Do you want your house to smell like a cigar and cigarette shop, where they give away free cigarettes and have contests to see who can smoke the most in a minute? If you don’t know the answer, I have one for you...You don’t! When my dad smokes, it is like he can’t stop. My dad started smoking at the age of 13 years old. He is 69 years old now. That is 58 years of putting nicotine and tar in your body. He doesn’t think he is doing harm to his body. Everyone else does it so why can’t he, he doesn’t realize the pain that he is putting into his body. Why I wish he stopped, why he hasn’t stopped, and what is happening to his body.

I wish my dad would stop smoking because when I was around the age of 12, my dad and I went on a father daughter date. He told me that he wants to there that to walk me down the aisle for my wedding. And that made me realize that if my dad keeps smoking some day he will die, and that might be sooner than later. No girl wants her daddy to die before they get married and have kids. The reason why I am so concerned about my dad is because if you didn't notice but my dad is a lot older than a father with a 15 year old daughter. A lot of people think that second hand smoke isn't a big deal, but each year and estimated 46,000 deaths from heart disease,in people who are current non-smokers. So to some people that may not be much, but to people that live with a person who smokes and wants that person to stop may be a different story. So who doesn't want their father to quit smoking?

My dad has tried to quit smoking many times but it never really stuck. He has tried many different ways to quit, the gum, cold turkey and many others. Cigarettes calm him down when he is stressed. If he had a rough day, a cigarette or two will help him. Many of his family members and friends smoke, and when they hang out. And the other may have a cigarette so then he will have one too. Back then you were told that is was ok to smoke. So everyone did it. For us school taught us that cigarettes, alcohol, and tobacco products are something that is not healthy and something we shouldn't do.

The harm that I think that is happening to my dad, at most points I am scared that something might happen. He coughs so much that it can get scary. He is always tired and I think that has to do with something that shouldn't be happening. His coughing spells are so long that he doesn't have room to take a deep breath, which is scary for his daughter to see.

So when you are trying to decide if you want to be like the “cool” kids, go the other direction. It may save you when you are in the 70’s. Wish I wish you stopped, why you hasn't stopped, and what is happening to your body, are things that your kids are going to worry about. Don’t smoke. Find something else that won’t harm your body!