What are your opinions on the usage of tobacco (any form)? Why do you think people smoke? How does smoking impact an individual? How does it impact others? How does it impact the environment? Are there alternatives to using tobacco? Do you think there has been an increase or decrease in number of smokers today than, say 10 years ago? Please comment and state your own opinions on the topic.
-Charlie
17 comments:
Once people start to smoke, it is very hard for them to quit and if they never do kick the habit, it eventually will kill them. My grandfather almost died of lung cancer from smoking and his brother actually was killed by it. I know that it is hard to see someone struggle like that when you know you can only help them so much because the rest of the act of quitting lies within them. So yeah, it does effect the people around a smoker. And not just emotionally, physically. You can get many health issues from breathing in second-hand smoke and people with bad asthma problems are more likely to have an attack when they are around such smoke. but there are alternatives; I have a friend who uses a cigarette that has water vapor instead of smoke, and it gives her the same effects of relief as a regular one does. And hopefully, with time, many people can recover from that addiction by gradually weening off of these alternatives. Only time will tell.
Lauren Smith
Opinions on:
The usage of tobacco: It happens.
Why people start using it could be a number of thing: Curiosity. Fitting in. Not fully comprehending how addicting nicotine is.
Why people continue to use it: Addiction, and it's amazingly relaxing.
Impact others: Secondhand smoke is bad.
The environment: The combustion of things in general seems to be bad for the environment.
Alternatives: They're out there.
Increase/decrease: I imagine either not much has changed, or it has gone down.
Addison
Way way back smoking was the fashionable thing to do. All the baseball stars did it so the message was sent that it was okay. As time has gone on and the danger has been discovered many have quit. It no longer has the fashionable status. For our older generation they have smoked for so long that it is unimaginable and likely impossible for them quit. As more and more is known and the habit is growing in expense we are seeing have less and less smokers.
Rebecca Spellmeyer
i think that most people who smoke cigarrettes now-a-days, are addicted. We post new blogs, new magazines, and new everything everyday about how bad these cigarrettes are for us. When someone lights one up after reading, you know they can't necesarily help it. they are... ADDICTED.
-Samantha
I believe in letting people do what they want. If they want to smoke they should be allowed to. However while things like tobacco are legal the idea of a socialized health-care system disgusts me. Everyone knows that cigarettes are poison and eventually it will lead to health issues.
I think it is absolutely absurd that people should have to pay money towards other people’s health-care, especially when these people used their own money to essentially cause their own health problem. It’s ironic that the tobacco a known poison is not only still legal but given government subsidies, whereas a drug such as marijuana which has never been linked to a single death in history is still illegal and has many people serving time for possessing it.
Schnitzel
I think people can do whatever they want. If they want to smoke than they can smoke; if they want to drink liquor they can drink. Tobacco is very addictive, they bad thing about it is that it can impact others. Second hand smoking can not only make one want to smoke but it can also damage your lungs. There are number of reasons why people smoke: to fit in with other smokers, to act cool in front of someone, and more. However, the biggest reason why others start to smoke is by the influence of people around them, like second hand smoking. The smoke can pollute the air around us it can effect plants, bugs and insects. No matter what kind of smoke it is it will affect everyone and everything.
-Nilay
Oh tobacco. The usage of any type of legal substance that alters your state of mind or body is completely up to the person purchasing the product. Nicotine which is the main ingredient in any tobacco product does alter your state of body. Everyone who is old enough to know about tobacco should know that it has the ability to cause cancer with long term use. Why I think people do it for long periods of time is because they are addicted to the nicotine or they feel as though the nicotine really helps keep them going. Why I think people were to try tobacco for their first time is because they think it's cool, they want to experience what the nicotine buzz is like, or maybe because they were raised in a way to think that it is okay to do the drug. I think people that do smoke or do chew tobacco were raised in an environment that they were not fully educated about the benefits and dangers of doing such a product like nicotine. I also believe that their should more educational systems that tell the real truth about nicotine instead of always saying that things like cigarettes are bad. When people just start jumping to conclusions about how bad something is people, especially teens can use it as a way to rebel but since the teens weren't educated in the right way about nicotine. Don't get me wrong I know nicotine is bad but the way this society goes about informing the people about the substance isn't the best way. You got schools and teachers saying how bad it is but then you got advertisements in magazines and billboards saying try this product, while the advertisement has a beautiful woman smoking a cigarette. Now what are you supposed to believe when you see a ad like that? Well the lady in the ad looks hot and she's smoking so maybe if i smoke I'll look attractive. Then you have school systems saying how bad nicotine is and that if you do it, you will die. Now whose to believe here? It just seems to me that the way everyone is educated about nicotine isn't in the best mind set.
