Why Do People Smoke?
Why do people smoke when it is so bad for them? That is a question that everybody will most likely ask themselves. There is no definite answer, but there are some leads. People smoke because of the way cigarettes are advertised and where they are shown. People also smoke because they believe smoking will make them act, look, and/or feel different.
Who smokes? High school graduates, blue collar workers, and men in low income brackets who are more likely to smoke than men in higher income brackets, white collar workers and people with college educations. Women who work are more likely to smoke than housewives, or women in households with a low family income. In addition, children from households where the parents and siblings smoke may learn the habit more frequently than children in smoke free homes.
Advertising techniques are one of the main reasons that people begin to smoke. Cigarette companies claim not to target young kids, but that is very untrue. Have you ever seen a billboard with normal, middle aged person smoking? Do they show people with stained teeth, wrinkled faces, and a large cloud of smoke hovering over their heads- the direct results of smoking. No. Instead they have figures like Joe Camel. Some children are as familiar with Joe Camel as they are with Mickey Mouse! In the first 4 years that the Camel ads featured Joe Camel, smokers under 18 raised from 1% to as much as 30%. The cigarette companies know that children like humor and cartoons, and Joe Camel has both.
Ads directed to teens and young adults send out mixed messages for us to misinterpret. They send out the message, "If you smoke, you will be popular, and desirable" without coming out and saying it. Instead they show people having fun with a large group, which makes you think if you smoke that brand, you can have that much fun too. The people in the add are normally active, but when you smoke, your lungs are so damaged, it's hard to run and play sports. Cigarette ads targeted towards women always promote slimness. Six years after Virgina Slims were introduced, twice as many women were smoking. The cigarette ad makes you think that by smoking, you can become thin and healthy. All smoking ads are set in places with clean, wholesome settings, never showing the cloud of smoke that comes out of the cigarette. Advertisers know exactly how to target different groups of people, kids and women especially. The six American cigarette companies together spend three billion dollars annually for advertising. The reason for this? They need to pull younger kids into it to replace the smokers that have died or quit.
When you teach teenagers the dangers of smoking, it has a limited effect. They already know it's bad for them. Peer influence seems to play an important role in smoking. Teenagers who have close friends who smoke are more likely to be smokers themselves. Smoking may be viewed as a forbidden adult behavior, or even an act of defiance to authority figures. Poor grades in school and having parents who smoke are associated with teenage smoking. For males, not going to college is also associated with higher rates of smoking. This is not true for females. Parental approval or disapproval seems not to have any conclusive effect on teen-age decision about smoking. Smoking helps you make friends and make you more desirable.
Another reason why people start smoking could be from living with people who smoke. Children who grow up with smokers take up the habit more frequently then those who grow up in a smoke-free home. The Health Bulletin of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services revealed this as a fact. Peer pressure is a major influence among teenagers in our society. Young adults who have friends who take up the habit tend to start themselves.
There are many reasons why people start to smoke but is it worth it to start? Next time you see a cigarette ad, think about the truth and don't fall into the advertiser's trap.
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