Peer Pressure and Smoking
Peer pressure and the media are the main reason many people smoke.
The wealthier persons were the ones used tobacco during the World War 1. And the less fortunate ones were using only cigarette which were leftovers of cigar making.
When the mass production of tobacco bloomed, cigarette smokers also increased in number. Most of these users were soldiers of the First World War. Naturally, after the war, the production of cigarettes also increased.
In my research, I discovered ads from JAMA – The Journal of the American Medical Association that promoted various brands. One ad pictured a military doctor promoting Camels. Wow! Not only are you being patriotic by using them but a doctor is promoting the brand. I am sure this ad influenced many to smoke, especially military men and women. If your peer was a soldier next to you that was using them, don’t you think that would have a powerful influence on you?
Another JAMA ad was telling about how much better you will feel if you use the Chesterfield brand. This is what ads are doing; they try to convince you to use the product.
I understand that the AMA did not do anything to stop this campaign even though they knew through lots of evidences that smoking was very dangerous to health which includes cancer to lungs. Something tells me that money was involved here.
Smoking has been very prevalent in the movies and especially in the 1950s and 1960s, on television. Even the actors were advertising various brands in commercials during a TV show. They made it seem classy and romantic.
You might also remember the Marlboro guy (the rugged cowboy) there were many who actually portrayed that role. And some of them died because of lung cancer.
The tobacco companies have not been telling the truth for many years about the harmful effects of Nicotine and smoking. Luckily we were given enough information about these things and made some restrictions on cigarette ads.
If people around you are fund of smoking, there will be a chance that you will develop this habit too. An environment that goes easy on smoking has a possibility of producing large numbers of smokers. You will not want to be left out and want to be called uncool and become unaccepted in a group so you try what they are doing. This is peer pressure at work.
If you have been smoking for quite a while, you may not realize it but you form some emotional attachment to cigarettes. You will find them calming and comforting during stressful times. It somehow becomes an extension of your social life and the peer pressure continues. Giving up smoking would seem like giving up a trusted friend.
The best solution would be finding activities that will develop more friends. Look for these people in sports, in your work and church. It is very important that you live with people who are free (from addiction and bondage to smoking) but still can enjoy the fullness of life.
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