Persuasive Speech to Stop Smoking

Hello my name is ---------and here to persuade you to stop smoking.

Smoking is not only bad for health it is also as bad for the people
around you.

Breathing other people's smoke is called passive, involuntary or
secondhand smoking. The non-smoker breathes "side stream" smoke from
the burning tip of the cigarette and "mainstream" smoke that has been
inhaled and then exhaled by the smoker. Secondhand smoke is a major
source of indoor air pollution. How does this affect the passive
smoker?

Some of the immediate effects of passive smoking include eye
irritation, headache, cough, sore throat, dizziness and nausea.
Adults with asthma can experience a significant decline in lung
function when exposed, while new cases of asthma may be induced in
children whose parents smoke. Short term exposure to tobacco smoke
also has a measurable effect on the heart in non-smokers. Just 30
minutes exposure is enough to reduce coronary blood flow. Almost half
of all children in the UK are exposed to tobacco smoke at home.
Passive smoking increases the risk of lower respiratory tract
infections such as bronchitis, pneumonia and bronchiolitis in
children. One study found that in households where both parents smoke,
young children have a 72 per cent increased risk of respiratory
illnesses. Passive smoking causes a reduction in lung function and
increased severity in the symptoms of asthma in children, and is a
risk factor for new cases of asthma in children. Passive smoking is
also associated with middle ear infection in children as well as
possible cardiovascular impairment and behavioral problems.

Infants of parents who smoke are more likely to be admitted to
hospital for bronchitis and pneumonia in the first year of life. More
than 17,000 children under the age of five are admitted to hospital
every year because of the effects of passive smoking. Passive smoking
during childhood predisposes children to developing... [continues]

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