I feel very fortunate that I was raised in a family of non-smokers. Ever since I can remember my parents have warned me about the dangers of smoking. They are constantly reminding me of what a bad habit it is, as well as a costly one.
Tobacco use remains the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, causing more than 400,000 deaths every year. This exceeds the total combined annual death toll from drugs, alcohol, firearms, sexually related disease, toxins and pollutants, motor vehicle accidents, and infectious disease. Cigarette smoking is the major single cause of cancer, mortality in the United States. Just one cigarette speeds up your heartbeat, increases your blood pressure and upsets the flow of blood and air in your lungs.
Smoking is also a serious health problem for pregnant women and their unborn infants. It has been linked to low birth-weight, delayed growth, miscarriage, and stillbirth. Newborns are at greater risk of dying from sudden infant death syndrome (5105) if a pregnant woman smokes or exposes her newborn to ETS. I don't think any parent could feel good about risking their child's health over a cigarette.
Smokeless tobacco is not a safe alternative to cigarettes! Tobacco use including dip, chew, and snuff, is a known cause of cancer. Smokeless tobacco contains many of the same chemicals found in cigarettes.
A tobacco habit can also be very costly. At $2.25/pack, a pack a day habit adds up to more than $800 in one year. After four years, this pack a day habit translates into nearly $3,300 spent on cigarettes alone. After ten years, a smoker has spent over $8,200 and after 20 years, more than $16,400! And this doesn't include the cost for days of worked missed due to tobacco-related illnesses and higher insurance rates, to name a few. To me that seems like a like of money just to "blow smoke".
Over the past few years I have witnessed several of my good friends take up the nasty habit. Actually some of these friends have left me out of things simply because I won't smoke or drink with them. I personally think kids my age and younger smoke because they think it makes them look cool. Before they are of legal age, some do it just because it is a challenge to avoid being caught. There are a big percentage of kids smoking because they have grown up in a household of smoking parents. Cigarettes are easily accessible to them. And once addiction occurs, they don't feel "normal" unless they have a certain level of nicotine in their system. Based on teen smoking statistics, fully one out of two (50%) teens who start smoking each day will become addicted. Then they can't quit the bad habit. Smoking is particularly dangerous for teens because their bodies are still developing and changing.
Secondhand smoke is a big concern for me. I was glad to see some restaurants, businesses, shopping centers, etc. ban smoking from their establishments. You can develop health problems related to secondhand smoke since it contains over 4,000 chemical compounds. More than 40 of these are known or suspected to cause cancer. Many of these chemicals also appear in processed tobacco. Not only does cigarette smoke contain nicotine and tar, but chemicals including acetylene (a fuel used in torches), ammonia (found in toilet bowl cleaner), arsenic (rat poison), butane (lighter fluid), carbon monoxide (car exhaust), just to name a few.
I choose not to smoke because I know the risk I take by starting. I am glad to have friends who also feel the same about smoking as I do. Too many kids give in to peer pressure and then become addicted. I see them leave school and light up immediately. I'm glad I don't have something controlling me like that.
Smoking kills over 440,000 people in the United States each year. It's responsible for about 4 million deaths worldwide each year, that number is expected to grow to 10 million by 2030.
The fact that smoking kills millions each year is enough for me not to smoke. Plus I know that cigarettes contain all kinds of chemicals in them. Smoking has no benefits to your health, it only does bad things. Some people smoke because they think it is cool or from peer pressure. I know that peer pressure can be a tough thing, but it just isn't worth it to smoke. There are many organizations today that are showing kids that you don't have to smoke fit in. Many of my friends that smoke are totally cool with me if I don't smoke, they understand and usually wish they didn't smoke too. They can't I quit though because smoking is a very addicting thing, because of all the nicotine that is in tobacco. Some people use other forms of tobacco like chew. I can't stand to be around either chew even more than smoking. Just the smell of chew is enough to make me puke. I have also seen many pictures of what can happen to your mouth if you chew or smoke.
I have kind of gotten used to being around smoke, because some of my friends smoke, or their parents do. I know that's not good for my health either because of second-hand smoke. It botllers me that if someone wants to smoke and be harmful to their health, that they can't go do it away from people who don't like smoking. There is still 250 chemicals in the air from when a smoker exhales. I don't really want to inhale those chemicals, because they are also bad to your health.
I am proud to have chosen not to start smoking. The world still hasn't realized how much better it would be without smoking. Hopefully one day, I can live in a world without smoking.
