"Cigarette-smoking is dangerous to your health"
Do you remember this particular line on every cigarette advertisement? Ironic, isn't it? They advertise cigarette as their product and THEN warn the viewers of its danger. But do they specify? No. So can any of us really say that the warning actually serves its purpose? No, not really.
Basically one of the biggest issues in the Philippines is the growing number of smokers in the country. A big part of it being teenagers.
Being a teenager myself I am well aware that there are a lot of kids my age who smoke, but I find myself asking WHY? Why do they engage in cigarette smoking?
From what I've grasped from my own observations, personal experiences, and some articles, some of the main causes of teenage smoking is peer pressure along with curiosity and the teenager's perception of what is and isn't "cool".
As I grew to my teenage years I felt in need to be accepted by my peers. I felt the need for them to include me in their social circle. I know it's normal because most teenagers go through the phase of wanting to be accepted. And it is because of this need that a lot of teens are induced to smoke. A very concrete example of a Filipino saying that teens use to persuade a friend to do something is "Sige na! ang KJ mo naman" or "Huwag kang KJ!". Just by these words, a teenager could be drawn to prove that he/she is not a Kill-joy.
Curiosity comes along with peer pressure. When a friend says a certain something feels good (in this case, smoking) our natural reaction would be interest and curiosity enough to try it as well.
"Smoking makes you look cool". This perception of smoking and of what is cool also induces one to smoke.
The next questions that comes to my mind after citing these reasons are: does these teenagers know what they're getting themselves into? Is our knowledge on cigarette-smoking enough? or is it as vague as that warning on cigarette commercials?
As I reflect on my own knowledge on its effects I realized that it isn't much at all so I researched and found out just how bad it is.
- Shortness of Breath
- Poor lung function
- Respiratory problems
- Weak Immune System
- CANCER
- mouth
- lungs
- throat
- Circulatory and Heart Problems
- heart attack
- stroke
- Addiction
This is the reality of our situation and I personally think that it is one of those issues that can't be solved with the snap of the fingers because whether we like it or not, cigarette production plays a big role on our country's economy.
So what does our Government do to appease the situation?
The government impose sin tax to raise the price of cigarettes and therefore lessen the number of people who buy it.
I find this solution reasonable and effective most especially for the teenagers who does not have income to satisfy their vice. But I think the best way to solve this is through education and at the same time the imposing of sin tax along with constant effort on both the part of the government and the people.
