Tuesday 4 March 2008

Smoking


Everyone has a choice to smoke or not to smoke!

Whether you started through peer pressure or just fancied a fag, it is your body you are damaging. Smoking is bad behaviour to your body. It can cause horrendous internal damage, leading to cancer and also external effects on your appearance for example: dry skin, rotting teeth, yellow fingers, smelly breath plus many more can be seen by clicking on the link below.

http://www.lifebytes.gov.uk/smoking/smo_body.html

But why with so many health warnings why do people still choose to smoke? One answer is because they are addicted and like any addiction the way to giving up is never easy.
Taking into account the continuous showing of characters and actors in films and TV smoking, they do so by ‘glamorising’ it. It adds to the theme, either being sexual or in many gangster films a sign of masculinity and toughness. With these images being portrayed as ‘normal’ behaviour to people on screen do smokers pay less attention to the health warnings? Is the viewing audience tempted in any way in trying a cigarette because it looks so attractive? I feel that young viewer's are tempted by the way it is shown and feel that they are more likely to try it when exposed to certain images from TV or Film.
http://www.lifebytes.gov.uk/smoking/smo_body.html


Smoking is bad but it is an individual act and every ones responsible for their behaviour to themselves!

2 comments:

Rachel Simmonds said...

Well,in my experience some people have dry skin,rotting teeth and smelly breath even without touching a fag!!As a smoker I am very aware of the health risks and yes,I know that it's an addiction but I don't regret starting smoking.I feel it's part of me and if I can put up with other people's pecadilloes they can put up with me.

C said...

Isn’t that the question on every none smokers lips; “with so many health warnings why do people still make the decision to smoke?”
I am a none smoker and have been all my life. My parents smoked when I was a child and so did most of my family, so consequently, according to your argument, I was brought up to believe that smoking was “normal.” I have never felt the urge to smoke, or even attempt it. From a young age the health warnings always struck a cord with me and I tried (in vain) to get my smoking family to stop.
I can see the sexual allure of smoking, watching someone’s long, lean hands reach up to their plump, red, parted lips to take a drag. Yet the effects of yellow teeth, bad breath and serious health problems largely out way the sexual magnetism for me. A lollipop works just as well!
I think young viewers would perhaps think the same way if given the right education. But maybe society’s idea today of rebelling or “being bad” does not have too wide a scope, and young impressionable minds perhaps see smoking as a way to not conform?