I am currently taking a Health class and we have recently studied smoking and the dangers. Some of the dangers to the user include: it stimulates the heart rate, constricts blood vessels, shortens life expectancy, lung, larynx, or oral cavity cancer, heart attacks, raises BP, 1 puff contains more than 3000 chemicals, and can result in small fetal growth if you are pregnant and after the baby is born it may be affected in intellectual development and behavior characteristics.
Some of the dangers to the non-user include. a smoke filled room has a high level of carbon monoxide and other pollutants, if in a room for 1 hr with nicotine and carlon monoxide would have same effects as
1 whole cigarette, aggravates' existing heart and lung diseases, could cause an asthma attack and lengthy exposure can result in the same health problems as a smoker.
I have chosen to remain tobacco free. I feel it is harmful, it sMells, and there are Many health risks involved.
I have been accepted at the University of Iowa, Simpson College, Iowa State University, Macalester College (in St. Paul, Minnesota), and Northwest Missouri State University. I haven't yet decided which college I will attend. At this time, I am undecided in majors and career choices. I am interested in teaching, accounting, and the medical field, but I know my interests may change. No matter what career I eventually select, I will work hard and continue to learn. I hope to be successful in the profession I choose. I know that with a good work ethic I can and will accomplish great things.
Tobacco is senseless and detrimental to everyone who comes in contact with it. Several dangers of tobacco include: cancer, emphysema, gum disease, and premature skin wrinkling. Tobacco use also leads to heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke. In addition, tobacco users have less stamina, yellow teeth, and an unpleasant odor. Cancers arising from tobacco use range from laryngeal (voice box) and lung to oral and stomach. Tobacco is not just harmful to the user; it affects many people. The American Cancer Society estimates that 35,000 to 40,000 deaths occur from heart disease caused by secondhand smoke. People exposed to secondhand smoke suffer from respiratory problems, such as: coughing, phlegm, reduced lung function, and asthma. Aside from facts and figures, oftentimes people don't want to be around tobacco users because of the stench, feeling uncomfortable, or worrying about their own health.
The choice to remain tobacco free has been an easy choice to make. I see no benefits to being a tobacco user. I don't see a point in using something that is so damaging to my health and to the health of people around me. Also, knowing that tobacco is addictive reinforces my decision. I know tobacco users that are great people, and most wish they hadn't tried their first cigarette or other form of tobacco because it is so difficult to quit. I will continue to be tobacco free and hope to influence my peers to do the same.
Tobacco not only harms the user, but second hand smoke affects the nonuser, also. I have chosen to be tobacco free because of my commitment to lead a healthy, active lifestyle. At this time my career choice is Health Promotions.
I have had first hand experience with an illness caused by smoking. My grandfather continuously needed to use oxygen because of emphysema caused by cigarettes. Public establishments that allow smoking are detrimental to all persons who frequent the facilities. Clothing, skin, and internal organs are all affected by smoke.
Making the decision not to smoke will continue with me throughout my life. Because of this pledge I will continue in this non-usage and promote the tobacco free, healthy lifestyle of all around me.
Tobacco is one of the most dangerous drugs there is, for the both the user and the non-user. Whether it is smoked or chewed, tobacco will do nothing but harm the body. Tobacco causes cancers, diseases, yellow teeth, bad breath, and it has many other disgusting effects. The dangers to users and non-users of tobacco are simply awful.
What makes tobacco so dangerous? It is so dangerous because of the hundreds of chemicals put into the tobacco products. These chemicals include acetone, which is used in nail polish remover, ammonia, used in cleaners, arsenic, which is a poison, and many others. Tobacco also has many cancer causing agents, such as cadmium, nickel, and toluidine. With all of these substances in tobacco, it's no wonder people die from using it.
Both the user and the non-user suffer from cigarette use. The user risks lung cancer, oral cancer, emphysema, heart problems, and many visible signs of smoking. These signs include yellow fingers, stained teeth, wrinkled skin, and bad breath. There are even more terrible effects of smoking, like what it does to the non-user.
Even though non-users don't directly feel the effects of cigarettes, they are affected a great deal. Non-users breathe in mainstream and side-stream smoke. If a child's parents smoke, that child will get sick often because of dealing with the second hand smoke. The child's immune system won't be able to develop quickly, so the child will be more susceptible to disease and illness. Adults can also get sick and have allergies to cigarette smoke. No one can be healthy when they are living with tobacco.
Although cigarettes are the most popular way to use tobacco, it's not the only way. Between seven and twelve million tobacco users are using dry snuff, chewing tobacco, and snuff. It is typically males under the age of30 who use smokeless tobacco.
