Triggering (Substances): Really that bad???

[ToGoOmniscient]

So this might be a dumb question but:
Is smoking cigarettes for fun really that bad?
I mean, I'm a 14 year old girl and I get that it's not the healthiest thing in the world, but I mean, its not heroin or meth. So is smoking one or two cigarettes (actually not whole ones just keep passing it back and forth between me and my friend) is it really the worst thing in the world?
I'm not doing it to prove anything, I just wanted to try it. what is the big freakin deal??

[Sincerely Yours ♥]

Smoking isn't as bad as some other drugs, but it definitely takes a toll on your body. I don't think once in a while will kill you, but you can't do that for years & expect nothing to happen. I know my boyfriend smokes them maybe once every couple of weeks, but even then I don't like it, so he doesn't do it as much anymore. It really can be dangerous to your health. All of my grandparents died from either smoking or secondhand smoke. You're also very young. You should probably stay away from cigarettes.

[JKmadu619]

Honestly, it's not meth, cocaine, or even marajuana. That being said it's still very harmful and will eventually kill you.

Looking at this logically, the "big freakin deal" is... smoking makes you look older (As much as twenty years older, which sucks when you're twenty-two.), leaves you short of breath, burns your lungs, and poisons you.


Cigarettes do not make you look cool, or sophsticated. You mention you smoke them for "fun" what's "fun" about smoking? Being with the group? Adreneline rush from breaking the law? Because whatever it is, you can get the same feeling another way.

And to be honest, because you asked my opinion, I do feel cigarettes are harmful, and they make you look stupid, as if you don't know any better. But again that's not fact, it's my personal feelings regarding smoking.

Also, your parents will find out. My parent's hide them smoking from me, as though I would blindly follow their example, and they still haven't ever told me about it. The thing is, their clothes smell like smoke, their vehicles smell like smoke, their hair smells like smoke, and I see them smoking outside when they don't know I'm there. It's painfully obvious. And they think they're ever so sneaky, so really, no matter how careful you are, you will get in trouble for this. Even if you never get caught, your friends will, and I can bet they'll somehow pin it on someone else, which could easily be you.

Also, please read this:

http://www.nutri.com/index.cfm?fusea..._about_smoking

Don't just roll your eyes or disregard it, really read through it and take it seriously. It's your choice, but morally I feel the need to present this.

- Justin

Edit: Or this, something other than anti-smoking propoganda, real words from a real person:

http://www.teenhelp.org/forums/f17-s...-smoking-17-a/

[Ryan1]

Smoking cigarettes is a really bad choice to make. It’s proven to shorten your life extremely. At the age of 14 your invincible sadly you’re getting yourself into a really bad situation in my opinion. Ask anyone you know and I’m willing to bet they personally know someone who has past away from smoking. I know at least 3 people in my family that have died from it. If you knew the chemicals that were in cigarettes it would gross you out.

Please stop smoking it’ll save you a ton of money and your life. Just for the record smoking is more addictive then any of the illegal drugs you’ve mentioned far none. I’ve moved your thread to the General Health forum because I feel as though you’ll get better answers here regarding the health aspect of this topic. Not smoking will save you a lot of hardship in the future, it’s also more attractive. Really try to make an educated discussion on this before you dig a hole so deep you can’t get out of it.

At the end of the day you need to lie in the bed you make for yourself, it hits home for me to say that to a 14 year old but it’s so true. Thousands of people die from smoking a year, if cancer runs in your family naturally you’re only making your odds worse. I’m more then willing to chat with you anytime if you need support or help beating the addiction.

In a short form: Quit.

I wish you all the best.

[Childish Giggle]

You may be smoking 1-2 cigarettes at the moment but you will soon start smoking more.
When we smoke, there's this pleasure area in our brain that receives signals or something like that. And slowly, your develop a tolerance for whatever the cigarettes have in them. I am sorry I don't remember the exact terms, I just heard it from one my teachers once. So as you develop tolerance you are able to smoke more. And the pleasure areas also start demanding for more. So you start smoking more and more. Same goes for drugs and drinking. So it might not seem harmful at the moment, but it is in the long run cuz your intake increases.

[escape_thereal_world]

My mother started smoking at 15. She now has emphysema which is a life-long disease. If she doesn't quit smoking it will get worse until she will no longer be able to breathe. Even if she stops, other things that cause regular smoke (fires, etc) can cause her lungs to tighten up. She cannot work anymore because of smoking.

My aunt who was 50 found out she had lung cancer - likely due to smoking since she was 14. At 52 the cancer spread like a wildfire and within a few months she had tumors all over her body. It moved to her throat and developed a tumor there, which they were not able to remove. She literally starved to death.

Point? Smoking is bad. There is nothing gained from smoking. Nothing. It's not "fun". How can putting something in your mouth be fun? Put a pencil in your mouth instead. Just making a point.

You are 14 so you should know all the effects cigarettes can cause. Yeah, I guess it's better than heroin or meth. But in the long run? You're just killing yourself much slower.

Now I admit. I tried a cig when I was 18 because I was wondering why everyone liked it. It didn't do anything for me. It was just that - something in my mouth. I got nothing out of it. So, I never picked another one up. But it's your choice and if you need to be asking why it's a big deal for people to smoke, then you need to do some more research before you pick another one up.

[Kate*]

I watched the effects of smoking slowly affect my grandparents. My gradma had emphysema and my grandpa lost his larynx (voice box) to cancer before I was born, he learned to speak somewhat, but I have never been able to fully understand him. You may not think it's as bad as other drugs, but in the long run it's almost worse because it takes away your ability to breathe and you might think you're fine or nothing will happen to you, but then years later you end up with cancer and/or permanent breathing problems. As someone who has seen first hand the long term effects of this, I'm insulted by this question. Stop while you still can, even if you think you won't get addicted or that it won't harm you, because you can and it will.