Group 5

Names: Anna, David, Ellen, Lauren, Lucy

(Sophomore, French)
　

To Smoke or Not to Smoke   

    Over 4,500,000 people in Taiwan are addicted to cigarettes. That’s 19.78% of the island’s whole population, which means one out of every five people smokes. It therefore is important for us to discuss the reasons of why people choose to or not to light up a cigarette.

    There are significant reasons for those who decide not to quit smoking. Smoking can calm people down and relax them in a nervous situation. We often observe people in the stairways smoking a cigarette before an important meeting or a major speech. The various substances inside cigarettes can slow down a speeding heart rate, giving the speaker the calm and confidence he/she needs. Moreover, as the society progresses, the more pressure is added to the civilians. Difficulties vary from work, relationships, families, to financial issues. The more pressure on the shoulder, the stronger the need for something to lighten the burden. By taking in and letting out a breath full of smoke, the problems and bad mood seems to have found a way out, even it is just for a short time. The majority of the smoking population is those who suffer much to try to make a living. For example, single mothers/fathers with old parents and children to look after; young adults who are unable to find a job for over a year; a blue collar worker with a family of four who has many un-paid taxes and bills. As far as these people are concerned, their pressures are almost unbearable. So they depend on the sanctuary where smoking provides them with. What smoking provides them is a few minutes of illusion that their burdens had somewhat lightened. As false as it might be, it’s still the only way to find comfort for people living under a great pressure.

    Not only working people, many bestselling authors are heavy smokers, chained to cigarettes. With the illusions smoking cause, they are able to think up attractive new plots and ideas for their next work. Not only authors, but also many famous actors and directors are heavy smokers. Even for adolescents, the influence of fellow teenagers is irresistible. If the friends you hang out with all having the habit of smoking, it’s almost impossible for you to say no to cigarettes. In order to blend in a small group, smoking sometimes is a crucial connection. This is a common phenomenon among men. Another reason to smoke, especially for girls, is the unproved saying that smoking helps losing weight. For those teenage girls who are dying to lose pounds and look like super models in a short period of time, the habit of smoking seems like a pretty attractive shortcut. Regardless of the bad effects might be caused by smoking, people who smoke do have their reasons.

    On the other hand, the other 80% of the population decide to stay away from cigarettes. The reasons are obvious. First and the most important is that smoking damages health. Although there are no clear evidence of the direct connection between smoking and lung cancer, smokers who inhale do have a much higher chance of getting it. Over 5000 people died of lung cancer every year. Although not necessarily all are caused by smoking, there are in fact studies which show that smoking do cause damages to the lung. What’s more, bad breathes are no doubt the negative effect of cigarettes. Besides the direct health damage to the smoker himself, second-hand smoking is also harmful to those who hang around smokers. Records show that second-hand smoke does damage to the lung just as much as first-hand smoke. Therefore, when a person lights up a cigarettes, not only do they put their own health at risk, but also the health of those whom they care for.  Furthermore, studies have shown that the nicotine inside the cigarettes is addictive. The first cigarette leads to a second, and then a third and you are addicted. You’ll be smoking one pack a day before realizing it. Once the habit is formed, it’s quite difficult to quit.

    There are both sides to everything. While the majority agree that cigarettes are indeed harmful to the body and should be strongly discouraged, a few others consider it’s tolerable as long as it’s an occasional behavior. Smoking may not be necessarily helpful or harmful. It’s all about opinions and choices. Everyone has the freedom to decide for them whether or not to start the habit since the facts and studies are all out there, clearly laid out in front of them.
　

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