Smoking and Peer Pressure  Hundreds of people die each year due to smoking. It is responsible for 21% of all deaths in most European countries. People know it can be fatal, but they choose to ignore all the facts and the warnings on the packets and they continue to smoke. Smoking is a major problem among teenagers. By law you shouldn't smoke until you are sixteen. Many teenagers have either tried smoking or are addicted to it before they are sixteen. Some teenagers are social smokers. They only smoke when they're out with their friends. Social smoking can still lead to an addiction.
A lot of teenagers don't think of the long-term effects smoking can have. It can lead to emphysema, bronchitis, heart problems and many types of cancer, e.g. cancer of the throat, lungs, mouth and pancreas. All of these diseases can lead to death. It's extremely easy to become addicted to smoking, it's also extremely hard to give it up. Smoking is also a very expensive habit and the prices are rising.  Peer pressure is a main cause of smoking. Teenagers think that smoking will impress their friends, make them look good and help them to fit in. Smoking is very easy to get pressured into. If you don't smoke your friends could offer you a cigarette, telling you it will help you to relax or it could help you to loose weight. They could also tell you that if you try it and you don't like it you could just give it up. Or, it can't be that bad because thousands of people do it. Although, the most likely reason they'll give you to smoke is everyone else is smoking so you might as well. Peer pressure can be unbelievably hard to cope with.
Whether you decide to smoke or not should be your decision, not your friends.  Remember that smoking can lead to a number of diseases and it can kill. Most people who smoke end up regretting it and it's likely that your friends will too. They'll probably envy you for saying no. It is hard to give up smoking but it can be done.
If you want to give up smoking you can call the NHS for advice free on 0800 169 0169. If you or anybody you know are having problems with smoking try the following places for help and support @ the Addictions Links Page. Read: By Jody
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