So, while I was just browsing one of the many social media sites available to us today (I honestly don’t remember if it was FB/Twitter/whatever), I came across a picture of one of my high school friends with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth, with the caption, “I don’t care what people think, smoking a cigarette every now and then is not that bad for you, and it’s a great de-stresser.” I literally stared at the picture and its caption for a good 5 minutes. My mind just couldn’t comprehend how this person I knew, and respected could think something like that.
Before I go to far into this topic, let me begin by telling you that two of my grandparents died from the effects of smoking, so I admit that this subject gets me worked up rather quickly.
I have to admit; whenever I see somebody smoking, I immediately lose some respect for them. I just can’t help it. I don’t lose all respect for them of course, but I will never; EVER understand how, A: People can smoke in the first place; and B: How people can think it’s not bad for you, even if it is just a few every now and then. Even passive smoking (second hand smoking) has been proven to cause 53,000 people per year… That’s 1 every 10 minutes! And that’s in people who don’t even smoke themselves; they’re just around it. Yet you think smoking, even intermittently, won’t harm you?
Lets see here… I’ll post some facts/statistics, and then go deeper into my thoughts and such.
- One in every ten people die because of a disease related to smoking
- Ten million cigarettes are purchased in stores every minute throughout the world
- One person dies every ten seconds from smoking
- More deaths are caused each year by tobacco use than by all deaths from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), illegal drug use, alcohol use, motor vehicle injuries, suicides, and murders combined.
- It can cause multiple types of cancer, from cervical cancer to lung cancer
- Everyday about ninety thousand children try a cigarette (luckily some don’t continue)
- One in every five of those children will become addicted to them for years
- Second hand smoke may be just as dangerous to children as smoking a cigarette themselves
- Passive smoking increases the risk of heart disease and lung cancer by 25%
- Passive smoking increagses the risk of breast cancer in premenopausal women by up to 70%
- Exposure to second hand smoke increases the risk of cognitive impairment and dementia in those 50 and over.
- It increases the risk of meningococcal infections in children
Now, please try to tell me again that smoking isn’t bad for you. Because you know what? I call BS. Smoking is, in my opinion, one of the most idiotic and harmful things you can do to yourself, and/or your loved ones. You are slowly killing yourself. Even though you may not see the effects right this second, you’re body is being poisoned, and in all reality, you’re slowly but surely killing yourself.
Like I said before, my grandparents both died from smoking. My grandma passed away from a heart attack at only 64 years of age ten years ago; and earlier this year, my “papa” passed away after an over 15 year battle with emphysema and C.O.P.D. It was absolutely horrible… Watching somebody who was pretty much your dad, and you loved more than you can express get weaker, and decline right in front of you. My papa was the strongest and most prideful person I have ever known. He was always the one to help everybody out, not the other way around. This may be a bit graphic for some people, but in the end, I had to help with everything from changing his sheets, to his diaper. Don’t get me wrong, I was so so glad I was able to help him and be there for him like he had been for me all those years; but he HATED us seeing him like that. But that’s what smoking did to him. It killed him slowly from the inside out for years upon years. I can guarantee you, that if it hadn’t been for smoking, my grandparents would still be alive today. Especially my grandpa… His doctors said that if he had never picked up a cigarette, it would have lived a good 15 years longer, if not more.
So when I see somebody smoking; whether it’s friends, family, or strangers, I always feel a little pang in my gut, because I know first hand what it can do to you. Unfortunately, even after all of this, my mom and I are the only two people in my entire family who don’t smoke… My sister, cousins, aunt, everybody. I love them SO much, and it hurts so much to know that they’re going down the same path.
I’d usually apologize or something, because I don’t want to upset people; but this is one topic where I just can’t. So, I’m sorry that I’m not sorry if I offended you. So, if you smoke, please please please think of not only yourself, but of your loved ones. I could go on and on on this topic, but I think this is enough for tonight.
Until next time!
blissfullyflawed 