Essay, Research Paper: Addiction To Poison

Addiction to PoisonOne of the most serious and expensive problems in the U.S. is the addiction of tobacco smoking. People who are addicted to smoking tobacco are teenagers, young adults, and older adults. The number of people addicted to smoking tobacco has increased highly over the last 5 years. Social problems and media are major reasons for this increase.Smokers are every where with their foggy sphere of cigarette smoke. The large amount of cigarette butts that could be found in the streets, parks, play grounds, bus stops, and other places is one proof of the increased numbers of smokers. High school students can be seen smoking tobacco on their way home. College students also can be seen on campus smoking tobacco. Celebrities, especially movie stars, are smoking on TV shows and movies. Silvester Stallone in the movie Cop land and David Letterman are some examples of the celebrities. Over 30 percent of all people in the United States of America are heavy smokers addicts- of tobacco. Current smokers rose from 22 percent to 35 percent between 1993 and 1998. says Dr. Richard Clayton, ( The Re-hooked Generation OnHealth: 04.) Surprisingly, the big percentage of smokers, 72 percent, is between the ages of 14-25, and this generation had the most dose of information alarming the danger of smoking tobacco. Not forgetting anti smoke organizations, such as FAST -Fight Against Smoking Team-, that warns smokers about tobacco as well as helps them quit smoking. The other percentage, 28 percent, had almost no info and organizations to warn them about the dangers of tobacco. Though, they have the small percentage. "We're seeing an intense amount of smoking, despite everything the anti-tobacco industry has done," says Cincinnati pediatrician Richard Heyman, chairman of the committee on substance abuse of the American Academy of Pediatrics. ( The Re-hooked Generation OnHealth: 04) So, what causes this generation to smoke heavily despite all the money spent and effort put in to warn them from the dangers?One factor that helped the increase of smokers is business owners. Recently some places where turned into Non Smoking zones by law, such as, restaurants, bars, and many other public areas. This didn t help decrease the number of smokers, because restaurants along with the other places took a step by designated areas for smokers. This step, which was intended to save business owners from losing their cigarette-smoking customers, made the number of smokers steady. Another factor is the media. Almost every movie ever produced has a hero who lights up a cigarette during an action scene or a tense emotional scene. In the movie The Untouchables 1987 staring Kevin Costner and Robert De Niro, almost every scene the actors had a cigarette lit in their mouth. Such scenes effect the viewers in away that makes them familiarize an image of a person smoking a cigarette. Signs in magazines and freeways also effect people the same way as movies. Finally, social problems are major causes of such increase in numbers of smokers. Stress, homelessness, and divorce are factors claimed by today s heavy smokers as a cause. After my second cigarette, I feel totally calm and relaxed. I could continue my work without any problems. Says my father. He is 50 years old, and been smoking for 34 years now. He smokes two packs of cigarettes a day. He claims that the stress his job produces on him drives him to smoke.
This trend of increased numbers of smokers is a big problem. If it continues to increase, even though money and effort is spent to fight it off, then many people will suffer from lung cancer. As well as the economy of the U.S. may crash. Tobacco industry will have more control over the market and people s lives. Nicotine will become a major element of our daily dietary. Deadlier diseases may occur later on as substances in the smoke increase in our atmosphere. It is very obvious that tobacco is some form of poison, and amazingly it is the number one selling product Goods in the entire world. Works CitedAnsley, David. The Re-hooked Generation OnHealth 19 Nov. 1998: 04-06The Untouchables. Dir. Brian De Palma. With Kevin Costner and Robert De Niro. 1987Omkhan, Talal. Interview. California, 1 Mar. 1999