My Attitude to Smoking

Smoking cigarettes is probably one of the most toxic things you can put in your body. It used to be popular back in the day, because people just wanted to do it for the thrill and because it was a common thing to do so most people tagged along and did it too. People also choose to smoke cigarettes to try to reduce stress and, but it really isn’t worth getting cancer and diseases from it.

        Furthermore, I already knew a few things about cigarettes.

Such as, you have to be eighteen or older to purchase cigarettes, and if someone continues to smoke regularly it could lead to diseases and cancer in the long run. You can tell if someone is a smoker by the looks of how it can affect their body, they can appear to have what is called a smokers cough that is very deep and raspy, and they could have yellowness in the white in their eyes and teeth.

        I would like to find out why people continue to smoke even though they know the long term dangers and diseases that follow? Also, I would like to know why is it so hard for people to quit smoking. I searched online and read articles, essay and biographies learning about why people still smoke and why it is so hard for them to quit. People can try harder to quit smoking, because of the dangers to their bodies, the dangers to other people from secondhand smoke, there are alternatives other than e-cigarettes which are still harmful, there are campaigns out there to fight for prevention of smoking, and smoking can lead to being addicted to nicotine.

        First, people should take in the cautions if they are wanting to become a smoker due to the dangers being severe and life threatening. Smoking is one of the most caused deaths and cause of cancer, “The National Cancer Institute estimates that smoking alone is directly responsible for at least one-third of all cancer deaths in the United States”(Torr). The clarification from The National Cancer Institute should fuel people to take in what could really happen to them in the long run if they were to decide to start smoking on a daily, this proof could help prevent many people from getting cancer and suffering if they were to really understand that precaution.  So, if more people were aware of that fact more people could quit smoking.

        Next, smokers should take into consideration that not only are they affecting their health, but the health of many other innocent people, children and possibly animals by them inhaling the secondhand smoke. Secondhand smoke can be way more dangerous to people than lead on, “the Environmental Protection Agency has classified second-hand smoke as a Group A carcinogen, known to cause cancer in humans”(Blanchfield). Secondhand smoke can affect many people and loved ones if they are to inhale too much smoke, they could end up with a serious health condition that could jeopardize their life, this should give a smoker a good reason to quit smoking.

        Third, could be alternatives to smoking, but e-cigarettes it not one of them. Smokers could lean on gum and patches that are made to help smokers quit smoking, but they should not go to e-cigarettes as a solution, because they can do just as much damage as a traditional cigarette, “electronic cigarettes contain 15 times more formaldehyde (an agent used in embalming dead bodies) than traditional cigarettes, nitrosamines a known cancer-causing agent, propylene glycol (a solvent that is used in soaps and antiperspirants), and other potentially toxic chemicals, including chromium and tin” (Radcliff). Also, “nicotine patches and gum slowly release small amounts into the body”(Radcliff), and this could help smokers quit smoking little by little, but e-cigarettes have a very likely chance to not, and e-cigarettes are very much as dangerous as a cigarette could be if someone relies on it, because of all the chemicals being put into one’s body, and this should also should help smokers quit due to there being alternatives other than something dangerous.

        Then, campaigns are out on social media, billboards, articles, etc. to help encourage people to quit smoking or not to smoke and Charles Everett Koop was someone who’s campaign impacted greatly. Charles Everett Koop launched anti-smoking and anti-tobacco that were proven to be very effective, his anti-tobacco campaign helped bring to attention to hazards of tobacco and smoking and “by 1987 smoking was banned in all federal buildings and regulated in restaurants, hospitals, and other public places in over 40 states” (Batten). This campaign brought to attention to many people of the effects smoking has on people and raised awareness and public buildings and airlines took into action to ban smoking on the premise. These campaigns can help smokers realize what they are doing to their body and help them to develop the mentality to quit smoking.

        Lastly, smoking cigarettes can be hard to quit once you’ve started, because cigarettes contain nicotine which is addictive and is hard to quit. Smoking is one of the most preventable causes of death and “once [smokers] have started smoking regularly,” states former FDA commissioner David A. Kessler, “most smokers are in effect deprived of the choice to stop smoking.”(Torr).  This quote says that once smokers start smoking they are basically giving up the option to quit, because once you start it is hard to stop due to nicotine being an addictive property similar to how cocaine is addictive. If people are aware of this, this should mean a lot and make people not want to smoke.

        What I learned is e-cigarettes are far more dangerous than portrayed and they contain high amounts of formaldehyde and other chemicals. Also, that nicotine is as addictive as hard drugs like cocaine and heroin and this is why smokers can not just choose to quit, because the nicotine addiction has taken over their body and mind. Lastly, I learned that you can get cancer and health problems just by inhaling the secondhand smoke of a smoker for a long amount of time.

        My research told me that the internet was in fact easier than books, magazines , etc., because if you were to type in the keyword or phrase the internet filters everything out to what you are looking for within a matter of seconds, whereas having to look for page numbers and through an  index and multiple books that could take much longer in time. Most of my good information came from viewpoint essays that contained many statistics and facts.

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