Smoking Is Baddd!!

Last week Mr. Topoleski told me that I should quit smoking, which I agree with. I went onto the American Cancer Society’s webpage to find out statistics about smoking to give myself a little motivation. Apparently 87% of all cases of lung cancer, which is the most numerous and most preventable cancer, are attributed to tobacco. In the year 2004 there were 173,770 new cases with 93,110 (53.58%) affecting males and 80,660(46.41%) were females. Also is 2004 the death toll was 160,440 with 91,930 (57.29%) and 68,510 (42.7%) were female related.

Another fact about tobacco companies is the amount of money and effort they put into advertising and marketing towards us!! The broke college kid who has better things to waste money one!! According the Hawaii Department of Health, tobacco companies are “targeting its advertisements to 5.3 million college students through bars, special concerts, college newspapers, and promotional samples”. And Brown & Williamson, a large tobacco company, spent 30 billion dollars on college bar promotional events. I suppose they are getting through to us because 29% of college students reportedly smoke cigarettes.

Cigarettes are not the only bad smoking product; cigars may be just as bad. (9% of smokers identify as cigar smokers.) And for those of you who think you might be safe smoking a cigar, since 1993 there has been research demonstrating many of the carcinogens found in cigarettes are also found in cigars.