Smoking is the activity or habit of breathing in tobacco smoke from cigarette. Addiction is the need to have something regularly and spend a lot of their free time on it. Secondary school student is school children between the ages 13 to 18.
I was walking out of the library one day when I noticed a bunch of 4 girls by the road in front. They looked like ordinary secondary school girls, probably 14-15 years old, nothing unusual, no tattoos or heavy make-up or whatever.
And then one of them is smoking a cigarette.
More commonly, I have seen secondary school-age boys as well, in uniform, smoking, different races. This one we all know. Not to mention the increasing number of women, young and old, blue- and white- collar, smoking. It seems there is little in common among smokers, they come from all walks of life.
In the first place, can anyone explain - why do these kids pick up smoking? What is their motivation? How is it they can afford it so easily, and how do they go around the law and manage to get cigarettes? Also, where do they pick up the habit? And are there any danger zones in their school or social life, or warning signs one can look out for?
Smoking, in terms of lifestyle, would never consider as a good thing. Excessive consumes, termed as an addiction, especially to young ones is not anymore a foreign topic. The irony, it is greatly battled over the country to prevent this to be 'disease' that cannot be cured.
Unfortunately, the idea of preventing is likely a 'fairy tale' that cannot be realised. It is seemed to be not really worked out in a proper way especially at the educating forefront, and as a result, the clique of student-smoker yet strongly emerge each other practising this habit.
This is a very important problem, actually at a global matter, if not the most serious of all the great world problems which affect us at the moment, is the increasing number of youths who actually inhabit this unhealthy lifestyle. A generation that is hoped to hold a future will slowly diminish and unable to make true of all the government visions if it continues to grow at its present rate.
Cigarette smoking is injurious to health; it is a known fact but still people continue smoking. Recent trend shows that smoking is also gaining popularity among teenagers. But the question arises that “Why do teenagers smoke?” There could be many reasons like:
1. Smoking among teens starts as an experiment then occasional smoking like in weekends, with friends or at parties.
2. Occasional smoking is very dangerous phase as it may lead to addictive phase and teens start doing regular smoking.
3. Sometimes due to nervousness they also try smoking and once they get relieved then continue it and become addicted.
4. Peer pressure also plays a significant role in smoking addiction.
5. Cigarettes contain Nicotine which stimulates the pleasure feeling part of the brain.
6. Nicotine on the other hand also acts as hunger suppressant hence smoking has become popular among those who are dieting.
7. Recently scientists have discovered raised levels of a pleasure molecule called as Dopamine due to nicotine. This pleasure molecule or dopamine is also involved with various other drug addictions like heroin and cocaine. Due to this molecule it becomes hard to quit smoking or other drug addictions.
8. According to some people smoking also helps in stress relieving.
The answer that lies behind the factors why do school teens smoke is due to several people who have the responsibility on the kids. So, who is actually responsible to all the matters? How is this huge increase in the bad habit taking place in the social issue? It is certainly due to the spread of knowledge and practice of what is known as "Cause of Death".
I think smoking is one thing that we cannot completely shield our kids from. Peer pressure, examples from adults (relatives, friends), walking along the road and seeing people who look 'successful, cool', someone who could be a role model and puffing away on cigarettes. Smoking is also perceived as something adults do (and we know what that means to our kids, they also want to copy!). Some students find it as a way to de-stress (which the act of hanging out and puffing a cigarette slowly can calm them down).
Schools come down harsh on students who smoke, provided they are caught (or rat out on). Not all business men are honest and will check ID cards. I know a 14 year old who gets cigarettes from her mother (mother buys, shares with daughter). Another 15 year old who hangs out with older friends/ siblings who buy and share cigarettes. And I have seen a primary school student smoking at a staircase.
Kids start smoking usually when people around them smoke too, e.g., their family members and friends. These people not only spend a lot of time with the kids, they may also be whom they kids look up to or want to be on good terms with, so family/peer pressure comes into play. The smokers may not even have to offer cigarettes to the kids but just by smoking in front of them, the kids will think that it is okay to smoke too.
When the kids start smoking, and if family/friends don't step in to stop them early on, it will be very difficult to get the kids to quit, and this is not just due to the withdrawal symptoms. Schools can only do so much if they do not have support from family and friends. For your information, if a teacher smells cigarette smoke on a student, he/she cannot take disciplinary measures because there is no evidence that the student smokes, even if he/she was searched and cigarettes and lighters were found in his/her possession. All the teacher can do is issue a warning and inform the relevant teachers-in-charge. Some schools may send the student to the school counsellor as a prevention measure. Only when the student is caught with a cigarette in his/her hand and puffing away in the school compound or wearing school uniform outside school can teachers take action...because there is now evidence. Students are very good at avoiding detection so cases like these are hard to come by.
