Teenage Smoking
When I went to visit my grandmother in the hospital, she was critically ill. I heard the doctor say that she would have a much better chance of survival if she had not been a smoker most of her life. I made the decision then that I would not smoke. Every day more than 3,000 teenagers become regular smokers. That number translates to more than 1 million teenagers a year. About one third of them will eventually die from a tobacco-related disease. Cigarettes kill more than 400,000 Americans every year. A person who smokes a pack or more of cigarettes each day will live about seven fewer years than a nonsmoker. Further, smoking hurts young people's physical performance and endurance. Smoking in young people can hamper both the rate of lung growth and the level of maximum lung functioning. Young people who regularly smoke cough more, have increased phlegm, and more frequency and severity of respiratory illnesses. The Surgeon General's report found that the younger a person starts smoking cigarettes, the more likely he or she is to become strongly addicted to nicotine.
Almost ninety percent of adult smokers begin smoking at or before age eighteen. Currently, about 4.5 million children ages 12 to 17 are smokers, and teenage smoking is still on the rise. Tobacco companies spend roughly $5 billion each year, which is over $13 million every day, promoting their products. Numerous tobacco industry documents that have recently become public because of lawsuits established which the tobacco industry perceives teenagers as a key market for their products. Because of this perception, the tobacco industry has studied the smoking habits of teenagers and developed advertising campaigns aimed at them. One solut...
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..., then the health problems associated with smoking will escalate, and there will be more than 400,000 tobacco-related deaths each year. If no one in the world smoked, there would be no tobacco-related illnesses, which include second-hand smoke. Additionally, if no one in the world smoked, there would be no pressure for teenagers to smoke.
Works Cited
- Cigarettes—What’s in them? Tobacco Fact Sheet. 1997. <http://www.
cancercouncil.com.au/cncrinfo/schools/students/smoking_cigarettes.htm>.
- Effects of Second-Hand Smoke. Access Health, Inc. 1996. <https://www.your
Health.com/ahl/1842.html.>
- Teenage Smoking. Kristin Cappon and Kevin Cronk. 2000. <http:// www.
imcnet.net/sybermag/features/smoking.htm.>
- Tobacco—Health Facts. WHO OMS. 1999 April. <http://www.who.int/
inf-fs/en/fact221.html>.
Tobacco companies have relied on the media to lure children. They quickly realized that ‘the company that dominates is that which most effectively targets young”(Imperial Tobacco document.) To counteract the idea of disease and other negative aspects of tobacco, the industry used imagery in the media such as natural settings and healthy actors doing active things. This helps them to insinuate that smoking leads to success, romance, sophistication and other advancements in their lifestyle, which was easily imprinted in the minds of children. A document found among Imperial tobacco files described their priority: “…having our imagery reach those non-reading young people who frequent malls should be our chief goal.”(1.170) Unaware of how important the under 18 market was to the industry, the government could only attempt to lengthen the distance between schools and billboards because they’re ineffective attempts were ignored by the large corporations. With many billboards concentrated in small areas it put the idea in children’s minds that smoking was socially acceptable and that t...
Throughout the book, the conflict between the mothers, their Chinese tradition, and language and the daughters, their American tradition, and language are evident. Suyuan and Jing-Mei Woo are mother and daughter, respectively, who are characters that illustrate the conflict between the two cultures.
Through public education, most elementary school kids can understand that smoking is bad for them and that cigarettes are additive. Cigarettes are addictive due to nicotine, a drug found in tobacco (“Quitting Smoking”, 2015). According to Schneider (2016), some of the greatest health problems associated with smoking include: lung cancer, other cancers, coronary heart disease, other heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, other vascular disease, diabetes mellitus, pneumonia, influenza, tuberculosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), prenatal conditions, and sudden infant death syndrome. As stated by the Authority of the American Lung Association in an article titled “Health
Smoking is a lifestyle, a habit, and a trend. Smoking has become a social activity among teens, connecting them through the craving of a smoke. Smoking is seen as seductive and cool in the media and movies which influences teenagers to smoke even more. The World Health Organization has stated that “Tobacco kills around 6 million people each year. More than 5 million of those deaths are the result of direct tobacco use while more than 600,000 are the result of non-smokers being exposed to second-hand smoke.” As of April 2016, only 7% of teenagers in the U.S. smoke, but it is said that tobacco use will kill 8 million people annually by 2030. 99% of adult smokers start in their years as teenagers. Smoking is an epidemic that has taken control of people’s lives since 1881 and the media since the early 1900s. Smoking currently kills about 440,000 people a year in the U.S. I feel that it is an issue because it is the #1 most preventable way to die, but people still continue to smoke because of how it looks and how they are perceived as a person if they do. The fact that people become addicted to a trend that will attribute to their death for the sake of being thought of as cooler, is a problem that needs to be addressed.
