Cigarette smoking is a public health threat. Smoking harms the family, and the entire community, and therefore, smokers should understand these effects and how quieting can save the lives of people around you. Smoking leads to chronic diseases such as lung cancer. Smokers develop short-term effects at the age of initiation, and later long-term effects develop during youth and adulthood (Institute of Medicine (US), 2015). Therefore, it is important to note that smokers are exposed to about 7,000 chemicals, and these toxic agents cause short-term and long-term effects such as acute illnesses, behavioral change, and coronary heart diseases, lung cancer, and many more respectively (Institute of Medicine (US), 2015). The entire community suffer from premature mortality. For example, deaths from smoking in the U.S are 480,000 annually (Institute of Medicine (US), 2015). The high prevalence means that many people are exposed. It is important to note that smoking lead to long-term morbidity and therefore, cessation is an effective strategy to prevent the occurrence of cancer and other risks.
Young people can make informed decisions and provide support to their peers. Current research and studies find that young smokers are influenced by their peers to engage in smoking. The research also finds that the peer can also influence smokers from quitting smoking. In other words, peers can deliver antismoking messages and change their behaviors and cognitions. Harakeh & Nijnatten, (2016) state that young people can address the issue of smoking among peers through covert peer influence and overt peer influence. The latter means that young people should discourage smoking among peers by persuading the smoker to engage in a specific behavior. They should have a conversation one-on-one and allow the smoker to communicate her or his core values and beliefs. The purpose of the overt peer influence is to promote motivational learning. This indicates that the smoker will talk and share his or her experiences and the peer will motivate him or her to change the behaviors (Harakeh & Nijnatten, 2016). On the other hand, covert peer influence means that peers should discourage young people by exposing them to positive behaviors and norms. The smoker will be exposed to healthy and socially acceptable behaviors. Therefore, young people should influence their peers to stop smoking by giving them advice, and exposing them to acceptable social norms and behaviors.
According to the World Health Organization, people can make a difference by reducing lung cancer posed by tobacco smoking. First, effective policies should be implemented. These policies include increasing taxation. This strategy will encourage users to quit smoking since their purchasing power will be affected. The strategy will not only raise government revenue but it will also control public health (World Health Organization, 2019). Second, the government should prohibit smoking in public places such as bars and restaurants. This strategy will improve health by reducing childhood asthma, cardiovascular illnesses, and more. The government should prohibit tobacco advertising. This strategy will prevent children and teenagers from being exposed to tobacco consumption. In general, the government should make a difference by creating strong regulations and preventive actions (World Health Organization, 2019). Furthermore, communities and organizations such as health care organizations should create tobacco control measures to improve public health. Note that smoking poses a national problem and this means that effort to control smoking should be a collaboration between healthcare providers, government, community members, non-government organizations, and other stakeholders.
References
Institute of Medicine (US). Committee on the Public Health Implications of Raising the
Minimum Age for Purchasing Tobacco Products, Bonnie, R. J., Kwan, L. Y., & Stratton,
- R. (2015). Public health implications of raising the minimum age of legal
access to tobacco products. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.
Harakeh, Z., & van Nijnatten, C. H. (2016). Young people smokers’ reactions on peer influence
not to smoke. Substance use & misuse, 51(13), 1693-1700.
World Health Organization. (2019). 90% of lung cancers can be avoided by eliminating tobacco
use, new WHO report reveals. Retrieved from: http://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/disease-prevention/tobacco/news/news/2019/5/90-of-lung-cancers-can-be-avoided-by-eliminating-tobacco-use,-new-who-report-reveals
