I'm not a smoker but my family does. I went through a phase of wanting to smoke when I was about 16 but I think that was mostly peer pressure.
I don't see the problem with smoking, I understand the peer pressure side and that elderly people smoke because when they started they didn't have the same knowledge that we do now and it's now too late for them to quit.
I do think that it can add a sex appeal to some people but mostly only in films, I don't think I have ever seen anyone in 'real life' I've found particularly attractive because of their smoking.
The government are obviously trying to deter people from smoking, introducing the smoking ban, increasing the legal age to buy cigarettes etc, but I'm not sure it's making a major difference. Health secretary Andy Burnham has said that "one day, in the not too distant future, we'll look back and find it hard to remember why anyone smoked in the first place", this was from a BBC news article about the government wanting to half the number of smokers by 2020. The article goes on to say that related illnesses to smoking costs the NHS £2.7bn. every year, but a smoker may come back at the NHS by saying that the amount of tax they have to pay on their cigarettes is probably more than enough to re-pay that bill!
I think there will always be smokers even if the few remaining are just exercising their free will. I do feel sorry for smokers because even on job applications you can be asked if you're a smoker and as a non smoker, for some reason I'm always happy that I can answer no to that question in case it jeopardises my chances. I think the changes the government are making are good, as no one can deny that smoking is bad for your health, but on the other hand it does seem like it's becoming slightly extreme.
I don't see the problem with smoking, I understand the peer pressure side and that elderly people smoke because when they started they didn't have the same knowledge that we do now and it's now too late for them to quit.
I do think that it can add a sex appeal to some people but mostly only in films, I don't think I have ever seen anyone in 'real life' I've found particularly attractive because of their smoking.
The government are obviously trying to deter people from smoking, introducing the smoking ban, increasing the legal age to buy cigarettes etc, but I'm not sure it's making a major difference. Health secretary Andy Burnham has said that "one day, in the not too distant future, we'll look back and find it hard to remember why anyone smoked in the first place", this was from a BBC news article about the government wanting to half the number of smokers by 2020. The article goes on to say that related illnesses to smoking costs the NHS £2.7bn. every year, but a smoker may come back at the NHS by saying that the amount of tax they have to pay on their cigarettes is probably more than enough to re-pay that bill!
I think there will always be smokers even if the few remaining are just exercising their free will. I do feel sorry for smokers because even on job applications you can be asked if you're a smoker and as a non smoker, for some reason I'm always happy that I can answer no to that question in case it jeopardises my chances. I think the changes the government are making are good, as no one can deny that smoking is bad for your health, but on the other hand it does seem like it's becoming slightly extreme.
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