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Why People Smoke
Why People Smoke
There are a multitude of reasons why people smoke, from why people start in the first place, to why they can’t stop once the habit of smoking is established.
As kids and teenagers, we see adults around us who smoke. We see this, especially from parents, relatives, or adults we respect and admire, not to mention movie stars and older kids who we wish to emulate, and we want to smoke, too. It makes us feel sophisticated, or "cool".
Of course, smoking does make you look more mature, but not in the way you are hoping. The truth is, smoking destroys the elasticity of our skin and makes us wrinkle and age on the outside more quickly than you are supposed to. In addition, it makes the inside of your, in essence, age as well. This is because it causes extra unnecessary stress to your organs. This stress causes your body to get worn out at a quicker pace, almost as if you are speeding up the aging process.
From the time we are quite young children, we continuously seek acceptance from our peers. No one wants to be friendless or alone. The pressure to “fit in” becomes increasingly strong as we enter into our teen years and, often, remains into adulthood. Unfortunately, many people start smoking in order to become part of a peer group. For some, all it takes it having that first cigarette to become addicted. Once addiction has set in, it is extremely difficult to overcome.
Some people are drawn to smoking because they simply want to know what all the excitement is about. They feel as though they might be missing out on something if they don’t try a cigarette. And, they are right – they are missing out on the increased chance of developing high blood pressure, emphysema, and all types of cancer, particularly mouth and lung. They are also missing out on poor sense of taste and smell. In addition, they are missing out on spending thousands of dollars every year to support their addiction. More than likely, there are more important things to be worried about missing out on, like seeing your child get married or seeing your 75th birthday.
Others take up smoking because it is “daring,” “risky,” or “against the rules.” They think smoking makes them look “cool,” or like they are rebels. If you want to act out against society, wear crazy clothes or get a wild haircut. Neither of these causes long-term damage to your health or costs extra money. Even better, invest the money in a sport or a hobby!
The desire to “be bad” is the overwhelming reason why teenagers start smoking. In most households, it is – thankfully – forbidden for kids and teenagers to smoke. The unfortunate side effect is that this very reason is what draws some teenagers to the act in the first place. At the core of this reason, however, is still the desire to be accepted and to be paid attention to. Parents who pay attention to their children and who are actively involved in their lives substantially decrease the likelihood of the child ever starting to smoke.
Once a person is an established smoker, it is difficult to quit for several reasons. One reason is the nicotine. Nicotine is a drug. By definition, this means nicotine is addictive. Addiction, no matter the type, is extremely difficult to overcome. Those who try to quit smoking usually experience withdrawal symptoms, which can range from having trouble sleeping, to developing the shakes, to feeling nauseous, to becoming moody.
Many people who smoke are seriously addicted to the habit, or routine, created from smoking, quite apart from the physical addiction. It is a known fact that the brain begins to associate two acts with one another if they are repeatedly performed together. This was shown in the experiment with Pavlov’s dogs in which the dogs began to drool every time they heard a can opener because they associated it with getting fed. Of course, smokers aren’t dogs, but the same theory holds true.
If you have a cigarette every time you have a cup of coffee, your brain begins associating the two together. Over time, it becomes difficult to have a cup of coffee without craving a cigarette, too. The same is true for smoking when driving, smoking after a meal, smoking first thing in the morning, smoking when you have a beer, or any other activity during which you often smoke while doing.
Those who start smoking also develop a dependency upon cigarettes to help them deal with stress or other emotions. As the daily stresses of life, such as personal problems, problems at work, or problems at school, begin to mount, those addicted to cigarettes turn to the drug to help soothe their nerves and to help them get through the day. For some of these people, smoking makes them feel as if they are getting an energy boost to help them get through these situations or to get through the day. Unfortunately, cigarettes actually have the opposite effect. While they may provide a temporary boost of energy or temporarily make you feel calmer, this is followed by a crash during which you feel less energized or more excitable. Obviously, this leads to a harsh addictive cycle that is difficult to break.
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