"Tobacco is a known or probable cause of death from: Cancer of the: lips, mouth, pharynx, oesophagus, pancreas, larynx; voice box; lungs, trachea and bronchus, bladder, kidney, liver, cervix, stomach, tongue, and penis. Tobacco also causes stroke; fires; paediatric diseases " low birth weight and respiratory distress syndrome; respiratory diseases " tuberculosis, pneumonia and influenza, bronchitis and emphysema, asthma, chronic airway obstruction, shortness of breath, and coughing; lung cancer and diseases caused by passive smoking; gangrene as a result of poor circulation; and heart attack and cardiovascular diseases " rheumatic heart disease, hypertension, ischaemic heart disease, pulmonary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, atherosclerosis and aortic aneurysm."" (http://www.spinneypress.com.au/147_book_desc.html).
Smoking among today's youth seems to be an alarming and rising issue. This report aims to show that it is a rising issue and also aims to show that Morayfield State High School's smoking policy and education is inadequate and that more needs to be done. This will be shown by a survey of students and evaluation of the schools policy, environment and students own person skills.
The Issue.
Smoking among youth is a very common practice today. "In 1996 about 276,000 school students aged between 12 and 17 were smokers with 70,000 young people taking up smoking every year which equates to about 191 a day."" (www.acosh.org). Many adolescents believe smoking creates an image for them, this being the image of cool. Many students believed that smoking gave them confidence, company and made them socially accepted. Do these students know the risks in which are associated with smoking, is the question to ask. It has been shown that, "200,000 more youth smokers then before tobacco interventions began- (http://www.spinneypress.com.au/147_book_desc.html).
A survey was conducted on 60 students of Morayfield State High School, these students ranging from grade 8 to grade 12.