We all know smoking causes cancer, emphysema, and heart disease.  It's an expensive, dirty habit that's no longer tolerated in most public spaces.  So why our our daughters still so tempted by what could easily evolve into a dangerous, life-long addiction?  Well, they think smoking will make them skinny.  But they're wrong.  And the news is even worse for boys.

A new study sponsored by the Canadian Cancer Society followed over 1200 Montreal teenagers for five years.  Although the girls in the study often started smoking because they thought it would help them lose weight, researchers found that the girls who smoked weren't any more successful at keeping their weight down than the non-smoking subjects.

The study did show an impact on boys' size, however - smoking stunted their growth.  Boys who smoked ten cigarettes a day from age 12 to 17 were an average of 2.5 cm shorter than their non-smoking peers, and had a lower body mass index. 

So, tell your kids!!!  Given that my first-grader has already rejected empire waist dresses because she thinks they make her look fat, I've come to believe that girls will do anything if they think it will make them skinny.  Maybe, given the conclusions reached by this study, some of them will now pursue less harmful ways of controlling their weight, like laxatives or speed.