Smoking takes away your life! Say “No!” to smoking! (7A Lin Sai-keung)

Just a decade ago, the problem of smoking was extremely serious in Hong Kong. There were many people smoking on the street, at home or wherever possible. Now, we are so glad to see that the number of smokers in Hong Kong is decreasing; but we are sad to find that the average age of smokers is getting younger. So what happened to our Hong Kong youngsters?

Before looking at the harmful effects and terrible consequences of smoking, we should first find out why teenagers are smoking at a young age.

To begin with, teenagers may think that smoking makes them look cool. This means teenagers underestimate the negative effects brought by smoking. Instead, they think smoking makes the boys more handsome and the girls more attractive. With a cigarette in their hands, they think they can attract more friends.

Second, teenagers mistakenly think that smoking helps them become mature. Teenagers are in a stage of change; sometimes they try to imitate adults and hope that they can become mature. Smoking is traditionally regarded as an adult behaviour. Thus, when teenagers smoke, they think they are more mature. But, we are sorry to say that this is totally wrong and they are harming themselves.

For most teenagers in Hong Kong, they have to go to school 5 days a week. After more than ten years, some of them may start to feel that going to school is boring and they want something else to do. They may become very vulnerable at this moment and if they have friends who are smokers they are very likely to become smokers too. After all, peer pressure is something difficult to cope with even to the tough kids. So, under the persuasion of their friends, teenagers start smoking regardless of their own health and young age. However, they do not know they are leading themselves to death.

There could be thousands of reasons to explain why teenagers smoke, but in fact, why shouldn’t teenagers, to be more accurate people in general, smoke?

First of all, smoking ruins our health and may even cause death. According to numerous researches carried out in different countries by various scientists, smoking can cause hundred kinds of diseases. Cigarettes contain toxic chemicals such as tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide. These chemicals increase your heart rate and blood pressure and cause fatal diseases such as lung cancer.

Moreover, smoking darkens people’s complexion easily. As aforementioned, cigarettes contain different types of toxic chemicals. Not only are these chemicals detrimental to human body, but they also worsen people’s complexion. When people start smoking, their teeth and fingernails become yellow very soon. In fact, people can tell you are a smoker if you have smoked for an extended period of time.

Last but not least, smoking affects other people. When people smoke, the surrounding air is polluted. It is true that everyone has the right to smoke, but on the contrary, everyone has the right to enjoy fresh air too. In fact, smokers are not popular among non-smokers. In order not to affect others, people should quit smoking and make the environment clean.

It is stupid to smoke. Smoking is harmful to your health and social relationship. Be a healthy and smart teen! Say “No!” to smoking!