Despite knowing the fact well that smoking causes lung cancer and many other fatal diseases, people across the world smoke without any feeling of guilt or hesitation.
Mostly, people begin to experiment with smoking during their teen age when the peer pressure is quite high and the desire to do something “different” is also on its peak. A combination of factors like hormonal surge, physical and emotional changes, family roles, attraction towards opposite gender, etc. motivate the young people to smoke.
The teens with parents or friends who smoke are more likely to smoke at one or other point of life. Children of parents who do not smoke themselves but do not place many restrictions on their children’s activities also tend to smoke sooner or later in life. This happens because often these parents do not stop their children from viewing the films which glamorize smoking or do not stop their kids from befriending people who smoke.
Some people begin to smoke simply to gel with the group they want to be a part of. Sociologists call it “social reward” phenomenon. Smoking is often projected in films and advertisements as a hobby of passionate, brave and suave people. This kind of imagery ignites the impressionable minds and they begin to smoke for making a different image in the peer group and society.
In some cultures, tobacco is wrongly perceived as a natural substance for increasing health, vitality and virility. This misconception makes people smoke for all the wrong reasons and ruin their health.
Gradually smoking becomes a gateway for relieving stress and anxiety and even slightest of stressful situation becomes a trigger for smokers to smoke. Stopping smoking completely can decrease the chances of acquiring lung cancer later in life. Strong determination and will power alone can make one stop smoking forever.
