license (bar, restaurant) code for underage-drinking, less so for the off-licences (liquor stores, supermarkets). As a result, young people ages 15–17 (ironically) found it significantly harder to get into (or be served at) bars and restaurants than it was before with a poorly enforced (though higher) drinking age of 20. This asymmetric enforcement led to a period of many of New Zealand's youth getting strangers to purchase high alcohol content beverages for them (e.g. cheap vodka or rum) at liquor stores. A propensity to consume an entire bottle of spirits developed and led to an instant increase in the amount of youths under 18 being admitted to A&E hospitals. The price of alcohol at supermarkets and liquor stores had also gone down. Alcohol remains cheap, and sweet, spirit-based ready to drink beverages (similar to alcopops) remain popular among young people.

SAVE OUR YOUTH.

Shalom.

Rebellion, I'd guess. But to be honest, I think it's because said teenager is a damn idiot. Maybe I feel a bit stronger about this than most, but watching someone slowly die from cigarettes really makes you hate anyone who starts doing that crap. Especially in an age where you know what they can do. You have access to ALL of that information yet you'd still start smoking?

Then said kid is an idiot. Simple.

It makes you forget about life when your drunk or high makes you feel better bout everything when your depressed

It makes you forget about life when your drunk or high makes you feel better bout everything when your depressed

Cause they are copying the adults.

There are a few basic reasons:

1. It's a form of rebellion. If it weren't smoking and drinking, it'd be something else, like hair styles, piercings, and tattos.

2. It's an image thing. Which may be part of peer pressure.

3. It makes them feel good. The buzz they get is what they want.

That's about it.

because people parents around or they see people doing it

Because teens rebell

Well where ever you go theres always smoking and drinking.
EX. Radio
Tv
Posters
EVERYWHERE
it also engouergeous them when there fave stars do it like the chef said its like a trend

they dont think its cool......... smoking and drinking is very relaxing

They have had a lot of great teachers....

I don't think that they believe it's cool, I think it's just that it's there and a lot of people are bored.

The same reason teenagers through the ages have thought that.

Who is telling them it isn't? Except thier parents...

doing something your parents say not to do give them a sense of rebelion. i mean really what kid fallowed all their parents rules? not many! and it's not all about being cool all the time..