5 Things Not to Say to Someone Trying to Stop Smoking

This advertisement was clearly designed to conjure a response from its audience, which are both smokers and non-smokers alike. In the non-smoking audience, the image will either increase their distaste of smoking and its negative health effects, or they will be unconcerned because it has little or no effect on them or their lives. The audience it would appeal most to is the people who vehemently oppose cigarettes and smoking. People like this may believe that anti-smoking ads will reach smokers and somehow convince them to quit, but this is probably not the case. To smokers, the image will be a reminder of the harm they are doing to their bodies. But for the most part, they will likely be indifferent to the image because they already know it’s bad for their health, and will continue to smoke because they are either addicted or are just apathetic to the situation. They may even find ads such as this obnoxious and unoriginal because they feel as if it’s repetitive and a personal attack on them and their views and habits. Because smoking is seen as such a bad thing in U.S. society, they may detach themselves from advertisements that contradict what they believe is okay.

One of my first memories in the United States was taking a Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E) class. I was in sixth grade and a top student, as talking about drugs and alcohol and the way they affect us was fascinating to me. This is why, the following year, I volunteered to become a peer educator in Teens Against Tobacco Use (T.A.T.U). For a couple of years, I gave presentations to young students which included facts, demonstrations, and games, to spread the knowledge that tobacco is harmful and that staying away from smoking prolongs life expectancy and increases the quality of life. It should come as no surprise, then, that I consider myself a big proponent of staying tobacco-free and encouraging others to quit smoking as a great way to promote health. I remember watching my mom and sister as they took part in their nightly ritual of smoking a few cigarettes to unwind. “Did you know that a main component of cigarettes is used as rocket fuel?” I would ask them, as I opened the window and they stared back at me blankly. “We know, we know” was the answer every time. I knew that convincing them to quit was no easy task, but I was committed. Day after day, I proudly stated a new fact about the evils of smoking. Finally one day, they quit. At first, they attributed it to the cost. Since we had just immigrated to the United States, the cost of cigarettes was simply not something they could afford. I didn’t believe it. I proudly

The message quickly lets the viewer know that their habit cost more than just a few dollars and their personal health. It can also affect the health of people who have never smoked. This lack of empathy can stem, not from malice, but from

Public smoking has been an issue for people who do not take part in the smoking epidemic for as long as smoking has been around. What people need to understand is that individuals who do not engage in the activity of ruining their lungs are being forced into the act of involuntary smoking rather they like it or not, and that is unacceptable.

Smoking. A controversial, mindless activity to do in our health-conscious society today. We judge the loner and their values as we walk past them, sitting outside the restaurant to have a ‘quick fag’ whilst their friends continue to enjoy one another’s company inside the safety walls of the ‘smoke-free zone’. It’s known as an addiction. Or is it a disease? A deadly addiction, perhaps? A loss of self-respect, one’s values, responsibility. A disgusting and immature habit, only conducted by those who we think lesser of. Why can’t they control themselves? What is seriously so great about the taste, the smell, the feel, of the silent and patient killer that is tobacco?

Breaking the addiction to smoking is never an easy task. There are so many excuses for not quitting while conversely there are just as many justifications to quit. However, whereas some may quit successfully boasting of awe-inspiring feats of willpower others may find that they remain stuck in a continual fluctuation struggling to break the addiction with a self imposed evil that seems almost inescapable.

Smoking has killed 20 million Americans since 1964 (“CDC's Tips from Former Smokers campaign”). It’s the number one cause of death that can be easily prevented. Anti-smoking advertisements frequently pop up throughout our society, often showing harmful effects of tobacco through graphic videos and images. This advertisement is very disturbing and shows the terrible effect cigarette smoking can cause. In this TV commercial for (CDC's Tips from Former Smokers campaign), Terrie talks about how she gets ready for the day after the effects of treatment for throat cancer causing her to lose her teeth, hair, and to have a laryngectomy.

Smoking is a particularly common and intractable addictive disorder and is the leading preventable cause of many preventable chronic illnesses and death, responsible for approximately six million annual mortalities Yet, despite the well documented consequences of smoking, despite the unequivocal benefits of quitting and despite facts such as that approximately 17,000 people die each day in the world from smoking prematurely, over a billion people around the world still continue to smoke people continue to engage in this health risk behaviour(www.who.int). This leads us to question what motivates an individual to smoke, and not to smoke.

From a social context, I have been fortunate to have non-smoking family members my entire life. Additionally, I have not been heavily exposed to second-hand smoke due to the bans and bylaws put in place in my province (Ontario). However, many older generation smokers did not learn about the dangers of smoking until much later. By then, these individuals were already addicted to smoking, making quitting all the more difficult.

While it’s true that smoking cigarette is not good for the health, many people are still smoking cigarettes. Though some of them have tried to stop this habit, however, most of them have failed and have continued to smoke at the expense of their health.

It is well known that we, as human beings, are creatures of habits, so when it comes to quit smoking we find ourselves in a bit of trouble. But another thing we are good at is social interaction; this means that having someone by us to help us through the transition of becoming non-smokers can make a significant difference. Although there are many methods to help people quit cigarettes, for the ones interested in helping themselves as they help others, support groups are the best idea.

of the danger they are putting themselves in and will help give them the motivation to stop smoking.

Smoking has major risk factors, eliminating smoking will decrease chances of heart disease. I'm not proud that I engage in this,being this is against my culture. Culture and smoking are my next targets. To quit smoking I could remind myself of how this affects my image as a Muslim women.

My boyfriend smokes and I really want him to quit because it is so bad, but if he quits just because I want him too, he will end up smoking again because it is what currently wants. I have told him many times that he has to do it for himself, otherwise it will just be an endless cycle of trying to quit and then just smoking again. When he is ready, he will quit.

My grandmother was a lifelong smoker until she quit cold turkey in the early 1970’s. At that time, this was one of, if not the only, ways to quit. Nowadays, we have several different methods that are available to quit. These include support groups, e-cigarettes, gum, nasal sprays, etc. With an abundance of resources, quitting has become easier than ever. And as quitting has become easier, awareness is at is peak with the rise of the Internet and social media. The stigma around smoking is growing, and the health effects are becoming more noticeable and easily communicated. This invokes the following question: Why do people continue to smoke, knowing that it will damage their health?