"Nothing will happen to me, I'm only having one." Every day thousands of teenagers are saying these exact words about cigarette smoking. Why are they taking the risks? Are they aware of risk of smoking? According to Health Canada, twenty-seven percent of teenagers smoke cigarettes. This may seem low, but when considering the average age at which teens start smoking, which is about thirteen, its seems to be foolish. As we head towards the new millenium, our students, the backbones of our society are leading to their own destruction. Surprisingly, there are a lot of information about the effects of smoking, but some aren't even aware the dangerous affects on their lives. Some don't even care about the effects because the effects are not immediate. Moreover, students are exposed to the risk of health effects, risk of nicotine addiction, and the risk of second-hand smoke. However, there is also a less life threatening effects on their appearance. .
Do you know what happens to you when you smoke? Well, your lungs get all black, and you have very hard time breathing. Your lungs don't get enough oxygen; you start to feel tired. These are some of the symptoms that result from lung cancer. According to the Heart and Lung Association of Canada, cigarette smoking is the major cause of lung cancer, and is involved in 85% of all lung cancer deaths. Emphysema is another result of smoking. Emphysema is when the bronchi are damaged by cigarette smoke, the walls of the tiny air spaces and blood vessels are destroyed. Your lungs don't get enough oxygen, which means you can't even walk or run without an oxygen tank. Another result of smoking is the risk of getting heart disease. Your heart does not pump enough blood to your body and makes you feel tired all the time. Furthermore, your risks of heart disease increases, and smoking accounts 30% of all heart disease deaths. Many scientists also say that smoking is not just bad for your lungs but for other parts of your body, like your teeth and stomach.