All around the United States people are pulling lighters out of their pockets to indulge in a shot of calming poison. That poison is cigarettes, and smoking is a huge problem in the lives of millions of people and everyone around them. The people of America must stop smoking, or continue to endanger themselves and those they hold dear.

Smoking may have a few pleasant side effects, like relaxing you after a long day. But just like any medication, there are bad side effects as well. The question is, do the bad outweigh the good? Unfortunately, cigarette smoking is also the leading preventable cause of death in the U.S., according to the National Cancer Institute Website. Smoking is responsible for one out of five deaths, and 38,000 deaths are caused by exposure to second- hand smoke. What more can be said about the detrimental effects of smoking? These statistics prove that the bad outweigh the good by a devastating amount. How much will some risk, just for that quick drag of relaxation? The discouraging concept is that it is the leading preventable cause of death in the U.S. According to livestrong.com, lung cancer is the leading cancer death among both men and women in the U.S. Smoking causes more deaths each year than HIV, alcohol, illegal drug use, car accidents, suicides, and murders combined. These do not have to be the statistics, if only people would put out the fire on the end of that awful stick.


When will people begin to understand that they have to stop? A deceased smoker named Cheryl stated that God knows it is so very hard to quit this brutal nicotine addiction. But now, as she looks back, she was too lazy, couldn’t stand the nicotine withdrawal, and wanted the easy way out, which in her case was to continue smoking. Life was so simple and lovely before she was diagnosed with Cancer. Sadly, like this woman, it will be when they are laying in a hospital bed witnessing their last glimpses of life, a shortened life that was set in flames by “lighting up”.


Most people have the mindset that they will just face their own consequences if they make the decision to smoke. But what about the people you love? A former smoker named Lesly said that her little daughter would leave notes all over the house: ‘Please don’t smoke- I will choke coff coff’ with sad pictures. Second hand smoke is proven to be just as bad if not worse than smoking, especially if someone is around it a lot. Not to mention it is not a pleasant scent to breath in. So shouldn’t the people you are around have a say?


Unfortunately, since we cannot ban smoking all-together, the only thing we can do is raise awareness and try to set a good example for future generations. Perhaps one day the world will be clear of the terrible smoke that clouds it now. We have to start somewhere, and it starts with you.