Smoking

Smoking is not cool.  It is something that people do because they think it is cool, but really, it makes you look bad, it makes you smell bad and it can make you very sick – not very nice things and certainly not cool!  Very few people smoke now, its just not something most people would even think about doing.  Be smart – don’t start!

Most people start to smoke when they are very young.  This is a real problem because there are over 4,000 chemicals in cigarette smoke and the nicotine in cigarettes is addictive so it is really, really difficult to give it up.  People can get addicted very quickly and the cigarette helps them to feel calm or alert – it changes their mood!  Soon they cannot be calm or alert without a cigarette so they need to smoke more! 

The more people smoke, the more they need to smoke and it can be very difficult to stop, even when they know how bad it is! You can tell if someone smokes very easily from the smell of their breath, skin, hair and clothes.  Someone who has been smoking for a long time may even have yellow teeth or fingers!  Smokers get lines around their mouths when they are much younger and their skin can look unhealthy.  Most smokers are constantly ill with some sort of cough or cold.  It can take them longer to recover as well.  Smokers don’t usually do so well at sports either because their lungs are damaged from the smoke. 

The things you can’t see are even worse!  A smoker is damaging their lungs and their heart with every cigarette!  Smokers can’t taste or smell as well as someone who doesn’t smoke because their taste buds and smell receptors are damaged so food doesn’t taste as good.  If someone stops smoking though, some of these bad effects can be reversed but its best just not to start in the first place.

Imagine you are in a small room with a very smoky fire – it can really hurt your lungs and makes you cough a lot.  This is the same thing that your lungs have to put up with if you smoke!  Your body is clever and it knows smoke is not good for you.  Most people feel very sick and some even throw up (vomit) when they first start to smoke but still they continue which isn’t very clever.  Listen to your body – don’t smoke! 

Smoking!  Be smart – don’t start!