UNDERGE SMOKING

What is it in a cigarette that is so addicting and makes it unputdownable? Well the answer to that is pretty obvious, the nicotine. And not is just addictive but it also wrecks your lungs, stains your teeth, makes it hard to breathe, causes various types of cancers, etc. But even after knowing about all the innumerable health hazards why is it that not only the number of smokers are rising every year but a considerable portion of those numbers tend to be minors?

So what is that draws a teenager to smoking at raw ages of 12-16? The government of the UAE states that 18 is the minimum age at which tobacco can be sold and so do the governments of the majority of the countries around the world. Yet almost 70% of students in high school smoke and the numbers keep rising. In most cases, I feel that it is peer pressure that constitutes the major cause of this. At such vulnerable ages, students can tend to be influenced by their friends and they may take up smoking to keep up with their friends. Another leading cause is when children pick it up from their parents or family. There are umpteen cases when children start smoking at very young ages because the parents smoke and in some cases even encourage smoking among their kids. Other reasons include being curious or a desire to try it. But what they don’t realize is that they try it once and then again and again and again until they get addicted.

Personally I feel that smoking should completely be banned. There are absolutely no positive effects to smoking at all. People all over the world are aware of the disadvantages and health concerns of smoking but they prefer to turn a deaf ear and continue smoking. But this is just one of those farfetched statements as banning smoking completely is not something that we are going to see any time in the near future. But taking strong actions against underage smoking will go a long way in benefiting their lives. Smoking is just one of those things that profit manufacturers and corporate staff and that is also a vital reason as to why it is encouraged promoted.