I may be 15 years of age, but I know smoking is a big thing. It affects everyone, whether that is your parents, your friends, teachers, neighbors; anyone you have met in your life has been affected by smoking in some way either directly or by second hand. It’s highly addictive and has been proven to be a 20.8 per cent risk factor in heart disease which is the number one cause of death.
It has been my observation of my peers that starting this habit comes from curiosity and peer pressure or trying to fit in with the “cool” crowd. Students with ADD or ADHD seem to lean towards smoking as it can have a calming effect which helps them deal with the pressures of high school. It seems even with the warnings printed on the packaging, a higher risk of lung cancer, heart disease, and emphysema is still in not enough of a deterrent.
Unfortunately some high school students believe that the risks of smoking do not apply to them because they have a sense of feeling invincible. This belief also attributes to students trying stronger drugs.
My advice: save yourself the grief of trying to quit smoking by not giving into the temptations to begin with.
Brandon Alton