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Why do people smoke?
Smoking is strange
behavior. Almost every smoker knows that it's bad for his health, but many
smokers continue the habit for decades, each year experiencing a further decline
in health and well-being. Looked at rationally, smoking is quite
disgusting.
Why do people start to
smoke?
Many people start smoking when they are young. The desire
to fit in and be one of the 'crowd' is particularly strong during adolescence.
Of course, this desire is also present in adults and can be a motivating factor
behind much human behavior. Many people begin smoking because they want to be
cool or try something new. If friends smoke there's a lot of pressure to take up
the habit.
Young people may also feel that smoking makes them 'grown up'
or it may be a form of rebellion against their parents and teachers. Most young
people are already aware of the dangers of smoking so lecturing them about how
they are harming their health can be futile.
Appealing advertising is
also a big motivator in the desire to take up smoking. Tobacco ads usually
depict young healthy active people taking part in fun group activities. The
message is clear; Smoke and you can have this much fun too.
The tobacco
industry needs new customers to replace the people who are killed by smoking
each year. Cigarette manufacturers make sure that they know exactly why people
smoke.
They cleverly market products to attract new customers.
In the
past cigarette manufacturers have deliberately targeted children and young
people. The industry spends a great deal of money on making cigarettes seem
glamorous, appealing, fashionable and attractive. Most smokers started when they
were young and image conscious.
Cigarette advertising is now banned in many
countries. So the industry is developing new and subtle tactics to avoid
prosecution.
There are many more reasons people can start to smoke, but
all of them don't explain why people continue to smoke.
Why do people continue to smoke?
The
most important, and in most cases only reason people continue to smoke is that
they are addicted to nicotine. Smokers find it very hard to give up, even when
their smoking makes them very sick. Nicotine is a stimulant that increases your
heart rate and affects many different parts of your brain and body. Cigarettes
are deliberately designed to give you a fast nicotine hit. It takes just 10
seconds for the drug to reach your brain from inhaled cigarette
smoke.
Nicotine is a ‘reinforcing’ drug – smokers want it regardless of its
damaging effects. It is considered a reinforcer because it causes many smokers
to continue to smoke in order to avoid the pain of withdrawal symptoms.
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