We have all heard it before: Cigarettes kill, cigarettes kill, cigarettes kill. One of the most popular habits in the United States is a known killer of both the American youth and the American general population. We heard it so much that we convinced almost an entire generation that if you even as much as tried one cigarette, you would fall into an addictive and sad death. The attitude among youth has changed over the past couple years and I want to know if we should begin to put our effort elsewhere regarding youth health.
One aspect of lessened cigarette smoking is the growing cultural trend of looking down on cigarettes and cigarette smokers. Although teens may now do other things with their time, there is a big step in the right direction with lessened cigarette smoking. According to the CDC, cigarette smoking among middle school students has declined 4.3% over the past four years, and declined 15.8% among high school students in that same period.
This is a product of improved health practice but even more so, a product of instrumental awareness efforts. Commercials and advertising alone have dismantled the cigarette community. Numbers of tobacco smokers, especially among youth, are decreasing rapidly as part of both a health and cultural trend. If tobacco is on its way out, should we not turn our attention towards other pressing issues that trouble today’s youth?
Texting while driving is more dangerous than driving drunk; why is it that drunk driving is more frowned upon than texting and driving? We must rid ourselves of thee cultural trends and become realistic with the problems of the world. I suggest we turn cigarette awareness partly into texting and driving awareness.
Poladian, Charles. “World No Tobacco Day Continues to Increase Awareness.” Medical Daily. N.p., 30 May 2012. Web. 04 Dec. 2015.
“Youth and Tobacco Use.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 14 Oct. 2015. Web. 04 Dec. 2015.