Smoking cigarettes is probably one of the biggest problems. Each year, smoking kills more than 400,000 Americans. Everyone who tried it is addicted to it. They are addicted because of the nicotine in the tobacco. Nicotine is a drug that makes you very addicted. Then people who smoke can’t quit as quick as they think. When they continue to smoke, the air they puff out comes down to our earth and harms us all.

Health: Smoking damages your health the most. It is because when you breathe in, you take in the bad air that goes through your lungs and makes your lungs black. This causes lung cancer. Lung cancer is a disease that might not get cured. It is very serious when you have lung cancer and when you don’t take medications right away. It might not even get cured by medicine. There are at least 60 chemicals that may increase the risk of cancer. If you quit for three days, your breathing improves. When you smoke you can get cancer of mouth, bladder, kidneys, pancreas, stomach, liver, colon and cervix, as well as the risk of developing leukemia. Smoking makes your bones weaker which may cause your bones to break when you hurt them. Women should not smoke especially during pregnancy because of the affect to the child. The child can turn disabled.
Why it’s smart not to smoke: you may think it’s cool to smoke when you are young, but as adult smoker you might get wrinkles by your eyes and mouth at an early age, reduces the flow of blood to your skin, stained fingers, yellow-brown teeth and bad breath, and a car or room can smell like smoke permanently. When you’re an adult all you want to do is quit, but because of the nicotine in tobacco the addiction doesn’t let you quit. Some people can’t even quit when they have cancer. Smoking is not a smart thing to do. As a matter of fact, it may be the dumbest thing a person can possibly do. Smoking may do very bad things to you and your body.

Respect: The worse thing that smokers can do is harm not just themselves but the people around them. Those people are called second-hand smokers. Second-hand smoking is bad as smoking or may be worse because they breathe in the bad air the smokers breathe out. It is very disrespectful to smoke right in front of non-smokers and children. Do not smoke in the house or in any public places. Second-hand smokers are everywhere because there are many smokers. It is very rude to smoke next to or in front of people who do not smoke and the people who do not want to get affected. Smoking in the house with guests or adults is very disrespectful and may lead to trouble. You also have to have some respect and protect your planet and environment.

My own experience: I have two brothers who smoke. They are 19 and 20. Sometimes, they smoke in the backyard next to my room, so I run out pinching my nose. I always try to convince them to quit. Both tired to quit, but lost their temper and started to smoke again. They had explained to me how smoking keeps them happy. I still don’t understand. I am a Second-hand smoker and so is my whole family. This is VERY unhealthy for my family and the house. The air can go into the house and might stay in the house making it smell very bad. I always try to tell my brothers to quit, but all thy say is “I will quit. I promise.”

How to Quit: It will be very hard to quit smoking. Nicotine keeps you addicted to it. Just like when you are addicted to a game, you will be addicted to smoking, but in a bad way. Here are a few tips to quit smoking.

1. Get ready
2. Get support
3. Learn new skills and behaviors
4. Get medication and use it correctly
5. Be ready for difficult situations

Quitting will be hard, but if you fight and try against the powerful addiction of nicotine, you can do it! You can show the world that it is possible to quit drugs. My dad used to smoke, but luckily he quit because the doctor gave him warnings about him dying. I hope my brothers don’t get to the point where they might die. If they can quit like my dad, that is very good.

To all Smokers: I hope you read my essay as a guide to learn and quit smoking. This is an essay for a contest to help smokers to quit. I hope many smokers are reading this and using this to help them. This essay is not just to win the contest for the Grand Prize, but to help the smokers. The first smokers I will try to help are my brothers. My brothers will read this essay and I will make copies for his friends who smoke, too. This essay might save lives! Now come on here and quit smoking!