What are your thoughts on the habit/addiction of cigarette smoking? Write about your own experiences, for or against it, and generally discuss the topic
I have always been taught from a very tender age to stay far from people who smoke as it was considered a bad habit and people who engage in it are said to be a menace to society.
As I grew older, I heard that some people take it in the form of herbs to help correct some medical conditions. I cannot affirm this as I am not a medical practitioner but my stance on people who smoke remains still.
What I dislike more is the excessive consumption of cigarettes. It's like an eyesore because in my neighborhood and other places around I have seen people (especially young boys) engage in these acts all in the bid "to belong". They would form a group very early in the morning till night, you would see them smoking and chattering out loud. I mean boys that were supposed to be in school.
Initially, they hide whilst doing it but now they don't seem to care as they now smoke it in the open and also very proud to do so. It doesn't help matters that some of their parents sell cigarettes and most of their older ones are school drop-outs so I guess they trying to follow in brother's footsteps.
The worst of it all is that when elderly people around talk to them and try to caution them on the dangers of smoking, they in turn tell their elders that their role models are doing it. They look up to these celebrities (musicians, actors) and so on. They always have these phrases they use to back up their bad behaviors, they would say things like "school na scam"(which means going to school is a waste of time).
Even when you tell them that they should read the instructions written on a pack of cigarettes which implies that "smokers are liable to die Young" and other serious medical conditions they can get from smoking (like cancer, lung diseases, etc), they still don't give a hoot.
In time people started getting tired of talking and proceeded to leave them be. Their parents usually don't say much as these boys engaged in internet fraud which brings in money for them as they lavish this ill-gotten money. I mean how do you even advise someone like that to give up these bad habit and change for the better when even their parents support their lifestyle?
With some of the things I see around, I fear for the younger generation if most of these things are not curbed and I hope it's not too late before they realize the damage smoking is doing to them.
Thank you all for coming around.
The Image used is mine.