Smoking

Sultan Almutairi

David Pearson

GW6

May 11, 2007

Who wants to jeopardize his health? Nobody. Then why do huge numbers of people worldwide smoke. There must be a reason for them to smoke. A lot of consequences might happen to them. And sooner or later, they are going to suffer from this bad habit, unless they quit early. Although people know the consequences of smoking, they still smoke. Many years ago people were encouraged to smoke to be relaxed and cool, but today they are begged not to smoke because scientists have proved that smoking is so hazardous that it causes death sometimes. Many reasons cause people to smoke. Some of these reasons are Advertisements and Smoking Addiction.

The consequences of smoking are enough for smokers to quit, but they do not know how dangerous these diseases are. If people knew what the diseases are, they would never hold a cigarette. Smoking causes lung diseases, cancers and heart diseases. Furthermore, depending on the number of cigarettes they smoke per day, "smokers are six times more likely to die from different mouth related cancers" ("Mouth" par. 1). However, smokers should quit smoking immediately. According to Healthy Living, "Quitting smoking greatly reduces the risks of all tobacco-related diseases such as lung cancer, many other cancers, heart diseases and other respiratory illnesses" ("Sleeping" par. 12).

 

There are many factors that cause people to smoke. Advertising is one of these factors and the most effective one. Tobacco companies promote their products around the world. Furthermore, they exploit the reputation of the countries they are in. For example, the U.S. tobacco companies promote their products outside the U.S using the American Lifestyle. According to William Ecenbarger, "the ads are seen as a way of learning about the United States itself" (Ecenbarger 50-7). In addition, students in China said, "Every day we listen to the Marlboro music hour. We enjoy Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson. We smoke American cigarettes and wear American clothes. We are eager to gain more information about American life" (qtd. in Ecenbarger 50-7). And children outside the United states think that every one in the U.S. smokes (Ecenbarger 50-7). However, some countries—including the U.S.--banned cigarette commercials on TV and radio. Therefore, these companies use what is called Brand-Stretching, "advertising nontobacco products and services named after their brands" (50-7). For example, "In Malaysia, a music store called Salem Power Station wraps customers' tapes and CDs in plastic bags bearing the Salem logo" (50-7).

Another way of promoting cigarettes is to distribute them to young people for free. According to William Ecenbarger, "A jeep decorated with the yellow camel logo pulls up in front of a high school in Buenos Aires. The driver, a blond woman, begins handing out cigarettes to 15- and 16-year-olds during their lunch break" (Ecenbarger 50-7). The tobacco companies focus on young people because they easily are influenced. According to William Ecenbarger, "if a young person hasn't begun by 18, he or she is unlikely ever to smoke" (Ecenbarger 50-7).

 

Another reason why people smoke is smoking addiction. According to E-health-MD.com, "smoking addiction means a person has formed an uncontrollable dependence on cigarettes to the point where stopping smoking would cause severe emotional, mental, or physical reactions" ("What Is" par.1). Some smokers try to quit, but only a few succeed. According to E-health-MD, "Most smokers want to stop and do indeed try, but only one in three succeeds in stopping permanently before age 60. By this time, much harm may have been done to the body--some of it irreversible" ("What Is" par.4). They are addicted to tobacco because of the drug in tobacco, Nicotine. It affects smokers and makes them relaxed. Furthermore, when smokers want to quit smoking, they must go through a stage called withdrawal. According to the American Diabetes Association, "Symptoms of withdrawal include: being irritable, sweating, having headaches, diarrhea, or constipation, as well as feeling restless, tired, or dizzy" ("why Quitting" par.1).

To sum up, smoking is a bad habit that is hard to stop. Advertising and Smoking Addiction are what make it easy to start smoking and very hard to quit. Furthermore, after smokers quit smoking, they experience the bad feeling of withdrawal, but later as the American Diabetes Association says, they "enjoy the benefits of quitting, such as having more energy" (par. 2). Smoking jeopardizes your health, So stop smoking.

 

 

 

 

Works Cited

Ecenbarger, William. America's new merchants of death. "cigarette makers targeting youth in the third world". Reader's Digest v. 142. Apr. 1993. P. 50-7.

"Mouth Diseases and Smoking." HC: Health Canada. 2005-05-01. hc-sc.gc.ca. 2007-05-14 < http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hl-vs/tobac-tabac/body-corps/disease-maladie/mouth-bouche/index_e.html>.

"Sleeping With A Killer: A Report from Health Canada's Tobacco Control Programme." HC: Health Canada. 2005-05-01. hc-sc.gc.ca. 2007-05-14< http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hl-vs/pubs/tobac-tabac/swk-dat/intro01_e.html>.

"Why Quitting Is So Hard." American Diabetes Association. diabetes.org. May 14, 2007<
http://www.diabetes.org/type-1-diabetes/smoking.jsp>.

"What Is A Smoking Addiction?" E-Health-MD. October 2004. Health Information Publications. May 14, 2007 < http://www.ehealthmd.com/library/smoking/SMO_whatis.html>.