Cigarettes List

The faint red glow of four cigarettes was barely visible among the swirls of smoke in the car. I am not claustrophobic but the smoke was suffocating me; I felt like I was in a gas chamber. That awful taste was stuck in the back of my throat and the stench was embedded in my clothing. This scene had become a familiar one for me, for smoking is somewhat of a family activity for my parents and two siblings. Fortunately, I resisted their influence, but why can’t other people resist parental influence as well?

When children grow up in smoking households they see no consequences for that action. Unfortunately, their minds are like sponges; they imitate a lot of what their parents do. Family First Aid reports that, “Only 2 percent of people who smoke were brought up in a non-smoking household.” The majority of people who smoke were greatly influenced by their parents growing up.

Smoking is a ruthless killer. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “The adverse health effects from cigarette smoking account for an estimated 438,000 deaths, or nearly 1 of every 5 deaths, each year in the United States.” Imagine if people didn’t smoke. Thousands of lives a year could be spared; I might still have a grandfather.

Parental influence on children is a key factor in the development of bad habits, especially smoking. I know how strong parental influence is, as it is exemplified in the smoking habits of my two older siblings. Congruently, smoking should be banned from household settings, at least until all of the kids are within legal age of the activity. No good can come from it; there is no upside. Why do people smoke when they know that its side effects are deadly? Why do parents choose to smoke in front of their kids if it is killing them?

Source URL: http://www.pioneerlocal.com/norridge/news/1911658,park-ridge-smokeletter-120309-s1.article