Soooooooooo you may have seen a load of year 11's smoking in the park, at a party or round the back of school. Have you ever wondered why people smoke, when we are constantly told how bad it is for us why do people take up this habit to begin with?
There's more than one answer to this smouldering question.
Some people might start smoking purely because of curiosity. Others may like the idea of doing something dangerous, something adults don't want them to do. And others might see or know lots of people who smoke and think it's a way to act or look grown up.
Although these may be seen as 'viable reasons' there are so many downsides to smoking :
•Discoloured or dry skin
•Bad breath •Bad smelling clothes
•Yellow teeth
•Increase in colds and coughs
•Difficulty breathing / Short of breath
•Can't keep up with sporting activities
•An empty purse, Cigarettes and tobacco are very expensive
Tobacco contains a chemical called nicotine this causes a tingly or pleasant feeling –that lasts about 9 seconds-. Nicotine is also highly addictive, this means that if you start to smoke your body and mind will become so used to it that you will build up a dependancy and need to have it just to feel normal. Anyone who starts smoking could become addicted to it. If you're addicted to something, it's very hard to stop doing it, even if you want to. Some people get addicted right away. And adults are often addicted, which is why so many of them have a hard time quitting smoking.
So we may have established here that taking up smoking is not the best idea, but to stub out the situation even more smoking is actually illegal until you are 18 years old, so if you're buying or smoking under 18 you're breaking the law.
But probably worst of all, smoking increases your chances of getting cancer and other horrible diseases which in the end can kill you. So maybe pass on that drag.