Smoking is a habit that has been proven to cause major health repercussions. Kids have been taught the dangers of cigarettes in school, and informative messages have been viewed on television, yet millions of Americans are smokers.
Ray Eng, a college student studying to become a pharmacist, is one of the million smokers. He started smoking as a senior in high school and now smokes three hundred and eighty-four dollars worth of cigarettes a year, a large amount for almost any college student. Every day he smokes between classes, after meals, and with friends to relax and relieve stress.
Not only is it an expensive way to deal with stress, but it is extremely harmful. After only a year of smoking, the effects are already setting in. Ray says, “When I run or exercise, I am easily short-breathed and can feel blood rushing to my head.” These are only minor effects compared to the futures most smokers face. Ray is worried about his health and says, “I am worried I will be on a respirator or even have a hole in my throat. I’m most afraid of getting some sort of cancer related to smoking.”
Smokers not only put themselves in danger. Smokers who smoke in public or around friends and family subject those people to the dangers of second hand smoke. For Ray this is not something that he frequently thinks about. When asked about the people around him he says, “I don’t realize how my smoking bothers people unless they say something about it. Sometimes I feel really awful for people who have to deal with second hand smoke.
Ray has been told throughout his life that smoking is a dangerous habit. Through programs in elementary, middle, and high school he has learned the dangerous outcomes of smoking, but he does not quit. He has tried quitting, but it was an unsuccessful attempt. Right now his worries for his future just do not outweigh his desire for a quick fix for stress.
At this point he only wishes he had never started. When asked about giving a first time smoker a cigarette he was not hesitant in saying absolutely not. When asked for his reasons he says, “I know how hard it is to quit once you start and I know how addictive cigarettes can be.”
As far as his own children smoking, Ray did not want any child of his to become a smoker. Being that he is someone’s son, this may all seem slightly selfish on his part. His thoughts on his mother were “I now see where she’s coming from in wanting me to stop. My own dad smoked for twenty years and she saw how it effected his health, so she doesn’t want me to suffer too.”
Even though Ray is a smoker, he discourages anyone else from smoking. If he could quit he would, but at this point it has just become too hard. His deteriorating health, fear of a smoker’s future, and guilt for the people who are hurt by his smoking are not strong enough to overcome his addiction.