Some of my classmates smoke regularly. I was once invited to have a puff. So I took a puff and literally choked on the smoke. My friends had a good laugh, but that put me off smoking forever. How could anyone take in the foul smoke into their beautiful lungs, I do not know?
I have to say that I am glad that I do not smoke, for evidence against smoking keep increasing. Smoking certainly is hazardous to health.
A regular smoker is always coughing or clearing his throat. This is the obvious sign of a smoker. My father, uncle and my friends who smoke all seem to have a perpetual cough. I hear them hacking away every now and then. They take cough drops and other medicines to counteract the cough but they do not succeed. The only solution for them is to quit smoking. This is easy to say but I can see that it is almost impossible for smokers to do. They love smoking too much.
A perpetual cough is bad enough to have to put up with every day. The greater danger is that it may deteriorate into something worse, like lung cancer or other diseases. Also, it is an established fact that smokers are more prone to heart diseases and strokes. Their health is also generally poorer. In the event of severe illness, a non-smoker has a much better chance of surviving than smokers. Smoking weakens the whole body.
Pregnant mothers who smoke may give birth to smaller and less healthy children. So it is not a very intelligent thing to smoke, considering the risks that a smoker has. However, intelligence is powerless in the face of the constant bombardment of cigarette advertisements via the mass media.
My friends who smoke do not have enough stamina, as they say. They do play games, but I can see that they really do not have the staying power of non-smokers. They tire quickly and immediately after the game the first thing they reach for is a cigarette. Of course, they are smart enough not to get caught smoking in school, but the teachers are no fools. Yellow teeth, yellow fingers and smelly clothes are sure signs of a smoker. Usually, the teacher says nothing as long as the students do not smoke in school.
The hazards of smoking are obvious — poor health, a persistent cough, lack of stamina, wastage of money and a possible quicker and more painful path to the grave all await the smoker. If you do smoke, then it is always better to stop. If you do not smoke, then do not start. You will be glad you didn’t.