Smoking is injurious to health which can cause anyone deadly diseases. “Tar in cigarette smoke paralyzes the cilia in the lungs” (Newman). The parts in cigarettes have different causes to y health which is a dark thick flammable liquid distilled from wood or coal, causing of a mixture of hydrocarbons, resins, alcohol and other compound. Also, research states, “Smoking triples the risk of developing thyroid disease ” (Newman). This can be contagious which can happen to a second-hand smoker. Additionally,” Smoking also reduces sperm density and their motility, increasing the risk for infertility’’ (Newman). Fourthly, “Smoking double the risk of ischemic stroke” (Newman). The ischemic stroke reduces blood flow to the brain which can cause a person death. Moreover, “50% of young deaths, below age 65 from heart disease are caused by smoking” (Newman). The reason is because of the harmful chemical and ingredients in the cigarette. Finally, Smoking can give people deadly effects that can change anyone’s life in the future.
not work they can ask someone old enough to buy packs for them. Although, it is
This year alone cigarettes will kill over 420,000 Americans, and many more will suffer from cancers, and circulatory and respiratory system diseases. These horrible illnesses were known to come from cigarettes for years. Recently the Food and Drug Administration declared nicotine, the main chemical in cigarettes, addictive. This explains why smokers continue to use cigarettes even though smokers are aware of the constantly warned about health dangers in cigarettes. Some researchers have also found out that smoking by pregnant women causes the deaths of over 5,000 babies and 115,000 miscarriages. The only way to get rid of the suffering and loss of life by cigarettes is to ban them. . For years cigarettes have been known to cause cancer, emphysema, and other horrible illnesses. The deaths of over 420,000 of Americans this year will be do to cigarettes. With all the other causes of deaths, alcohol, illegal drugs, AIDS, suicide, transportation accidents, fires, and guns, cigarettes still count for more deaths than those do combined. We can’t stand and watch people die because they smoke cigarettes. Thousands of smokers try to rid themselves of cigarettes but can't because of additive nicotine. Nicotine was recently declared addictive by the Food and Drug Administration, which explains why many smokers continue to smoke despite the health warnings on cigarette smoking. Nicotine makes it almost impossible for cigarette smokers to quit smoking because of its addictive nature, and with the cigarette manufacturers putting just enough nicotine in the so they cant be outlawed. The benefits of outlawing cigarettes greatly outnumber the disadvantages, for example, many scientists believe a link between smoking and a shortened life span exists between the two, a ban on cigarettes could increase life spans. Many studies suggest that billions of dollars now spent on smoking related. Smoking related illnesses could be reduced by outlawing cigarettes, families could save money by not purchasing cigarettes, and accidental fires costing millions of dollars caused by cigarettes would stop. Although a complete ban on cigarettes currently remains almost impossible, several organizations recently helped create a bill that could control cigarettes much in the same way the government now controls drugs. One such organization, the Food and Drug Administration, headed by David Kesslar drafted a major part, which would require manufacturers to disclose the 700 chemical additives in cigarettes, reduce the level of harmful chemicals, require cigarette companies to warn of the addictive nicotine, restrict tobacco advertising and promotion, and control the level of nicotine cigarettes contain.
In recent years, smoking has started to take over the lives of many teenagers. The number of teenagers smoking has increased dramatically in the last several years. This is a major problem because smoking can lead to sickness and major diseases that can lead to death. Teens tend to participate in this while out of the presence of an adult figure. Although teens should not be smoking in the first place, an adult figure should be around to help insure that their children are doing the right things, even when they are behind sealed doors with their peers. Teenagers as they mature become a model for younger children and when they set the example of smoking can ruin their respectable image to the children that look up to them.
Smoking is one of the highly health threatening bad habits in our economy today. Smoke causes lung cancer and other life threatening situations. Quitting smoking reduces the risk of bad lungs and cancers for your loved ones around you. My Grandpa smokes more than often and has had several heart attacks and is still with me today, I hope to have him for another 17 years and more. Smoking harms nearly every organ of the body and diminishes a person’s overall health. Millions of Americans have health problems caused by smoking.
Peer pressure, to availability, to promotion, to the main cause, negative influences. These are some reasons that cause teens to smoke before the age of 18. Peer pressure is one of the most common effects that cause teens to smoke or try something that shouldn’t be tried. Especially when hanging with friends, a lot of teens get pressured into doing things and one of them is smoking. Friends pressure them into smoking and that’s when they try to fit in so they won’t get teased or become ashamed because they didn’t want to try it. Promotion or availability is when teens get influenced by watching adults such as relatives, parents, aunts and uncles smoke. They pick up that vibe where in their mind they are thinking "If they can do that, then why can’t I?" Also when teens watch someone they look up to as a role model, they follow them because they want to be just like them, but one day not realizing they are picking up a bad habit that shouldn’t be followed. Even favorite singers, actors etc., are strong influences on young teens. Availability is another, especially when parents allow their kids to smoke and also giving them the cigarettes to smoke or some go to a gas station and have someone older get a pack of cigarettes for them because of being underage. (Due to peer pressure, 2003)
Although it is beneficial for the economy for the production of tobacco products it is extremely risky to use the product. According to researchers second-hand smoke is terrible for everyone in the world who walk by someone who is exhaling. In the article by Robert Proctor “Why ban the sale of cigarettes? The case for abolition” he states that cigarettes are the “most deadl...
The smoker also helps 500-1000 non smokers die each year from lung cancer and cardiovascular disease . Moreover, the person to the children developing asthma and allergies.
The governments must ban the sales of tobacco products. There are many consequences to smoking like health, addiction, cessation and economic costs. Second hand smoke is a major problem, since smoking is allowed in alot of public places.
Advertising and marketing of cigarettes are a big factor as to why teenagers smoke. There are promotions for different brands like Joe Camal and Marlboro Man. They’re some of the biggest marketing campaigns on T.V. Both companies have giveaways like T-shirts in return for coupons accumulated by buying their brand of cigarettes. Different cigarette companies make the...
Smoking has a very negative impact on the health of people and causes serious long-term and short-term health problems for both the smoker and non-smoker. The act of smoking began since centuries ago. Today, many people still smoke knowing the fact that it can lead to seious heatlh problems and also possibly death.