Professor: Hall- Crawford
En068
Cause and Effect: Smoking
Smoking is one of the main issues that mankind today is confronted with in the world. Smoking is known to have started as early as 1439 A.D. Rodrigo de Jerez was the first ever smoker in Europe, and the development of cigars was originated by the Native American people. In the twentieth century, cigars were advertised all over the world as a harmless, anti-stress product with little or no side effects. Smoking was eventually become widespread all over English-speaking continents and was even popular among women. As technology became more advanced, the adverse effects of smoking on human health have increased exponentially. Researchers officially declared smoking as a harmful habit that in most of the cases is fatal. There are many reasons why people resort to smoking; many of the choices are based on the individual’s decisions. Much of temptation to start smoking is based on the advertising propaganda carried out by cigarette manufacturers. People at home see the images of smoking people on their television screens, in newspapers, and magazines. Children are influenced by their parents and may be mislead to the thinking that smoking poses no danger. Statistics show that about nine out of ten tobacco users start smoking before they are eighteen years old. Peer pressure is another main reason why teenagers choose to do things they shouldn’t do: befriending the wrong group of people who might represent a negative example. Quite often it is the friends who persuade each other to start smoking or purchase a pack of cigarettes only to try what smoking is all about. Smoking is often portrayed in today’s society as a “cool” and “hip” thing to do. Moreover, on many occasions, smoking can contribute to the status of a person. The fact that it makes you look “cool” can tempt a person to light up and eventually harm his or her health. Culture can also have a