Smokeless tobacco has a much higher quantity of nicotine than cigarettes do. One can of snuff has as much nicotine as almost 60 cigarettes, making it much more addictive and dangerous for the user. Smokeless tobacco users hard the cardiovascular system, have stained teeth, leukoplakia, and have a very high risk of getting oral cancer. There is no reason for putting yourself at risk to all of the terrible effects of tobacco.
After learning all of this information on tobacco, it should be impossible to not make the smart decision to be tobacco free. Unfortunately, millions of people in this country do not make this simple decision. I have no desire to slowly kill my body, which is exactly what tobacco does. Tobacco users are sentencing themselves to a slow, painful, unnecessary death. I want to live out a long healthy life in which tobacco plays no part. This is why I have chosen to remain tobacco free.
Smoking is something many people can call a habit, but I call it a death wish. Everyday many people light up a cigarette not wanting to face the reality of what they are doing to themselves and others.
Although many smokers believe that they are only hurting themselves they are in reality hurting all those around them breathing their smoke. Most people don't realize that 2nd hand smoke can be just as deadly. The dangers of smoking are endless. Many people die or contract a smoking related disease everyday, yet for some people the satisfaction of lighting up a cigarette out ways the risks. Many people's reasons are that they can quit anytime they want, or they simply don't believe that anything bad will ever happen to them. Many young people now don't realize that smoking now will in return produce things they don't want in the future such as: yellow teeth, premature wrinkling, and deadly diseases. My reason for not smoking is simple. I have seen people who smoked for years lose their lives. I was in a hospital waiting room with my grandpa before his treatment for cancer, and it made me sick to see all the people who were scarred for life from the treatments that may not even save their lives. They spent all the money on smoking for so many years, and now they have the rest of their lives to pay the medical bills for their habit. My grandpa lost his battle with the cancer he got from smoking, and that's enough of reality to make me know that I will never call myself someone with a habit to die for.
My advice to anyone is to never start the habit because later in life, you may be struggling to save your life.
I saw a commercial on television several years ago in which a woman with gray, frazzled hair, wrinkled skin, and esophageal cancer told listeners in her raspy voice how smoking destroyed her life and that she had that habit to attribute to her condition at the present time. She said this as she raised the smoking cylinder of tobacco to her throat, and inhaled through the hole that was the only way she had to breathe somewhat regularly.
People start smoking for various reasons. Some smoke to reduce stress, to manage weight, to stabilize mood swings, in response to peer pressure, or to be rebellious. But for many, once they light up the first time they are addicted forever, costing them thousands of dollars to supply their habit, and five to eight years of their life. As illustrated by the woman in the strong anti-smoking message mentioned earlier, once people start smoking they dedicate their life to it. They need the nicotine so much that, when they are reaping the consequences of their poor decision, they can't refrain from their addiction even then.
Smoking is the primary cause of all preventable deaths in the United States. Nearly all cases of lung cancer are attributed to smoking. Smoking is also the major cause of emphysema and debilitating lung disease, both of which disable the smoker's ability to breathe normally. Those who smoke or who are around those who do are at a risk several times greater to develop throat, mouth, esophageal, pancreatic, kidney, and bladder cancer than those who do not. The risk of fatal heart disease is two times greater for people who smoke and those who live with them than people who are not exposed to tobacco smoke. Those who smoke are at a greatly increased risk of having a stroke and they are two to three times more likely to have peptic ulcers. The risk of having hip, wrist, and vertebral fractures is also increased in smokers. Smoking complicates sleep disorders and smokers tend to get colds and respiratory tract infections more often than non-smokers. The amount of risk a smoker has of contracting disease is directly proportionate to the number of cigarettes he or she smokes each day.
The consequences of smoking not only affect the smokers themselves, but also those who come in contact with them. The unborn children of smoking mothers are at an increased risk of miscarriage and stillbirth, and are born with lower birth weights. These children can then suffer more frequently from respiratory infections, chronic ear infections, asthma, and can have less efficient lung function. There is also research that suggests a possible link between mothers who smoke and attention-deficit disorder in their children. Because of this and many other factors, children who have parents who smoke often become smokers themselves.
These health concerns would seem to discourage any possible smokers from lighting up. Why then do more than one million teenagers start smoking every year- over 3,000 each day? While there are arguments that peer pressure is just too high for adolescents to resist, I disagree. There is just as much pressure on kids to smoke as there is not to. Teenagers are, however, curious by nature and looking for a chance to be daring and have fun. If their friends are smoking and they don't see anything bad happening to them, they won't see anything wrong with doing it themselves. In my opinion, another reason people in general, specifically teenagers, choose to smoke is that they only see the present and fail to look into the future and consider the deadly consequences of their decision.