John
being a smoker off and on since I was twelve, it is very hard to quit. I think they should make tobacco illegal. it is a very bad influence on children, that's how I got started watching my parents.I am proud to say that om one step closer to quitting.My life is more important.
Natoka
I think smoking is highly disgusting, unhealthy, and an unattractive habit, that I DON’T suggest picking up! On the other hand, who am I to tell people what to do? To each their own. Even with my stance on the situation, I don’t think smoking makes someone a bad person, seeing that I have plenty of good friends who smoke. It’s just something I choose not to do. My friends also have given me many reasons why people may smoke, though I think the one I hear the most is it helps deal with stress. Another reason that was said to me was it was something I picked up from my parents. Once people start, it’s difficult to stop because it’s highly addictive. In the case of smoking, others are affected through second hand smoke, which is unpleasant and can lead to health problems. The release of chemicals is not good for the environment, either.
There are a handful of alternatives to smoking. Some examples would be: medications, patches, E-cigs and gum. An interesting alternative to smoking I that have heard of is the E-cig. It’s not the answer to giving up nicotine, but the answer to giving up cigarettes. Instead of smoking whatever chemicals are in a cigarette, you’re smoking water vapor that is mixed with flavoring and nicotine. So it seems to be a solution that is a little more eco friendly, and cuts back on a lot of the health risks that come with cigarettes. Aside from these well-known methods for quitting smoking, there are other healthy alternatives such as meditation, exercise and picking up hobbies to replace the use of tobacco. Unfortunately, smoking has increased in the past 10 years.
-Sam
I think smoking is, for lack of a better word, gross. I've never had a cigarette before because I can't imagine how inhaling smoke can be appealing. I've heard it's relaxing, but at what cost? Cancer? Rotting your teeth? Spending hundreds of dollars on little sticks of tobacco is ridiculous. And don't even get me started on dip; when people talk to me with that stuff in their lip I want to puke. Smoking is horrible for you and for the people around you. I know it's hard to quit but it is possible. Take up a hobby, start exercising more. Even using electric cigarettes would be better. I don't like cigarettes at all and I honestly just wish they were illegal.
Andi
Schnitzel has a point, if people want to spend their money on cigarettes or chewing tobacco or whatever kind of tobacco they use, that's their choice. Yes they know it will cause them harm but if they loved themselves enough, they'd have decided not to. It is pretty ridiculous that health care does cover tobacco related illnesses. In fact, tobacco related illnesses get more attention than illnesses that are inevitable. I say let them smoke and kill themselves slowly; if they choose not to use the alternative, that's their problem.
-Cherie
I think the use of tobacco is stupid. Why intentionally put toxins into your body when you know that they are doing nothing but harming you? To me, it doesn’t make any sense. I know that the nicotine in cigarettes and other tobacco is really addictive, but I don’t really understand the point in starting when most people know it’d be hard to stop. Just this weekend I was at a pool party and a few people there were smoking. Another kid there had never smoked before and was pressured into trying a cigarette. Since elementary school we’ve been taught how bad these products are for you, but still this kid took the cigarette and tried it, knowing he could be addicted to it for the rest of his life. I was incredibly dumbfounded by this. Smoking not only negatively affects the smoker, but it affects those around them. I think this is something that has no positive benefits. Cancer, lung disease, heart and blood disease, strokes, gastrointestinal disease, bad breath, bad smelling clothes, yellow teeth and skin, wrinkly skin, coughing, sore throats, problems sleeping, and it’s super expensive. What part of this is attractive? I don’t understand. I would hope with the way the economy has been, people would be smart enough to spend their money on more important things, but then again, those who are smoking haven’t always made the best decisions in the first place.
