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Smoking Factors

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Smoking cigarettes and chewing tobacco has become a very popular trend among many Americans and individuals throughout our society. Tobacco, however, dates back many centuries, since the early 1600's. In fact, tobacco was believed to have been the cure for all illnesses. Tobacco was used in those times strictly for medicinal purposes only. Overall tobacco has been proven not as a medicinal remedy, but as an addicting and extremely harmful stimulant. As stated in a book by Darryl S. Inaba, " Tobacco is a prime example of the addiction process. In fact eighty percent of cigarette smokers know tobacco causes cancer, yet they still smoke." (137) Throughout history, smoking has been associated with negative traits and has been heavily …show more content…

Many individuals have children or are older siblings and would understand how much influence family and friends would have on each person. Having witnessed first hand what influence I had on my younger brother watching him mimic and try to be just like me in every way possible. Behavioral risk factors for tobacco use include levels of self-image and self-esteem than their peers. One area to consider with high school students is how many close friends the individual has that smokes, this can ultimately lead to extreme peer pressure. During the adolescent years, teens become very attached and influenced by their so called "Best Friends". Throughout these years adolescents' become the most important thing in their life aside from family and the up coming weekend. Most of these individuals would do what their friends do simply to fit in and be accepted. During grade school friends are the most prized possession, to be cool and popular one would do what is necessary to become apart of the group. An adolescent without friends is considered invisible, ridiculed, and is deemed an outcast. " To impress ones social peers the limits or boundaries are exponential" (Gottsegan 42). Adolescent will go to great lengths to become popular and become accepted among peers. The perceptions of adolescents that tobacco use is normative, peers' and siblings' for the use and approval. Therefore, one can infer that the use of

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