Smoking Is Cool

QUESTION: My friends say that smoking is cool. Should I believe them?

ANSWER:

Unfortunately, the adage that smoking is cool is a lie. This lie is propagated by the manufacturers of cigarettes and those people who are already addicted to smoking.

But how cool is being addicted to drugs, having a burning piece of leaf sticking out of your mouth, poisoning your body with cancer causing byproducts, and filling your lungs with tar? The morgues and graveyards are full of cool and cold corpses who believed the fantasies that the image-makers portrayed. The world has been deceived into believing the lie that smoking is socially acceptable and cool. Smoking is hazardous to the health of both the smoker and the bystanders. Passive smoking increases the risk of lung cancer and heart disease; this can hardly be socially acceptable.

“So, smoking can kill me in the future, but it doesn’t hurt me now. I’ll just stop before it gets dangerous.”

Consider the short-term effects of smoking:

• Smoking makes you smell bad, gives you bad breath, and stains your teeth.
• Smoking lowers hormone levels.
• Smoking causes cavities.
• Smoking lowers hormone levels.
• Colds last longer and smokers get sick more often.
• Most people would rather date a non-smoker.
• Smoking costs a lot of money.
• Smoking begins damaging your body the moment you start.

Another myth of smoking is that a smoker is sophisticated. However, a repulsive smell, yellow fingers and teeth is not a badge of sophistication. Dying of lung and heart disease or cancer won’t promote your popularity.

Although it may not be popular, you can stand up and do the right thing: say “no, thanks” to a cigarette. Show your peers that you accept yourself without any props.