Let us look at a view of government issue. Singapore, known as a country which is serious in preventing smoking in public is obviously on the increase, especially among the young and the female population. As more people smoke, it becomes a regularity - this means it is no longer "unusual". It slowly becomes more and more accepted, regular, usual.
Like the very inconsiderate habit of smokers in Singapore to smoke when they are walking in public - considered an offence in some parts of Japan, it is now a norm in Singapore, and exceedingly rude to non-smokers on the path.
Singaporeans do pray that it will not end up like Shanghai - where the people literally smoke everywhere - from hotel lobbies to air-conditioned shopping centres. When I was there , my eyes were tearing from the smoky air as I walked along the streets.
My clothes would smell of smoke and I have to use my scarf to cover my nose to avoid inhaling the bad air.
Now I bring you the view in Malaysia and you will know the feeling. At Penang airport, people can be seen smoking everywhere even in waiting areas. Bet you the non- smokers will get choked. The whole waiting area was filled with smoke. Poor thing children had to bear with it too. Cover until they were restless. Sad then, best part is we all saw how a flight attendant, and a senior one at that too went into a so call designated smoking room which was all glass so we could all see people puffing their lives away in smoke. My little niece asked how come that stewardess smoking? Imagine our distaste when she came over to speak to our child with her hands smelling of tar touching our child's hair saying how cute they were.
The campaign “TAK NAK MEROKOK” would not be successful if the idea is just saying that smoking is danger and will cause cancer only. Campaign needs to be more effectively by giving more information about what is really that danger we all are saying.
Finally, I hope government will change the way of having campaign because for people who are not educated how they know what actually the campaign is about. By getting a minimum price of a box of cigarette at a reasonable price, it can still be bought by anyone. I do believe a rule- governed institution can think better to avoid teens to smoke or at least by selling the cigarette at a very high price such as RM 30 and above in certain country, it will make the buyers to think twice before buying it.
I was walking out of the library one day when I noticed a bunch of 4 girls by the road in front. They looked like ordinary secondary school girls, probably 14-15 years old, nothing unusual, no tattoos or heavy make-up or whatever.
ReplyDeleteAnd then one of them is smoking a cigarette.
More commonly, I have seen secondary school-age boys as well, in uniform, smoking, different races. This one we all know. Not to mention the increasing number of women, young and old, blue- and white- collar, smoking. It seems there is little in common among smokers, they come from all walks of life.
In the first place, can anyone explain - why do these kids pick up smoking? What is their motivation? How is it they can afford it so easily, and how do they go around the law and manage to get cigarettes? Also, where do they pick up the habit? And are there any danger zones in their school or social life, or warning signs one can look out for?
Smoking, in terms of lifestyle, would never consider as a good thing. Excessive consumes, termed as an addiction, especially to young ones is not anymore a foreign topic. The irony, it is greatly battled over the country to prevent this to be 'disease' that cannot be cured.
Unfortunately, the idea of preventing is likely a 'fairy tale' that cannot be realised. It is seemed to be not really worked out in a proper way especially at the educating forefront, and as a result, the clique of student-smoker yet strongly emerge each other practising this habit.
This is a very important problem, actually at a global matter, if not the most serious of all the great world problems which affect us at the moment, is the increasing number of youths who actually inhabit this unhealthy lifestyle. A generation that is hoped to hold a future will slowly diminish and unable to make true of all the government visions if it continues to grow at its present rate.
Cigarette smoking is injurious to health; it is a known fact but still people continue smoking. Recent trend shows that smoking is also gaining popularity among teenagers. But the question arises that “Why do teenagers smoke?” There could be many reasons like:
1. Smoking among teens starts as an experiment then occasional smoking like in weekends, with friends or at parties.
2. Occasional smoking is very dangerous phase as it may lead to addictive phase and teens start doing regular smoking.
3. Sometimes due to nervousness they also try smoking and once they get relieved then continue it and become addicted.
4. Peer pressure also plays a significant role in smoking addiction.
5. Cigarettes contain Nicotine which stimulates the pleasure feeling part of the brain.
6. Nicotine on the other hand also acts as hunger suppressant hence smoking has become popular among those who are dieting.
