Instant Access To 100,000+ Essays!

A Pack of Lies Smoking remains the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, causing more than 440,000 deaths each year and resulting in an annual cost of more than $75 billion in direct medical costs. More than 6.4 million children living today will die prematurely because of a decision they will make as adolescents — the decision to smoke cigarettes. In this paper we will familiarize ourselves with the foremost causes and effects of smoking; with the causes defined as marketing, peer pressure, stress and the effects being addiction, health risks and second hand smoke. Smoking is not an innate behavior, but an acquired habit. Many people start smoking when they are young, allowing peer pressure to play a part as their elders, classmates or friends often influence them. Others begin smoking as adults, citing stress from work and personal lives. However, unlike many other behaviorally caused threats to public health, smoking is unusual in that it has a very powerful supporter -the tobacco industry promoting and encouraging its spread. Tobacco industry succeeds in recruiting and retaining smokers. Yet, the effects of smoking can be harsh and, or fatal. Including addiction, both physical and mental, and health hazar