TO SMOKE OR NOT TO SMOKE? THAT IS THE ADDICTION

Over half a million EU citizens die every year due to tobacco addiction. A smoker is a person who habitually smokes tobacco. Most smokers start smoking between 13-17.

WHY DO TEENAGER START SMOKING

Scientists say that teenagers smoke to feel older and, sometimes, to be accepted by their peers. Lately, some researches have stated that Italy is one of the countries with highest number of teenage smokers. Females usually start smoking before males. Growing up, the trend is inverted: between 29 and 40 years old, women stop smoking, often because they are pregnant.

We asked some smokers we know what they think about cigarettes. They told us that they know about the deadly effects but the problem is not easy to be solved. One of them said: ’’I smoked my first cigarette when I was 12. Guys often start smoking because they see their parents or relatives do it. And this is what happened to me. We start doing it to try, thinking it is a joke.’’

If a 12 year-old doesn’t have the strength to stop smoking, and his family doesn’t stop him/her, what would he/she do if peers involve him/her with drugs or a joint?

WHAT DO OUR PARENTS THINK OF SMOKING?

We asked our parents what they think about this topic. They said that at 12, teens can’t decide if something is right or not, so their duty is to supervise their children’s lives.

A cigarette is not a big issue itself, but it may turn into an addiction, hence,  it’s better to avoid starting.

SOCIETY’S INVOLVEMENT

The main problem is today’s society that is not able or actually willing to face and solve this problem. Our society doesn’t help smokers to quit smoking. Tobacconists sell cigarettes to underage, even if the law doesn’t allow them to do it. But fighting the tobacco producers is not the way to reduce smoking and it’s unrealistic to believe that smoking in Europe can be stopped by stopping tobacco production in Europe.

If you would like to give up smoking, but you don’t know where to begin, create a structured plan.

The first thing you should do is thinking if you really want to quit smoking. Nicotine is one of the most harmful legal drugs in the world.

The second one is   to determine why you want to do it. For example, avoiding buying cigarettes you can save money.

The third thing is to be prepared for nicotine-withdrawal symptoms.

WHAT ABOUT ELECTRONIC CIGARETTES?

In the last years, electronic cigarettes or e-cigarettes have  been invented. It is an electronic device that tries to simulate the feeling of tobacco smoking. In our humble opinion, this type of  cigarette is not the best way to give up smoking. If used by non-smokers, the e-cigarette can lead to nicotine addiction just like ordinary cigarettes, and there is concern that children could start smoking after using it.

What is the best way to reduce smoking especially among kids and young people? Any good suggestion?

GIORGIA & LUCREZIA B.