The hardest thing I've ever had to deal with was seeing my father, of almost seventeen years, cry. That was the day my grandfather died, the day i understood everything.

No one is ever ready or prepared to see a loved one go, so when they do there is no way to cope.

You see, cigarettes murdered my grandfather. Of course it was his choice to start the addictive habit, but his life ended because of it. His five packs a day for forty years finally cuaght up with him after a long battle with heart disease and lung cancer.

I never understood why he chose to continue smoking until I was faced with the dilemma. Only a few days ago I was caught smoking. I too, was risking my life. It didn't come to a surprise to me that my family was totally against it, but still peer pressure stuck me. I'm proud to say that I am an ex-smoker. I made the decision to quit: for my grandfather, for everyone who has been a victim, for my life.

If you have never started, don't. If you have, quit. It is as simple as that. Don't let your life go up in smoke. No one has anything to gain from cigarettes.

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