Smoking Kills
We all know smoking kills. But shocking new research form the University of Birmingham has highlighted just how dangerous the habit can be, and how we, the teenage population, are most at risk. The study shows, astoundingly, that over half of under-16s have smoked a cigarette, and that one in every ten smokes regularly; a statistic which I doubt will surprise you immensely. The fact of the matter, though, is that this is a massive issue, especially in light of recent discoveries which suggest smoking is even more dangerous than previously thought.
What’s all the fuss about then, you may think. If one in ten teenagers are smoking, it means there’s another nine who aren’t – so one in ten is really no big deal, is it? Well, actually... it is. People who start smoking as teenagers are proven to be twice as likely to die from smoking-related diseases as those who start in their 20s; this would indicate that that quick fag behind the bike sheds is actually have a detrimental effect on your future, as it leads to an addiction which is incredibly hard to shrug off and can, put simply, kill you.
So how does your little cigarette choose to kill you? It can give you lung cancer, 30% increased chance of a heart attack, emphysema (when your lungs are completely ruined) and several other major illnesses. So what does this all add up to? Recent estimates calculate that each cigarette lowers your life expectancy by 11 minutes.
I’m sure you have heard long boring speeches from your school nurse saying how easy it is to get addicted to smoking because of the nicotine in each cigarette, however recent studies have proven that anyone who smokes less than 20 cigarettes a day can quit smoking without any substantial withdrawal symptoms. For people who smoke more than 20 a day there are tonnes of solutions such as nicotine patches, nicotine gum, nicotine tablets, support groups, nicotine nasal spray… I could go on.
Statistically, smoking has several other psychological effects which I could bet you haven’t come across in your PSHE textbook. You might not think that smoking is that big a deal, however, 87% of all known drug addicts in the UK were originally smoking the same cigarettes that some of you may find yourself smoking. The size of these statistics is astounding; it is not a matter that can be taken lightly. Smoking not only has psychological effects on you but also towards those who judge you. In a recent poll, 73% of people said that they would never marry a smoker.
Smoking is also an expensive habit; a moderate smoker spends approximately £12 a day on cigarettes. That’s £84 a week! Think about how you could spend all that money…the possibilities are endless. The economical burden of smoking leads to crime. I mean where are you going to dig out £84 a week from? For 31% of 20 or more a day smoker that £84 comes out of someone else pocket. Smoking is tragic; it’s like a trap – waiting to catch you!
So, do you want to die? Do you want an early death, a very painful, long drawn-out early death? No, I thought not. Picture your life as a long scenic road. Every time you smoke your road gets shorter and shorter, till it is like a cul-de-sac, a road that leads no where, a dead end. Will you let a few smokes behind the bike-shed take your life into a dead end?
What’s all the fuss about then, you may think. If one in ten teenagers are smoking, it means there’s another nine who aren’t – so one in ten is really no big deal, is it? Well, actually... it is. People who start smoking as teenagers are proven to be twice as likely to die from smoking-related diseases as those who start in their 20s; this would indicate that that quick fag behind the bike sheds is actually have a detrimental effect on your future, as it leads to an addiction which is incredibly hard to shrug off and can, put simply, kill you.
So how does your little cigarette choose to kill you? It can give you lung cancer, 30% increased chance of a heart attack, emphysema (when your lungs are completely ruined) and several other major illnesses. So what does this all add up to? Recent estimates calculate that each cigarette lowers your life expectancy by 11 minutes.
I’m sure you have heard long boring speeches from your school nurse saying how easy it is to get addicted to smoking because of the nicotine in each cigarette, however recent studies have proven that anyone who smokes less than 20 cigarettes a day can quit smoking without any substantial withdrawal symptoms. For people who smoke more than 20 a day there are tonnes of solutions such as nicotine patches, nicotine gum, nicotine tablets, support groups, nicotine nasal spray… I could go on.
Statistically, smoking has several other psychological effects which I could bet you haven’t come across in your PSHE textbook. You might not think that smoking is that big a deal, however, 87% of all known drug addicts in the UK were originally smoking the same cigarettes that some of you may find yourself smoking. The size of these statistics is astounding; it is not a matter that can be taken lightly. Smoking not only has psychological effects on you but also towards those who judge you. In a recent poll, 73% of people said that they would never marry a smoker.
Smoking is also an expensive habit; a moderate smoker spends approximately £12 a day on cigarettes. That’s £84 a week! Think about how you could spend all that money…the possibilities are endless. The economical burden of smoking leads to crime. I mean where are you going to dig out £84 a week from? For 31% of 20 or more a day smoker that £84 comes out of someone else pocket. Smoking is tragic; it’s like a trap – waiting to catch you!
So, do you want to die? Do you want an early death, a very painful, long drawn-out early death? No, I thought not. Picture your life as a long scenic road. Every time you smoke your road gets shorter and shorter, till it is like a cul-de-sac, a road that leads no where, a dead end. Will you let a few smokes behind the bike-shed take your life into a dead end?
This post was written by Nancy Bohr who gives permission for this essay to be here, but cannot guarantee that the statistics are correct.
