Gee Ya Think?!

The hazards of cigarette has been illustrated and explained in many different ways. Schools put up symposia about the ill effects of first hand and second hand smoke; they have included this topic in health education classes for students as young as the third grade. Countless movies have been made emphasizing (and sensationalizing?) the effects of taking that deadly puff.

However, with the same intensity and effort from the moguls and all the insanely well-paid promoters of this luxury product- cigarette smoking has become even more prevalent in society. Along the streets of poverty stricken neighborhoods, children as young as eight years old may be seen breathing in the deadly smoke of cheap tobacco. Trying to hide the acquired habit from their parents who have for years before, consistently exposed them to second-hand smoke.

TV and print adverts that promote cigarettes have already been pulled out and the big tobacco corporations have even been blocked from sponsoring major events to stop the widespread and rampant proliferation of the cigarette smoking habit… so if the cigarette is much of a taboo in advertisements, what makes it so popular?

The best promoters for cigarettes are the very people who use them. In most university campuses, smoking has been banned yet the ban is not effectively carried out making the smoking violators feel free to smoke, turning them into the perfect example of ‘cool’ rebels- a coveted title for college students. Parents try to stop their children from smoking yet they themselves could not quit the habit.

Information campaigns have never been at want and the public is undoubtedly well-informed… but who’s listening? Maybe it should start with YOU.