Dear Peer Pressure:

A lot of kids smoke at my school and I wonder why they do it when it’s so gross.

I saw a picture of a woman who smoked and she was holding out her hands, which were all black from smoking. 

A teacher at our school showed us what your insides look like when you smoke and it is disgusting.

I never want to even start smoking, but why would people smoke when they know it’s really bad for them and they can die from it?

—Proud to be smoke-free

SR: People often wonder why others make bad decisions in regard to doing things that might prove harmful to their body.

Many years ago, people could purchase cigarettes and pretty much smoke wherever they wanted. Today, people seem to be more aware of the harmful effects of smoking. As a result, smoking has been banned from most public places. Cigarette companies have been restricted from advertising on television, radio and in numerous magazines.

Cigarette smoking is unhealthy due to the fact that it can cause cancer, emphysema, yellowing of the teeth and heart disease. Yet, many people are addicted to smoking and have a hard time breaking the habit.

A large part of the population begins smoking before the age of 18 for various reasons. Unlike the body’s need for food, shelter, sleep and exercise, the body simply ‘craves’ nicotine once one begins to smoke on a regular basis.

People who smoke run the risk of infections, such as bronchitis and a loss of bone density, known as osteoporosis. All forms of tobacco can be hazardous. Therefore, a wise choice for you and your friends would be to stay ‘smoke-free.’

If you have friends who smoke, advise them to try and quit ‘cold turkey’ or take ‘baby steps.’

The first few days will be the hardest! Yet, once they quit, they should feel more energetic and look better.

JPC: Kids may start smoking because of peer pressure; their friends are smoking and they want to fit in. 

Other kids may start smoking because their parents smoke and kids tend to copy what they grow up with.

However kids start smoking, because the nicotine in the cigarettes is addicting, they have a hard time stopping without help, even though they have to know that cigarettes can cause cancer and death. 

A lot of people—not just kids—have unhealthy habits: drinking, drugs, over-eating, under-eating—to name a few.

People may keep eating when they are full and know they will get a stomach ache if they eat even one more bite.

Some people drink and drive, even though they know that they can kill others or themselves by doing so. Some kids, mostly teenage girls, overeat and then force themselves to throw up, just so they can stay skinny, despite serious health risks, and even when they are too skinny already and it is dangerous for them to lose any more weight. Other kids may procrastinate to the point where they never get their homework done and end up failing school.

A lot of adults have unhealthy habits too, like gambling, which eats up their entire bank accounts and leaves them without ways to support their families. 

If somebody could come up with a sure-fire way to prevent or cure addictions, which is what all of these unhealthy habits are, they could do a big part to help make the world a better place. If you saw the movie “Finding Nemo,” you might recall the sharks mimicking an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. AA is one groups that tries to help people with addictions through the use of a 12-Step program that includes peer counseling to help people get over their addictions. 

It is good to remember that sometimes people, especially kids, may be  addicted to smoking and may need help to stop.  (It is almost impossible to overcome a serious addiction by yourself).

You are smart to never start smoking though; that way you will never have to find ways to cure it.

Want to quit

smoking?

See our Great American Smokeout Story/Page 1A of the Nov. 19 Daphne Bulletin

Also, check out www.smokefree.gov.