In 1920, Normal Rockwell – arbiter of all things Americana – painted his famous “Boys
Smoking” picture. Art lovers have lovingly gazed at this famous painting with the image of two smoking boys and in reference guides it is referred to as a painting noted for its humor. The facial expressions of the boys smoking are analyzed and critics have been fond of saying that this pivotal moment in the kids’ lives is a rite of passage that illustrates how the growing boys are getting ready to leave childish things behind and instead aim toward the more grown up activities, such as smoking.

While these are neither cigar smoking boys nor cigarette smoking boys, pipe tobacco is just as grown up, and in many ways the painting may be reminiscent of the depictions of Huckleberry Finn. Fast forwarding to today, the picture of a boy smoking is unsettling. No longer is a smoking boy considered a slice of Americana, but instead a serious problem that affects all segments of society. As a matter of fact, the number of boys smoking cigars is up, as are the numbers of boys smoking cigarettes, Marijuana, and other substances. Studies conducted to find out why teen boy smoking is on the rise have found that generally speaking, boys smoking are the loners, the kids on the fringe who do not have many friends, and who are desperately attempting to somehow fit into a more grown up role.

Unable to abide the peer pressure, and not selected to be part of the “in group,” the boys smoking are trying to carve out a niche that positions them between childhood and adulthood. While the psychological intricacies are many and detailed, the fact remains that a boy, smoke or no smoke, which experiences the alienation that many of the teen boys smoking appear to be living out is crying out for help in more ways than one. Rather than seeing the little boy smoking as someone who is living out a bit of Americana or simply going through a rite of passage, consider that there is real trouble brewing.

Do not believe that your boy is safe – there are boy scouts smoking who are proudly displaying their Eagle Scout badges! Thus, the next time you look at the pictures of “Boys Smoking,” consider that young boys smoking condemns them to a potentially cut short life filled with disease, missed opportunities, and physiological as well as psychological ramifications. A boy smoking a cigarette is more than meets the eye!