7. Recently scientists have discovered raised levels of a pleasure molecule called as Dopamine due to nicotine. This pleasure molecule or dopamine is also involved with various other drug addictions like heroin and cocaine. Due to this molecule it becomes hard to quit smoking or other drug addictions.
8. According to some people smoking also helps in stress relieving.
The answer that lies behind the factors why do school teens smoke is due to several people who have the responsibility on the kids. So, who is actually responsible to all the matters? How is this huge increase in the bad habit taking place in the social issue? It is certainly due to the spread of knowledge and practice of what is known as "Cause of Death".
Mohd Zahini
I think smoking is one thing that we cannot completely shield our kids from. Peer pressure, examples from adults (relatives, friends), walking along the road and seeing people who look 'successful, cool', someone who could be a role model and puffing away on cigarettes. Smoking is also perceived as something adults do (and we know what that means to our kids, they also want to copy!). Some students find it as a way to de-stress (which the act of hanging out and puffing a cigarette slowly can calm them down).
ReplyDeleteSchools come down harsh on students who smoke, provided they are caught (or rat out on). Not all business men are honest and will check ID cards. I know a 14 year old who gets cigarettes from her mother (mother buys, shares with daughter). Another 15 year old who hangs out with older friends/ siblings who buy and share cigarettes. And I have seen a primary school student smoking at a staircase.
Kids start smoking usually when people around them smoke too, e.g., their family members and friends. These people not only spend a lot of time with the kids, they may also be whom they kids look up to or want to be on good terms with, so family/peer pressure comes into play. The smokers may not even have to offer cigarettes to the kids but just by smoking in front of them, the kids will think that it is okay to smoke too.
When the kids start smoking, and if family/friends don't step in to stop them early on, it will be very difficult to get the kids to quit, and this is not just due to the withdrawal symptoms. Schools can only do so much if they do not have support from family and friends. For your information, if a teacher smells cigarette smoke on a student, he/she cannot take disciplinary measures because there is no evidence that the student smokes, even if he/she was searched and cigarettes and lighters were found in his/her possession. All the teacher can do is issue a warning and inform the relevant teachers-in-charge. Some schools may send the student to the school counsellor as a prevention measure. Only when the student is caught with a cigarette in his/her hand and puffing away in the school compound or wearing school uniform outside school can teachers take action...because there is now evidence. Students are very good at avoiding detection so cases like these are hard to come by.
Mohd Zahini
Let us look at a view of government issue. Singapore, known as a country which is serious in preventing smoking in public is obviously on the increase, especially among the young and the female population. As more people smoke, it becomes a regularity - this means it is no longer "unusual". It slowly becomes more and more accepted, regular, usual.
ReplyDeleteLike the very inconsiderate habit of smokers in Singapore to smoke when they are walking in public - considered an offence in some parts of Japan, it is now a norm in Singapore, and exceedingly rude to non-smokers on the path.
Singaporeans do pray that it will not end up like Shanghai - where the people literally smoke everywhere - from hotel lobbies to air-conditioned shopping centres. When I was there , my eyes were tearing from the smoky air as I walked along the streets.
My clothes would smell of smoke and I have to use my scarf to cover my nose to avoid inhaling the bad air.
Now I bring you the view in Malaysia and you will know the feeling. At Penang airport, people can be seen smoking everywhere even in waiting areas. Bet you the non- smokers will get choked. The whole waiting area was filled with smoke. Poor thing children had to bear with it too. Cover until they were restless. Sad then, best part is we all saw how a flight attendant, and a senior one at that too went into a so call designated smoking room which was all glass so we could all see people puffing their lives away in smoke. My little niece asked how come that stewardess smoking? Imagine our distaste when she came over to speak to our child with her hands smelling of tar touching our child's hair saying how cute they were.
The campaign “TAK NAK MEROKOK” would not be successful if the idea is just saying that smoking is danger and will cause cancer only. Campaign needs to be more effectively by giving more information about what is really that danger we all are saying.
Finally, I hope government will change the way of having campaign because for people who are not educated how they know what actually the campaign is about. By getting a minimum price of a box of cigarette at a reasonable price, it can still be bought by anyone. I do believe a rule- governed institution can think better to avoid teens to smoke or at least by selling the cigarette at a very high price such as RM 30 and above in certain country, it will make the buyers to think twice before buying it.
Mohd Zahini