Smoking Risks Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the most popular habits in today’s society is smoking. Yet each year, cigarette smoking kills more Americans than AIDS, alcohol, car accidents, homicides, suicides, illegal drugs and fires combined. Smoking is an extremely bad pastime, practiced for centuries, for an individual’s health and those surrounding him/her. People start for many different reasons and get addicted to the nicotine in cigarettes. Smoking cause many fatal diseases, but help is available to those who seek it. Cigarette smoking is a disgusting and unhealthy habit. History of Smoking   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Smoking is defined as the action of inhaling tobacco from a pipe, cigar or cigarette. It has been practiced for 100’s of years, including by early North-American natives. Europeans had introduced it into the Old World by the early 16th century (Petrakis). It was continually practiced since then throughout the world, with tobacco companies arising and packaged cigarettes soon available. Smokers would praise it for medicinal reasons and also claimed smoking to be pleasurable.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Smokers had no knowledge of cigarette smoke’s harm to their health until 1964, when the surgeon general of the U.S Public Health Service concluded that smoking was hazardous to an individual’s health, and soon after it was discovered that second-hand smoke was also hazardous to the health of surrounding non-smokers inhaling it. Reasons Why People Smoke   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many reasons why people begin smoking. One of which is insecurity. In an uncertain situation in which a person is not comfortable with their individuality and not confident with themselves, if there are smokers around then that person may be tempted to take up smoking. It might be because they would like to â€Å"fit in† with an unknown group of people, or someone may take it up based on a new friend’s or girl/boyfriend’s influences. Another reason why people take up smoking is because of peer pressure leading to a quick physical addiction. One ingredient in cigarettes is nicotine, and it is extremely addictive. And yet nicotine is not the only physical reason people smoke, they are also get hooked on the taste, smell and the feel of cigarettes. Health Risks of Smoking   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  According to the American Heart Association there are an est... ... would distract someone from smoking.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The government also encourages people to quit smoking. Cigarette smokers are warned each time they smoke a cigarette of the deadly diseases that could effect their health. By law a warning label must appear on each pack and carton of cigarettes warning buyers of the hazards. There is also a ban on television and radio ads for cigarettes in the United States, and in Canada there is a ban on all advertisements for tobacco companies. It is also illegal to smoke in most public places now, including some restaurants, elevators, the workplace, schools, airlines, public transportation machines and most stores. Also, the Canadian and American governments prohibit the selling of cigarettes to anyone younger than 19 years of age.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although there are still many individuals who smoke worldwide, one can hope that sometime in the future there will only be non-smokers. Smoking only proves to lead to an early grave for smokers and non-smokers alike. With medicines, support groups and will power, the world could easily become a cleaner, non-smoking place, because a smoker’s death is an unneeded death.