SMOKING AND YOUNG PEOPLE

There are many reasons why a child/teenager start smoking:

 Because he/she wants to show his/her independence

 Because his/her friends smoke too

 Because adults tell him/her not to smoke

Many kids start smoking and believe they can stop every time they want to but in a
short time they become addicted to smoke and nicotine.

Although it is illegal to sell cigarettes to anyone under 16, the existing law is not
being applied.

Everybody knows that smoking is dangerous and can cause lung cancer, heart
attacks, bronchitis and more serious diseases but young people keep on smoking.

Most of the European Governments have banned smoking in enclosed public places
because even non-smokers can be at risk from what is called passive smoking.

 What do you think of smoking?

In my opinion……………

 Do you smoke?

 Do your family members smoke?

 How can you persuade a person who smoke to stop doing it?

 Do you know which are the serious problems smoking can cause to your body?
 BAD HABITS

SMOKING

The way in which tobacco smoke affects the human body has been under extensive research and
study for many years.

Why are cigarettes so addictive?

Tobacco contains nicotine which is the drug that causes addiction. It is absorbed into the blood and
is carried to the brain within 7 seconds. Nicotine is also a psychoactive drug which stimulates the
electrical activity of the brain.

As with other addictions it is difficult to give up smoking and without help most smokers fail after
trying many times.

Cigarette smoking is one of the major killers in the world: the biggest side effect from smoking is
cancer. The largest killing cancer is lung cancer. The risk of dying from lung cancer is 22 times
higher for males and 2 times higher for females smokers.

In Europe each day more than 5000 adolescents smoke their first cigarette and 42% of them go on
to become regular smokers.

The reasons for this addiction in young people are various. In the past it was a social advantage to
smoke because if you did not, you were seen as weak and became an outsider.

Today young people begin to smoke in order to appear more mature amoung their friends or to
imitate their parents or older brothers or sisters.

Nowadays, numerous countries pay great attention to his matter and try to help people stop
smoking.

1- How does tobacco smoke affect the human body?

2- Which is the drug contained in the tobacco?

3- Which are the effects of nicotine?

4- Which is the main side effect cigarettes produce?

5- Why did young people start smoking in the past?

6- And why do they start today?

7- What do you think about smoking?

8- Are you a smoker or a passive smoker?