And yet again, I see a young man passively dying. He fills the air with his high-end Ramieres smoke, putting our tender lives at stake too. Without realising how much he threatens his life with each puff, he hastily finishes the cigar. And, carelessly enough, starts smoking another one.
Many young folks today think smoking is very ‘classy’ and that to be ‘popular’ and ‘cool’, they should smoke. Little do they know about the varied problems, due to ill health, that would later come across their way. These people fail to realise that they are subtly setting an expressly wrong trend for the younger generation(s) to follow and that, all the upcoming destruction, is all due to their misguiding the youngsters.
Smoking is a very popular hobby in most influential schools and colleges today. The ‘popular’ people and the ‘wanting-to-be-popular’ people, all fall into this evil’s clutches. Those who manage not to, are really accomplishing a major feat and need to be awarded. The young souls who start smoking, or ‘fagging’ as it is popularly known as, are oblivious to its after effects and since they do it secretly, nobody can offer them any guidance and hence, they continue with this habit even later in life, often setting a bad example for their own children as well.
In my opinion, this is just plain ‘suicide’. After all, everyone knows that smoking takes a severe toll on one’s health. So, all these people who are depressed and feel rejected and are scared of committing suicide in one go, sought to smoking as they know the end result of their suicidal act. But, by smoking, you have an advantage. You get friends. And not just friends, but, ‘popular and cool friends’. The ‘friends’ who drive without licences, get into clubs with fake ids and smoke carelessly all the while, in a world where nothing is important except having fun by breaking all the set rules.
Many say, ‘pulling’ a.k.a. doing Hookah is safer, but it all depends on how much. Hookah flavours are said to be available tobacco-free also but the flavours are proven to be more harmful than the tobacco as they are artificial and thus dangerous for the lungs. Also, according to specialists ‘pulling’ for a few hours is pretty much equivalent to smoking those many cigarettes.
But most argue that a cigarette a day is healthy for the heart according to various researches that have been conducted by scientists. That maybe, but how many of us can actually limit ourselves to one of anything? Can you eat only one piece of chocolate if the whole bar is in your hand? No. Can you drink just a sip of Vodka if the whole glass is in front of you? No. In the same way can you smoke only one cigarette if the whole packet is with you? Having answered that, it is very clear that this addictive evil must be put to an end.
Also, people ailing from lung diseases like Asthma or people with weak hearts who are prone to heart attacks, are strictly warned not to smoke. If smoking was really good, why aren’t these people allowed to smoke a single Cigarette a year also? I mean really, have you EVER seen an asthma patient enjoying the ‘high’ of a Cigarette? Isn’t it apparently ‘proved’ to be ‘beneficial in keeping the heart healthy’? Doesn’t this prove something? If it didn’t, why this impartiality to these patients? Why should only fit and fine people be allowed to enjoy this ‘privilege’?
Most hospitals today, are full of people who are suffering from various types of cancers due to smoking. Pictures of these people, which are released in support of Anti-Smoking Campaigns are so gory and horrendous that most of us refrain from even glancing at them. Do we ever refrain from looking at pictures of models who have used beauty products? No. So, doesn’t this show that Smoking is no good game? It is just an addictive substance that is used by people to attain particular ‘high’s. But, hasn’t it been proved that Chocolate too releases the ‘feel-good’ chemicals that give you a similar high? So why not switch to such a safe measure? Is it because of the natural tendency of a human to want to do what we shouldn’t? Perhaps, that must be it.
Isn’t it true that today’s generation of youngsters, idolizes a celebrity instead of any other worthy role model? Celebrities should take pride in this fact, and do the right stuff to encourage correct behaviour and inculcate good habits in their fan following. But, what do they do? Abuse in public, get involved in drug, rape and murder cases and, smoke. Almost every other celebrity is spotted at one high profile event or the other, holding that white piece of paper lit at one end and sucking it and blowing out the hazardous smoke. Instead of holding and supporting Anti-Smoking Campaigns, these celebrities take pictures of themselves smoking and post them on their social networking sites, indirectly influencing all their followers to do the same.
Concluding, I think it is necessary for one and all to realise the harmful and life threatening aftermath of smoking and that, to prevent the inculcating of this habit in the generations that follow too, we must all take the effort to stop ourselves from smoking, or others from smoking. This might sound lame and stupid to do, but cough uncontrollably and shout out stuff like, “Why do people smoke? Yuck!” on seeing a smoker pass by. Also, posters of Anti-Smoking Campaigns should be seen at places instead of illegal hoardings put up to impress politicians. I’ve done my bit now, please do yours. You could help save a million lives!
Jigsaw 101 