by Sophia Cocciarella
3/28/2018

My name is Sophia Cocchiarella and I am an 8th grader at Adams Middle School. Below is an editorial that I wrote about smoking.

Don’t Let Smoking Hurt You and Your World

Did you know that even if you do not smoke, cigarette pollution still negatively affects you? Well it is true. Cigarette smoking affects everyone, whether or not you are a smoker, and it even affects wildlife and nature. Plus, smoking causes countless deaths each year. The problem is, we have known the dangers of smoking for over 50 years, but so many people still smoke today. According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, more than 3,200 people under the age 18 start smoking every day. I am sure many of you are thinking that this cannot continue. Well, I agree; I do not want the bad choices of others to hurt me. Together, we can stop smoking and save the world!

It is inexcusable that smoking doesn’t just affect smokers! Smokers may have made the decision to decimate their health, but it is not fair that non-smokers should have to suffer from the consequences too. According to the Quitter’s Circle Staff, secondhand smoke contains over 7,000 chemicals, hundreds of which are toxic, and 70 of which have been shown to cause cancer. Also, secondhand smoke increases the risk of stroke to those exposed to it by 20-30%. Smoking near children increases their risk of developing ear infections, asthma, and other breathing complications. You do not want you and your family to be afflicted by smoking, so take a stand and spread the word.

It is bad enough that smoking affects people who do not smoke, but the smoke from cigarettes also pollutes the Earth, and hurts wildlife. According to CNN, cigarettes contain climate-warming carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxides. These chemicals contaminate water and pollute the air. In addition, animals breathe in this poisonous air, which hurts them. Medical News Today says that the air pollution emitted by cigarettes is 10 times greater than diesel car exhaust. Can you believe this? Cigarette smoke is worse than car pollution! This is contributing greatly to global warming. It is very unfortunate that cigarette smoke is hurting the Earth, and the wildlife living on it. There is nothing that the Earth and its wildlife can do about cigarettes, so they shouldn’t have to suffer.
It is important to know that smoking is very dangerous and causes copious deaths. As reported by CNN, “smoking causes 7 million deaths each year”. I mentioned earlier how CNN reported how cigarettes contain carbon-dioxide, methane and nitrous oxides. Well, not only do these greenhouse gases pollute the Earth, but they are also harmful to humans and can lead to death. We have known for a long time that smokers can die because of their cigarettes, but the Center for Disease Control says that “cigarette smoking is responsible for more than 480,000 deaths per year in the United States, including more than 41,000 deaths resulting from secondhand smoke exposure”. Don’t put yourself at risk of death because other people have made poor decisions.

After all this talk about pollution, death and toxic chemicals, you are probably wondering “well, what can I do to help?” Well, if you are smoker, you can find the right assistance to help you quit smoking. You may be thinking “quitting is so hard” or “you have no idea how difficult it is to quit”. I know that quitting is very tough, but with the right guidance and support, you can do it! Likewise, when you quit, you will feel very happy, for not only have you saved your own life, but you have also helped save the lives of many other people, plants, and animals. Even if you are not a smoker, there are still things you can do to help. For one, you can encourage others to quit. It is not easy to quit smoking and if they are going to quit, they need guidance and support. You can also donate to or help out with a smoke-free organization like The Truth or the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World.

Whether or not you are a smoker, you are affected by smoking. So everyone, join in and take a stand! Together, we can make the Earth a smoke-free world!