Chelsey
I would say that most people who smoke currently are smoking because of addiction instead of smoking for any sort of social status. Back years ago, it seemed like the cool thing to do and people became hooked but now that it is banned in so many places people aren’t smoking for the fun of it. I’ve never smoked, but apparently you become easily addicted. With prices going up and the massive taxes being put on cigarettes, I would venture to say that people are trying harder today to quit than any other time because anymore smoking is an expensive addiction instead of a hobby. Chewing tobacco seems to be the best option if you are going to become addicted to tobacco. More than 75% of all mouth cancers come from smoking and drinking alcohol. The risk of developing mouth cancer only increases by 10% if you use smokeless tobacco regularly. Smokeless tobacco does not have any negative effects on the people surrounding you like cigarettes do, also causing it to be safer.
Elizabeth Luke
Using tobacco is never going to change in this country. I don't see it as a major problem as of now, though. Generations and generations of adults have been smoking, some even their whole life, and have not gotten sick. I'm not saying that they wont get sick, but sometimes the effects of cigarettes don't appear right away.
I know certain people smoke because it relieves the stress in their lives, and it does for the most part. The nicotine in your system releases chemicals that allow you to relax more and become level headed. This is why people continue to use it. The positive effects from the nicotine make you addicted to the emotions that come with it and so you don't want to stop. Sure it's a bad addiction, but so are other drugs and substances; food and alcohol are also addictions needing to be looked into.
Katherine Stack
I’m not a fan tobacco or user of tobacco. I think it’s just a nasty habit that one can partake in. I would rather someone smoke marijuana then tobacco. One it’s extremely bad for you since there are tons of chemicals used in order to make cigarettes. Two it leaves a horrible stench on your clothes and your breath. Thirdly it causes cancer, to not only the user but also those around the individual smoking. I think people pick up this awful because they either are influenced by someone, such as a parent or friends, or they need something to relax themselves and smoking or chewing tobacco does that for them. Since these individuals pick up this habit, it becomes routinely for them to smoke, it could be a couple of smokes here and there or just go through packs of cigarettes on one day. I think smoking has gone down since the last ten years, especially in states like Illinois where they band smoking in restaurants. Plus I think people are becoming much more aware of the effects that tobacco can have on one’s body.
Josue
Smoking is an epidemic that has been around for years now. The reason the majority of people smoke is simply by social influence. This type of smoking is the gate way to chain smoking. Smoking is obviously bad for your health also; it is extremely harmful to the people around you. There are a number of alternative ways to smoking. There is electric cigarettes and cigarettes replacement such as jolly ranchers or in the same context a muscle memory replacement. I feel as if smoking should be outlawed and a test should be administered to people trying to buy them.
-Christopher Hodges
You probably have heard many reasons why people use tobacco (chewing tobacco or cigarettes) and why people choose not to quit. However those reasons and opinions where evidently made from a non-smoker. So here it is straight from a real smoker to YOU in the RAW!!! As a smoker we know that it is health threatening, but we still decide to smoke. It is truly a horrible addiction that is difficult to overcome. The commercials on TV work to a certain degree. Those are made for individuals that are in denial about the seriousness of using tobacco. For smokers like me, these commercial just reminds us of the decision we have made for ourselves. A true mature tobacco user has already accepted the fact that we might not live healthy lives and that we will pay for it eventually. For those who don’t see it as life altering…well they are just ignorant and are not being responsible with their own decisions. Thankfully ignorance is just a state of mind. So one day those individual’s will be enlightened .If I could stop smoking I would, but it’s just not that simple. So until I actually get the strength to quit (which is something every smoker will experience) I will continue to use tobacco.
missolo
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