Stop Smoking Before It Happens

I've decided to keep my topic on smoking among college students. According to a recent study, over 90 percent of students who smoke cigarettes in college will continue to smoke up to at least four years after graduating. My goal is to inform college students the dangers of smoking before they can start.

The most harmful effect smoking can have is the physical damage it does to the body. Smoking can damage and help aid cancer in many different organs and places in the body. It also has the potential to cause death.

Smoking can also have a serious effect on its surroundings. The government has issued a number of restraints on who can and can't smoke and where you can and can't smoke. Some states have even passed laws banishing smoking in public places, including restaurants and bars. Smoking also has a negative impact on your health care.

Smoking means addiction. There are over 1000 chemicals in each cigarette but it is mainly nicotine that is responsible for addiction. Nicotine stimulates the nervous system--a characteristic it shares with drugs like cocaine and heroine.

I want my audience to be someone who is still shaping their identity. To help with prevention I need to inform people why people smoke and what it is a product of.
1.) Your personality- if you have an "addictive" personality, you're more likely to become addicted to cigarettes.
2.) Peer pressure- if you're friends or the people around you smoke, you're more likely to start smoking yourself.
3.) Social Framework- if you start smoking it's important to take a look at where/when/why you're smoking. Some questions to ask yourself are:
a. are you smoking because you're stressed out?
b. do you only smoke at parties or while drinking?
c. do you feel like you need a cigarette at the end of each day?
By answering just these to questions you may be able to identify if you are addicted or are becoming addicted to cigarettes.

By taking a look at and identifying your surroundings you may be able to prevent smoking as a part of your lifestyle before it can even start.