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My Friends Want Me To Smoke !!!!!!
Hey im a girl who is 16 years old. And i hang with a buch of preppy girl's. They are super nice but they have one prob. They smoke !! And now they want me to. I mean it seems real cool and stuff but i know its bad for you. so can you help ??? cuz i need it!!!
Love,
Under peer preasure
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Maybe give some free advice about: Health?
Smoking is a very stupid habit to start. I smoke- I wish I never started. I am adamant about encouraging others not to smoke.
Sorry this is so long, but I want to make sure you realize:
1- The smell is horrible. It sticks to your clothes, your hair, your skin, everything in your house and your car (you can't put on enough perfume to cover the way you stink). It makes your breath stink- the taste in my mouth literally tastes like I have licked an ashtray sometimes. It is gross, and it stinks. Ashtrays are nasty, dirty, and they stink something terrible. It is a gross, nasty, disgusting habit, period.
2- Quitting is hard. Quitting tobacco has been compared in difficulty to quitting heroin. I really WANT to quit, but my willpower just isn't strong enough yet.
It takes 14 days for your body to rid itself of nicotine. That doesn't seem long, but I could only ever make it through one day; the withdraws are terrible- there is that constant urge, no, NEED to have just... one... more... If it's that bad to get through one day, I hate to think of how to get through 14 of them. I just keep trying.
Also, a high percentage of former smokers take the habit back up within 6 months. All that hell for nothing...
3- It's an expensive habit these days, what with one single pack costing nearly $5. Don't seem like much, but I'm a pack a day smoker. That is $35 per week in cigarette expense alone.
4- It destroys your throat, and most importantly it destroys your lungs. I know you like to breathe...
Not only does it put you at risk of such nasties as lung cancer and emphysema, but you wake up in the morning with your lungs hurting (every deep breath is killer), you have chest congestion, and you obtain smoker's cough. Not cool. It even changes your voice. You may have a sweet sounding feminine voice now, but as time goes on, your voice gets more and more of a gravel sound to it.
5- Having a simple cold is outright miserable; far more than when you experience a cold now. Your lungs are damaged (they turn blacker with every cigarette you smoke)- chest congestion is way worse.
It takes you much longer to get over a cold. I get colds that take a month, sometimes two, to officially get over.
A simple cold can easily turn into a respiratory infection, or something much worse. You have to go to the doctor and get prescription medicine to treat it.
Your lungs are very unhealthy, and mucus doesn't break up and come out near as easily or efficiently as healthy lungs.
Just remember- smoking is NEVER cool. Never has been, never will be. You would look just as cool smoking as you would jumping off a bridge. We all know that jumping off a bridge is stupid, and far be it from cool, don't we?
As for your friends wanting you to smoke, don't. Honestly? A real friend wouldn't encourage you to do so. A real friend wouldn't want you to risk your health, even your life, to look "cool." Yah, they may be nice 99% of the time, but they aren't being nice by wanting you to obtain such a gross and dangerous habit as smoking cigarettes.
Besides, smoking because someone else thinks you should makes you a follower. Don't be a follower- be a leader. If you don't lead others, at least be an individual who decides for herself. You will be a far better person for it, and you will lead a much happier, healthy life.
When they try to offer you a cigarette, you don't have to be rude. Just politely decline. "I'm sorry, I don't smoke and don't care to start."
In fact, you may want to think about encouraging them to quit. Don't pressure them about it- you know from this experience what it feels like to be pressured by your friends- but let them know you care about them and their health enough to try to ensure they are educated on the facts about smoking.
Don't think I'm being a jerk or a hard ass. I'm just telling you the absolute truth. Like I said, I know- I am a smoker.
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It seems cool?
Nuh..it looks stupid. You can give it a try and see how bad your breath will smell for the rest of the day, how your clothes will smell, such an awfull taste and your teeth will turn yellow in an instant.
Probably the smoke will also get in your eyes.
Smoking is stupid. You have to try really hard to get addicted.
Not smoking is not uncool. No matter how much they insist, just say no thanks
no thanks, no thanks, no thanks, no thanks, no thanks, no thanks, no thanks, no thanks, no thanks! Cause I know how it goes, trust me. My friends always wanted me to smoke and asked me for EVER!!!I mean like...7 people trying to convince me for hours every time we hang out.
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Don't give in... half of them probably don't like doing it and were in your place not too long ago. it's just not a good idea. there are other ways to entertain yourselves. don't freak out on them, just don't do it. I had someone smoking in front of me the other day and i made them move away and they respect me for it. so stand up for yourself. <3
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Dont do it, its bad for your health. Just say no or make an excuse on why you have to leave. (Remember the DARE program? lol) If they are good friends then they will understand, if not you shouldnt be hanging out with them anyways.
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please, say no! not only is it illegal because your underage.. it will totally ruin your life, and if you have kids they will be mental or have some sort of health problem. if they are cool, it doesn't mean that smoking is! it's not cool AT ALL! please, you know the right thing to do. it will ruin your life ENTIRELY, did you learn that from the D.A.R.E program they had in 5th grade? good luck with it and i hope i helped!!!
xo melissa
let me know how it goes!
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Its not real cool. Believe me, as an ex heavy smoker let me tell you its not a good habit to have. You have already heard of the health risks (cancer etc), but there are also so many other small surprises along the way. Such as waking up in the morning and having a coughing fit which results in spitting out gobs of slime (regular occurance after a few years). Or having your teeth yellow really fast. Or bad breath, and countless other little things like this. And on top of it all, its one expensive habit.
The only way I can help is by letting you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that starting to do this is one of the worst ideas you could have. You cannot conceive how addictive smoking is. Quiting it was the hardest thing I ever did. Most black market narcotics are not as addicitive.
Beyond this it is up to you to realise that your future well being depends upon this decision. No friend should push you into this. If they do then either they are not really your friend or they are truly ignorant to the risks.
Remember you are your own person. Dont ever do anything you dont feel comfortable with because of pressure from others. Be strong and you will be better off (in general not just in this case). Dont make excuses, make a stand, and let them know in no uncertain terms that you cannot ever be budged once you have made up your mind. If they say anything, tell them politely and firmly "no". You dont need to explain to why, since you do not answer to them. Make them understand this.
Good luck.
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You know those, "just say no" messages we kept getting as kids? Well, it still applies in this situation, even when you're 16. I don't mean to sound like an old geezer, but now's the time that people might try pressuring you into doing things you don't feel comfortable with..this is just one example. All you have to say is, NO and that you don't smoke. If they still pressure you, you might have to re-evaluate your friendship with them. Real friends respect your decisions. Choosing not to smoke is not an exception.
This applies in other situations. If you feel uncomfortable doing anything, whatever it might be, then just pass. I know how much pressure there is to do certain things, but you'll be the mature one if you follow your heart.
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Ah this is a tough one. You dont want to let them down or hurt their feelings by saying no. But if you tell them that you dont mind if you guys smoke but your really not into it. If you say it once they will probably be fine with that. Some excuses are if you dont know what to say are:
- not now maybe later
- i cant smoke because i have really bad asthma
and you are a very smart girl im telling you dont just try one because you know what happens? you get hooked and one becomes 2 and so on ..i wish you the best of luck
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SAY NO!! i can't stress that enough. (i know i sound like a teacher or something but whatever)if they are good friends, they'll respect your answer. If you do say yes, your going to ruin your life, so just say no.
Hope i helped!
<3 Meaghs
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