The Truth about Teenage Smoking - Essay Example

Satish Kumar.G November 11, 2005. TEENAGE SMOKING. Smoking in teenagers has become a major worry for parents world over. This article details the ongoing efforts, in writings, to bring about more awareness about the hazards of this problem. There would be little to worry about the search results (online search) for 'articles on teenage smoking1', as there are hundreds of websites which discuss this issue for good or bad. There are plenty of books as well, that can be chosen, to know more about teenage smoking. I selected those articles that were more detailed and comprehensive in their content. Some articles, though not as detailed as I would have liked, were worthy of mentioning because of their clear and simple matter2. Some sites even stated that religion forbids smoking3. All in all, there are several sources which tell a great deal about teenage smoking, reasons for teens smoking4, the effects of it, curbing measures for both smokers and their parents, etc. I found two sources which were of particular interest though, primarily because of the number of articles and links they contained and the quality of matter. One of them is the 'The Truth about Tobacco' by Patrick Reynolds. This online source gives an account of all the various issues concerning smoking and has a lot of information on teen smoking. It explains in detail about experiences of other teen smokers and gives a comprehensive insight into the psychology of the smoker. It has lots of researched information like the number of people who take up smoking everyday in the U.S., the percentage of people who can quit on being enrolled in a program, percentage of people who cannot and the reasons and more. But, it is not a complete statistical study one would associate with, say, World Health Organization. It is very effective in conveying the message though. The article starts off with the writer giving his own account of experiences on smoking and both his father's and brother's experiences too. This makes it more appealing because it makes the reader believe that the author knows a lot about the issue. His family background makes it even more interesting, given the fact that he's from a family which made millions by selling cigarettes. The focus then shifts to the addiction, tobacco can have, all along detailing his struggle to get rid off smoking. The article also contains the role movie stars play in making smoking look fashionable. There are a couple of photos of heroes making a statement with a cigarette in hand. The author urges the movie stars to play a better role (support anti-smoking campaigns) as they are believed to be the major factor in promoting smoking, especially among the youth. Almost all the articles on 'factors contributing to smoking in teens' list movie stars as the primary cause. Then there is the role of advertising. This has been written very effectively (graphics are also used). Experiences of other severely affected teens, the role of politicians, the cost effects of smoking (expenditure of $1200 P.A. which is good enough to buy a car), quitting methods, ethics and how to persuade a friend to quit smoking are all diligently discussed. The article has been done very effectively. It clearly shows that there was a lot of research done and all issues concerning smoking were taken into account. The best part of it all is the usage of simple, easy to understand language. The examples are all relevant and the links, though not too many, do not take us to unnecessary commercial sites. The article is the text form of the speech delivered by the author for an assembly program for grades 7 - 12. It is a very candid article with real life examples, characters that we come across in our everyday life. The suggested quitting methods all seem to be tested and proven. There is an author's 'vision' at the end of the article that highlights the author's commitment to the cause. The article is more than likely to make the reader think at least once about teen smoking, before he can finish reading it. Another article that is very descriptive and informative is 'Danger! PR in the playground.' Though this is not like the above article, it is a thorough report on the smoking patterns among teens, the role of cigarette companies, rules and regulations in selling or advertising tobacco products and gives an insightful summary of the major tobacco business house plans. This was researched and written by Clive Bates, Persephone Watkins and Ann McNeill with research inputs from Ross Hammond. The article is the result of a very extensive and thorough research going back to the early 80's. It explains the clever approach of cigarette companies (especially big companies like Philip Morris, Reynolds, British American Tobacco, etc.) which make the most of political and economical compulsions. The major business houses cleverly involve in anti-smoking campaigns (A.S.C.), knowing that these would eventually bring in more customers in the long run. There are several 'internal' documents belonging to the big houses, which reveal the actual intent in promoting A.S.C. The role of advertising in promoting smoking has been detailed very effectively and the role film stars play also gets a mention. It observes that the most widely advertised brand is the most sought after brand which means advertising of cigarettes, though not intended for teens, still plays a huge role in 'catching them young.' There are several statistical reports, consensus reports, surveys and empirical studies that have been discussed in detail. It gives an account of the psychology of a teen smoker and what he/she can resort to smoke. The positioning of the cigarette as 'only for adults' makes it only more appealing to the youngsters. This brings to fore the need for cigarette companies to brand the product as only for adults and thereby cleverly promoting it. At the same time it is complying with the rules which state that the product needs to have a warning that it is not meant for children or adolescents. It highlights the exploitation of the teens' need for an adult identity. There is a very clear and concise report of three different companies on their internal strategies, to target the youth for their survival in the industry. Though the article gives an account of the various business strategies aimed at retaining the youth customer base, it does not contain much information on methods to quit smoking. This is the one of the major difference between the prior article and this article. It however has a different objective and succeeds to a large extent in answering several queries concerning business strategies and policies. It also gives an overview of the law related to sale of tobacco products and the sales policies adopted by the three big companies. It provides valuable information in understanding the way sales policies are formulated very carefully yet, within the legal framework. As several liability cases on tobacco products increased, the need for business houses to adopt particular policies also arose. This valuable and confidential information has been dissected into parts and discussed in exhaustive detail in this essay. This article might not appeal to the common teen reader for it's technical terminology and moderately difficult language. It does however succeed in answering some complex questions that were not answered for many years. It is a straightforward article that brings to light one of the major problems that continues to plague society and how we live, with not many options to choose from. It stresses the need to keep away tobacco companies taking part in tobacco control programs. It also suggests necessary measures that need to be taken to minimize the damage. The bibliography is extensive (136 cited references), which shows that the article has been thoroughly researched. Overall the article is very useful in understanding the business policies that continue to encourage teen smoking within the legal framework. The above two articles have been selected from a vast resource base found on the net. There are hundreds of articles on teen smoking but these are two very different ways of understanding the problem. While one article focuses on the need to quit smoking and the methods to do that the other looks at the policies of the companies and government that contribute to smoking in teens. The first article is easy to understand and presented in a more general format for the common reader while the second article is more subject oriented and might not appeal to a common reader at the first glance. Both, however, succeed in effectively meeting the purpose (highlighting teen smoking issues). Both the papers are high in quality and the research for the second article has proven to be very reliable and purposeful. There is no statement or terminology in the articles which can be classified as biased or taking sides. Read More