SMOKING

Smoking.

Tobacco related illness currently kills 3.5 million people a year around the world, it is forecast that by 2020 that figure will have risen to 10 million deaths a year yet there are over a billion people who smoke, the question is, why start?

From Einstein to Churchill and from James Dean to Britney Spears many of the icons of the 21st century have been smokers, this has elevated the status of the cigarette to something that is fashionable. However from my experience it seems that every smoker is trying to quit except those that are very young. One of the main draws for the early starters seems to be that smoking is associated with maturity. In an attempt to feel and appear older, lots of children start from a very early age.

There are of course other factors which can lead someone into smoking, the example of parents is a big factor, the chances of a child smoking are greatly increased if one or both of there parents smoke.

For some, smoking may be seen as an act of defiance, a statement against authority, with parents, teachers and doctors all encouraging against smoking, or perhaps it is something as simple as curiosity which prompts the first drag.

When I was at school I remember having lessons about ‘not giving in to peer pressure’ and although I never felt pressured by my friends to smoke I am sure that this will be a factor for some.

To take the emphasis away from children, I think that those who start when they are older, fully understanding the risks and consequences involved will start in an attempt to relieve stress levels in there lives.

There really are many reasons to begin smoking, the thing is that once you start it will not be long before it is extremely difficult to stop. A cigarette is an addictive and harmful drug which affects not only the user but also all those that they come into contact with while smoking. The medical facts make difficult reading for smokers but even with these hard-hitting facts being more widely circulated and available through various government supported advertising campaigns, it doesn’t seem like the smoking culture has an end.

This link is to the BBC news website and offers information on the latest government campaign to stop smoking which is currently called ‘get unhooked’ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/1238854.stm

I made a comment about smoking on this blog: http://sicilianfairy.blogspot.com/