Youngsters - Smoking Prevention

Today's youngsters are smart and know what better things to do with Their Life: stay young and cool, smoke-free of course!

Once you realize the facts about tobacco, you must know the right choice too:

Stop Smoking Before You Start

The Facts

• Tobacco smoke causes many other diseases and health problems. There are more than 4000 harmful chemicals substances in tobacco smoke, more than 40 of these are known to cause cancer.
  
  
• The nicotine in tobacco is one of the most addictive substances. About eight out of every ten people who try smoking get hooked.
  
  
• Tar in cigarette stains fingers and teeth and makes you less attractive.
  
  
• Tobacco smoke makes bad breath, stinky hair and clothes.
  
  
• Cigarette smoking affects your fitness and decrease ability to concentrate.
  
  
• Smoking costs a large amount of money.

Remember : Never start the first cigarette

The Real Deal about Tobacco

"We don't need to worry - smoking won't affect our health until we're a lot older.......right?"

The Real Deal

You already know that smoking can cause things like cancer and heart disease, beside this there are short-term symptoms that start to develop as soon as you smoke your first cigarette - no matter how young you are. These include shortness of breath, coughing, nausea, dizziness, and phlegm production.

"But if you only smoke a little bit, that can't hurt ....... can it?"

The Real Deal

When take your first puff on a cigarette, you may cough a lot and feel pain or burning in your throat and lungs. You may even feel sick and throw up to try to get rid of the poison. Also, symptoms like wheezing and coughing have been found in smokers who smoke just one cigarette a week.

"Young people who smoke think they're cool ......are 't they?"

The Real Deal

People will not see the smoker as cool as they think. They smell like a dirty ashtray. They may be cranky, moody and not as much fun to be with. Smoking is not sophisticated and stylish. It gives you wrinkles, stained teeth, fingers and nails, stinky hair and clothes, bad breath and ill-health.

"Smoking helps us to relax and think..... isn't it?"

The Real Deal

Smoking cannot help you relax and think but raises your blood pressure and may give you a terrible headache.

"Young people who smoke look more mature..... aren't they?"

The Real Deal

Smoking is not adult behavior. About 90 per cent of all smokers start smoking before they are 18. People very rarely start to smoke once they are adults. Adult smokers wish very much that they could quit.

"Well, if smoking is so bad, all you have to do is quit. How hard can that be?"

The Real Deal

Most smokers want to stop. But they can't because most smokers are addicted to nicotine.

"Smoking can give us relief from boredom ... can't it?"

The Real Deal

The typical smokerspends about HK$ 5,500 a year on cigarettes. Think of what you could do with all that dough: Buy a lot of CDs, games, clothes, and books. If you put HK$ 5,500 every year in a bank account earning 5 percent interest, you'd have HK$ 195,027.07 after 20 years. With a sum like that you could really have some fun!

Refusal Models

Don't be talked into smoking by your friends. Try refusing them in the following ways:

• Say "No" firmly and directly.
  

  For example: "Smoking? No way. Stop bugging me!"

  
  
• Get away from the scene with a nice excuse.
  

  For example: "Excuse me. I've something urgent to do and I must go now."

  
  
• Suggest something else.
  

  For example: "Why smoke? I've another idea. Let's have some chewing gum."

Some Positive Alternatives

Other than smoking, try other activities like:

• Physical activity and exercising
  
  
• Take a healthy and constructive approach to dealing with stresses and pressures, such as going for a walk, listening music, deep-breathing, taking a bath, talking with friends

Remember: It is much easier to not smoke than to try to quit