By Shawn Seabrookes
Reporter-SKNVibes.com
Smoking is bad for your health, and may contribute significantly to shortening your life span. This message has been preached for decades now but the number of people, especially young persons, in St. Kitts and Nevis who smoke, is alarming.
Imagine the very box, in which the cigarettes are being sold has the Surgeon General’s warning, which clearly states that “SMOKING IS DANGEROUS TO HEALTH”. Unbelievably though, the warning is ignored, causing one to wonder about the effectiveness of the caution.
The list of diseases linked to smoking is quite long- cancer of the bladder, esophagus, larynx, lung and mouth, chronic lung disease, chronic heart and cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, peptic ulcers, reproductive problems, acute myeloid leukemia, abdominal aortic aneurysms, cataracts, periodontitis and pneumonia, plus a host of other cancers, 
including cancers of the cervix, kidney, pancreas and stomach.
The above is not just information that has been concocted to create fair among smokers, on the contrary they are scientifically proven facts that are publicized to discourage smoking, but it almost seems that it is a losing battle.
The very names of some of these diseases are enough to discourage me, but unfortunately, not most of the young people today.
The Surgeon General has also stated that non smokers live a full 13 to 14 years longer than smokers.
The facts, that underline the damaging effects of smoking, are quite convincing- at least 1200 persons die daily of smoking related diseases and 440,000 Americans die annually from smoking related diseases- are telling but one is left astounded as to why people would still want to smoke.
“When I am stressed, smoking provides stress relief,” One smoker offered.
~~Adz:Left~~ “Well, to some extent it may be a sort of a fashion statement, but it puts you in the ‘in crowd’,” another admitted.
“Maybe peer pressure has a lot to do with it,” a young lady noted.
In speaking to these smokers, I asked if they were not aware that smoking will significantly reduce their life expectancy and their replies were shocking.
“Everybody must die,” one said in total ignorance.
“Who say is the smoking that kills you?” another asked rhetorically, seemingly to justify that smoking is o.k.
Just when I thought the responses could not have been charged with ignorance another one offered this response.
“Watch George Burns, he used to smoke hard every day and look how long he lived,” the young lady voiced in support of her smoking peers.
The quest to justify my argument that smoking, especially among young people, is a cause for concern led me over to Frigate Bay beach, along the “bar strip”.
I was left totally amazed. The amazement did not jut stem from the number of young people I saw smoking, but who I saw smoking as well.
People whom I considered to intelligent and who would be fully aware of the damaging effects of smoking, were in a laid back mood, puffing on their cigarettes.
“Unfortunately, the cigarette industry is targeting young people,” a local doctor said.
When his opinion was relayed to others, it was supported by most. Some even went to say that the intrusion of the American film industry contributes a lot to the problem.
“Every time you look, you see a celebrity reaching for a cigarette or smoking and the young people want to be like them. It is sickening,” was one reaction.
I certainly believe that it is unhealthy to inhale any kind of smoke into the body.
This is just the first of several features denouncing smoking as well as raising the awareness of the dangers of smoking.
