Research shows that 80 per cent of adult smokers started before they were 18
KECH TURBAT: Almost one-third of American high school students are regular smokers. In Pakistan, these figures may be even higher. According to a global survey, nearly 3,000 children are becoming smokers every day. Why do young boys and girls smoke even when they know it’s harmful for their health? Part of the answer lies in the advertisement, movies, peer pressure and other social factors. Research shows that 80 per cent of adult smokers started before they were 18. Teenagers tend to underestimate how addictive smoking really is. Research shows that if there were a way to get teens to understand deceptive advertising and the consequences of their smoking, far fewer teens would ever get trapped by the addiction. Thanks to the warnings on cigarette packs and magazine ads, now everyone can read the risks of smoking: various types of cancer, heart diseases and many other diseases. Smokers also expose others to passive smoking. Hence, the instructions alone fail to serve the purpose which is why the government should at least make cigarette manufacturers to increase prices so high that cigarettes go beyond the reach of teenagers and also beyond the reach of grown-ups.
Bakhtiyar Phullan
Published in The Express Tribune, August 27th, 2018.
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