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Teen Tobacco
"It seems like teens have either forgotten about cancer, or they just don't care."
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By Ian Hall
One of my good friends, Alex, smokes cigarettes. He reeks of smoke and he's always chewing gum to try to hide his bad breath.
Years ago, smoking was glorified in films and everyone wanted to be like the movie stars. Our parents and grandparents smoked. Then they found cigarettes contained carcinogens, and people began to stay away from them. Yet today I still see teens smoking everywhere I go.
It seems like teens either have forgotten about cancer, or they just don't care. I think some teens believe smoking makes them appear older and more mature; but the fact is it makes them seem more immature, because it shows they easily fall victim to pressure from their peers and media.
I'm also seeing a resurgence in dipping tobacco, which deteriorates your gums and causes cancer of the mouth. My friend Johnny dips, and every time he cracks a smile, I can see the tobacco stuck between his teeth and how low his gum line is, and it makes me sick.
I'm not going to stop being friends with kids that smoke and dip; all I can do is feel sorry for them because chances are they're going to be addicted for the rest of their lives, until they die from it. I'm just happy that I'm strong enough to not smoke cigarettes or dip. In fact, I'm not even tempted to.
-Ian Hall is a reporter at VOX Newspaper in Atlanta, Georgia
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