I have remained smoke-free my whole life and I must admit that it has not been difficult. I have plans for my future and I know that polluting my body with harmful substances will hinder, not help my chances of success. I have also had relatives and friends who smoke and I have seen the effect it has had on them. They waste their money to feed their habit and are constantly coughing and suffering from colds and other respiratory afflictions. Having seen this, I do not want to have the same things happen to me and destroy my dreams. Because of this I am proud to say that I am and intend to stay smoke-free.
I have been tobacco free all my life. I have chose to -lead my life the way I want to. It is to my body to stay tobacco free. I play many sports and the effect it would have on my lungs would make me unable to perform my best.
Every since I have been little I have seen the effects of Tobacco. I knew right away that it was bad. They have taught me many things, but one thing I am proud they taught me is to stay tobacco free from the very beginning. My father used a more scare me approach to show me what tobacco can literally do to my body. My mother was very good at explaining why morally it can be bad. I knew right then from the start that I would never smoke or chew. I know that to many people that this is no tough feet. I am here to tell you that it is. Pledging to not smoke or chew is a very hard goal few people have achieved.
While I was in grade school and middle school there were very small amounts of pressure to smoke and chew. At this age everyone stills believes it is bad, but then I went to high school when not only is there peer pressure to smoke and chew there is peer pressure to do many others things such as under age drinking and sadly, drugs. Once I had arrived I was introduced to a different world. High school was what you made of it they told us. I am embarrassed to tell you that most of my friends turned to tobacco right away it was what the "cool" kids were doing. I am embarrassed because I was not a better influence on them. I wanted to help them, but at the same time I had nothing to offer. If you don't smoke you wouldn't be cool you would be average. That was something that they couldn't handle. I knew thanks to my parents that tobacco could ruin my life. I knew that I would be better in the long run if I said no now. I stuck to my pledge and went about my high school year's tobacco free. I look back now on the last few weeks of high school and I am proud because unlike others I said no. By saying no I did more than just saved myself I helped others say no in the future. I chose to answer your essay backwards I would like to tell you why I chose to stay tobacco free first. This seems to be a more effective way for me.
From the moment I was born till now I have been tobacco free. I think of tobacco free. I think of tobacco as any other drug it creates a false you. It makes you be someone other than yourself. I have four sisters and one brother. Out of my entire family I have only had one family member become effected by tobacco. My brother chose to walk the path as many others have. He began smoking his senior year of high school. At first I was unable to realize it. Then my brother kept leaving without saying anything, and I began smelling different odors on him. Then it all happened. I thought my brother was superman he had a car and a girlfriend and he was so cool to me. Then I got a ride with him one day in his car, and I looked over and he was lighting a cigarette. He then proceeded to smoke it. I was devastated my big brother was smoking he was my hero now he was nothing. I hated my brother I couldn't believe he had done something like that. From that moment on I knew I would not let smoking take me too. I was in a sense angry with the tobacco company. How could they take my brother from me? Later that year the police caught my brother stealing chewing tobacco. Then it was all revealed too me. My brother had few friends and he was seeking attention so he took the easy way out. He thought he would be cool by doing these things. After these incidents I was embarrassed, but I used it as my fuel I knew I would not be affected. I have seen first hand how tobacco and other drugs effect people I know that smoking kills dreams and lives. Tobacco is dangerous to the user, because of many different reasons. First once you try it you often try it again and again I making you addicted, and soon affecting your lungs, teeth, gums, and your personality. Smoking makes you smell funny and other people don't like to be around you. Being a non-smoker often times isn't as easy as it sounds. Sometimes you just can't avoid it. Many babies are born to parents that smoke. Making them very vulnerable to second hand smoke. Meaning that the poor baby can't do a thing about the smoke because it is in the air the child breaths. Making the baby addicted before he or she has even had a chance to decide for him or herself. Non-user that chooses not to smoke still has to stay away from smokers because it can cause their lungs to fill through inhaling it.
I have tried to lead others to pledge to be tobacco-free like myself. I have taken part in red ribbon week were student teach other younger children to pledge to be drug free. I have also been a dare role model. To teach kids that there is an alternative to smoking. I know that no matter if I receive this scholarship or not I will stay tobacco-free because I know what happens to others and what would happen to myself. Sorry that maybe I wrote more than you asked, but this is a very important subject to me and I have great feelings about it. Thank you once again.