• Question: What advise would you give to people under pressure to start smoking?

    Asked by marema to Gioia, Iain, Jo, Leo, Mariam on 18 Jun 2010 in Categories: . This question was also asked by amberstephie.
    • Photo: Iain Moal

      Iain Moal answered on 17 Jun 2010:

      Don’t do it. Thats how I started smoking and its probably the think I regret the most in my life. It might seem ok when your young, but 10 years down the line, you would realise that it was the single stupidest thing you could have done.

    • Photo: Leo Garcia

      Leo Garcia answered on 17 Jun 2010:

      Smoking, like any decision, should be a decision made once you have understood exactly what could happen if you start. First, you might become addicted, meaning a huge financial cost over time. Second, there are many known negative impacts on your health, including a risk of developing lung cancer. Third, will your friends and relatives appreciate you smoking around them? Many people are turned off by the smell of cigarette smoke, and the lingering smell on your clothes.

      So, if you feel that people are pressuring you to smoke, ask yourself this: Are these people of any consequence in my life? Do I genuinely care what they think? Why do they think that my decisions are any of their business? Why is it so important to them that I do something I don’t want to do – and, if they are the kind of people who would want this, do I want to be around them?

      Let your choices be your choices -you should not let other people influence decisions that have such large consequences on your life as the one to take up smoking.

    • Photo: Joanna Watson

      Joanna Watson answered on 18 Jun 2010:

      I would advise them to resist the pressure and not to do it – that can be really difficult though.

      When I was younger I often felt under pressure to do things I didn’t want to do, so that I would fit in with other people. As I’ve got older I’ve learnt that the best people are the ones who respect your decisions and don’t force you or pressure you.

      Maybe explaining to the people who are putting the pressure on how bad smoking is for you would help. If they’re not convinced by the bad effects on health, maybe they would be convinced by the damage that it does to your skin – smokers generally start looking old and getting wrinkles earlier than non-smokers.

    • Photo: Mariam Orme

      Mariam Orme answered on 18 Jun 2010:

      Don’t do it! Smoking is highly addictive, so once you start it can be extremely hard to stop (I know, I was stupid enough to start). And it’s just not cool… it makes your breath and your fingers smell bad, it makes your hair dull and gives you bad skin, it yellows your teeth, it makes your skin age more quickly. And those are just the not-so-serious effects – obviously, there’s also the fact that it increases your risk of lung cancer, heart disease and breathing problems.

      Don’t let anyone tell you it’s cool to smoke, it’s not.

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