“Cigarette smoking is dangerous to your health,” it is the label found in cigarette packs. Most people start smoking when they are in their teens and been addicted when the time they reach adulthood. Some tried to quit but returned to cigarettes because smoking is such a strong addiction. There are lots of reasons why teens smoke, it’s usually start for one reason or another and then it is really hard to quit.
Cigarettes are widely available at any places and it’s not so much expensive to buy. For this reason, buying cigarettes is no longer a luxury only for those who can afford to buy them, but a product that is widely attainable by most people. Thus, the government are trying to make people aware of the health risks and consequences of smoking. Even though the government banned smoking in all public places; many people still violate the rules.
According to Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) make a survey showed that of the 9,705 individuals from rural and urban areas aged 15 years and older, 28.3 percent (representing 17.3 million Filipinos) were tobacco smokers and 94 percent of the surveyed smokers said they were aware smoking causes serious illness such as lung cancer, heart attack and stroke.
Did you know that lung cancer caused by smoking is now the top female cancer killer, claiming 27,000 more of women 's lives each year than breast cancer? And more teenage girls (about 30 percent) are smoking now than they did 10 years ago. That 's a big increase.
There are several reasons why teenager smokes cigarettes.
Young people smoke because of Nicotine. Nicotine is a stimulant drugs that act on the central nervous system such as brain, were it can damage some parts of it, and the heart which increases the heart rate. Nicotine can stimulate the feeling of pleasure and alertness on the smoker. Smokers believe that in smoking it can relieve stress and it feels good to them. Nicotine activates areas of the brain that are involved in producing feelings of pleasure and reward. Recently, scientists discovered that nicotine raises the levels of a neurotransmitter called dopamine in the parts of the brain that produce feelings of pleasure and reward. Dopamine, which is sometimes called the pleasure molecule, is the same neurotransmitter that is involved in addictions to other drugs such as cocaine and heroin. Researchers now believe that this change in dopamine may play a key role in all addictions. This may help explain why it is so hard for people to stop smoking.
Peer pressure influence smoking among teens. Peer influence is one of the main causes why teens start to smoke. Teens smoke because he/she wants to be part of the group or to be appreciated by his peers, he/she engaged to it in order not to be subjected to be bullied. Another reason is that teens is been forced and encourage by his/her peers to try smoking.
Teens learn to smoke because of his/her environment. Upon growing up with the environment seeing their parents and other relatives smoking cigarettes gives them an idea to try it also and also for their reason to look old and mature. According to the research, a mother that smokes cigarettes can influence son and daughter while a father has the bigger chance to influence his son in smoking rather than her daughter. Other children start smoking as an act of rebellion or defiance against their parents or people of authority.
A number of children are only experimenting with smoking and just want to try it and to see what they could experience. Once it is already started and they feel the effect when they smoke they will try it again and again and this lead to addiction. * Smoking is not safe especially to the health not just to the one who smokes but also to the persons around you that inhales your smoke, it is called second hand smoke is it more dangerous to the one who inhale it, they can get more respiratory infections and serious illness than to the one who smoke. * Smokers also get wrinkles at an earlier age. The smoke changes the elasticity of the skin and fine lines appear around the eyes and mouth. Your clothes and hair will smell from smoke and pretty soon you can no longer smell it. Kissing a smoker is like kissing an ashtray. * Quitting smoking is possible. But it 's not easy. It requires motivation from the smoker and may take several attempts before success is permanent. The average number of attempts is believed to be three. * There is no right way to quit. Many smokers report that they can quit by gradually decreasing the number of cigarettes smoked each day. Those who are interested in quitting can talk with their health care provider or government health care agency for the instructions and information’s on how to quit smoking. * Whatever the reason a teenager to start smoking, even if you already told them many times that it is bad in their health it is still up to them on how they will handle it. For them to stop they should have a willpower and a support from parents, relatives good friends and some medical expert advice.
BIBLIOGRAPHY A. Books
Shryock, Harold M.D., Modern Medical Guide, Washington, D. C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1990, p 70-77.
B. Periodicals
Cheng, Patricia Agunod, M. D., “The Breath of Life.” Health Today, (2008): p 58-60.
Colmo, Edith,” SP Approves No Smoking in Public Places, PUJs, Hospitals, Schools, etc.” Negros Daily Bulletin, Bacolod City, B.C. (11/30/12): p 1.
C. Internet
http://healthliteracy.worlded.org/docs/tobacco/Unit3/1why_people_smoke.html. Marjorie Jacobs, 1997. http://www.livestrong.com/article/14129-why-do-teens-smoke/. Ken Chisholm, August 11, 2012.
Bibliography: A. Books Shryock, Harold M.D., Modern Medical Guide, Washington, D. C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1990, p 70-77. B. Periodicals Cheng, Patricia Agunod, M. D., “The Breath of Life.” Health Today, (2008): p 58-60. Colmo, Edith,” SP Approves No Smoking in Public Places, PUJs, Hospitals, Schools, etc.” Negros Daily Bulletin, Bacolod City, B.C. (11/30/12): p 1. C. Internet http://healthliteracy.worlded.org/docs/tobacco/Unit3/1why_people_smoke.html. Marjorie Jacobs, 1997. http://www.livestrong.com/article/14129-why-do-teens-smoke/. Ken Chisholm, August 11, 2012.
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