A adult man lighting his cigarette with a match stick
What are the reasons why people start to smoke?
- Stress Relief
People often smoke to relieve their stress due to their work or the situation they are currently in. Soldiers tend to smoke to ease the tension of wartime stress. Unfortunately after the stress has passed, some people still have the urge to smoke. Cigarettes have nicotine which makes them addictive. Once you become addicted to it, it will be harder for you to completely eliminate smoking in your lifestyle.
- Media Influences
Media influences have great effect in the decision making of the viewers. For example, if a lead star in a movie is smoking, people who watch it might think that smoking is something that society can easily accept. This causes a large number of people to start doing so.
- Self-Medication
People suffering from depression and anxiety smoke cigarette to mitigate their symptoms. Nicotine causes them to feel like their well-being is heightened and it helps them ease tension, but just like any other drugs, it also has negative effects on your body. Aside from addiction, you might get lung disease, cancer, heart disease and early death mean nicotine.
- Advertising
Advertisements play a huge part on people’s decision whether to smoke or not to smoke.
- Genetic Predisposition
Medical genetic research is starting to suggest that addiction to nicotine – which is the main addictive component of cigarette – may have a genetic component. The research studies how genetic susceptibility and other societal factors can lead to nicotine addiction.
- Misinformation
There are myths about tobacco that are circulating among our society. For example, some people say that tobacco can improve virility and some brands of tobacco are safer than others. These myths lead to the prolonged usage of tobacco that may lead to nicotine addiction.
- Parental Influence
Parents that are active smokers are mostly likely to have children who smoke. Even parents who do not practice smoking can have children who smoke due to having only a few restrictions from them like allowing their kids watch movies that depict heavy smoking.
- Risk-taking Behavior
Selling cigarettes to minors is illegal in many countries. Teens tend to break those rules that prohibit them from buying to using cigarettes because of the excitement they feel. They often forgot the side effects of those first few cigarettes because of the adrenaline rushing through them when they break the rules.
- Social Rewards
Smokers who take cigarette breaks at the same time and place often bond with each other. Having or creating bonds with a group of people allows them to feel that they are socially accepted.
- Peer Pressure
If a teenager starts using tobacco, he/she will lead others to do so. Smokers do not want to be alone and the people who have not tried smoking don’t want to be labeled as someone scared.
References:
Smoking Awareness 