363 - 369 Perspectives

Audience: Student classroom

Can I see a show of hands as to how many people in this room smoke? You know it’s killing you right? Of course you do. You’ve grown up your whole lives being told not to smoke and the government covers almost the entire cigarette package in warning labels. Some of you may have even lost loved ones to smoking. I lost my grandfather to lung cancer caused by smoking when I was ten. He was a strong, independent man, but eventually the devastating effects of smoking got to him and I had to watch him suffer for years as the cancer took his life away. Until quite recently, I too was a smoker. It doesn’t make much sense, and I’ve been told over and over again that it’s gross, it’s expensive and it’s unhealthy, but it wasn’t until I realized that smoking was killing me I made the decision to quit. It wasn’t easy, and it took some time, but it was well worth it. That’s why my goal today is to convince you to quit smoking. Before you can stop wanting to smoke, however, you have to want to stop smoking.

           There are many reasons to quit smoking. The first one that comes to everyone’s mind is health. The discussion about cigarettes always boils down to a matter of health. There’s an obvious reason for that; cigarettes are bad for your health. That is a fact and it’s been proven over and over again despite the billions of dollars cigarette companies have spent to try and refute these facts. Statistics show that about 37000 Canadians die every year from smoking. If you are a smoker and experience chest pain, shortness of breath, or have ever woken up coughing then you’re seeing the first signs of your body degrading from smoking. Another reason to quit is the huge amount of money it costs to support a smoking habit. At ten to fifteen dollars a pack in Canada, smokers can save thousands of dollars a year by quitting smoking. Just think, you could finally afford to go out on the weekends or buy yourself coffee every morning. Smoking is also not as attractive as it used to be. Back in the sixties everyone smoked, especially the good looking people. Thus, through false logic, if you wanted to look good you had to smoke. Nowadays, however, people don’t have the same views. Everyone knows that smoking is bad for you, and few find it sexy.

        

        Quitting isn’t easy, but it doesn’t have to be hard either. There are many resources which you can make use of to help you quit. Helpful information can be found at almost any local hospital or doctor’s office. There are many different help hotlines set up where you can talk to real people about advice or support. When you are having cravings, things tricks such as chewing a piece of gum or sucking on a pen will help. Nicotine replacements such as patches and inhalers are shown to work as well for curing cravings. It is also easier to quit if you quit with someone else. As long as both of you commit, and make sure that the other one is committing, you will have a much easier time overcoming the pressure.

           

            Once you quit smoking the benefits will be impossible to miss. Within a year you will be able to run up a flight of stairs without wheezing at the top thanks to your improved lung function and circulation. You’ll have a longer life (and pay lower life insurance) thanks to your reduced risk of lung cancer and heart disease. You will set a good example for your future children, and you won’t be wasting your money on a pointless habit. It’s never been easy to change a smoker’s mind, but I hope from what I’ve said today you no longer have any reason not to at least try to quit.