Hello! It would be my pleasure to help you with this question. I am surprised that this is under Social Studies, but that does not matter. :) Here is what we can do to think about this and put it into perspective . . .
There are many cons to smoking. Not only is it very damaging to one's health, but also their wallet. Pennsylvania is the 10th highest state for taxing tobacco. Let's estimate the cost of smoking for a friend that cannot kick the habit. Your friend smokes one pack of Marlboro's a day. The cost is $8.60 per pack.
We will calculate the cost of the following:
One Day: $8.60.
One Week: $60.2.
One Month: $258—on a thirty-day basis (does vary by month).
Six Months: $1,548—again, figuring that each month is about thirty days.
1 Year: $3,139.
5 Years: $15,695.
10 Years: $31,390.
25 Years: $78,475.
50 Years: $156,950.
What could you buy with the money spent in the 1—50 year totals?
1 Year: With this amount of money, you could probably purchase a swimming pool (a good quality, above-ground pool—ours at home costed us over $4,000, but, of course, there are cheaper options). 5 Years: With this amount of money, you could probably purchase a car (perhaps an older model of a Ford Focus). 10 Years: With this amount of money, you could probably purchase a boat (also paying for its maintenance, inspection, insurance, and fuel). 25 Years: With this amount of money, you could probably purchase a Recreational Vehicle (RV). 50 Years: With this amount of money, you could probably purchase a house.
After presenting the cost sheet to your friend, what else could you say to try to get them to want to quit?
Firstly, when you smoke, your sense of smell and taste is impacted. Your senses dull over time. You cannot taste foods like you did before and your sense of smell really does diminish. Secondly, you age prematurely. When you light up, biochemical changes speed up the aging process. What many forget is that skin is an organ. Smoking deprives the skin tissue of oxygen because of your blood vessels being constricted. In a nutshell—blood is not getting to your organs very easily. Thirdly, many people are turned off by smokers . . . they do not want to date someone who smokes. This can be very frustrating for people and a rather unpleasant experience. Fourthly, the smell—many find that the smell of smoke that lingers on smokers is very unappealing. Many do not approve of the smell, and this is not something to deal with easily. Many smokers are self-conscious of their smell . . . it would be so helpful in relinquishing this self-consciousness of smell and being comfortable around others without worrying about it excessively if you just quit. Fifthly and most importantly, you are a large risk to others. Another thing that many forget is that secondhand smoking is more harmful than actually lighting a cigarette and placing in between the lips of your mouth to smoke. That means when you smoke, you harm the others nearby more than you are harming yourself. Not only are you putting yourself at peril, but people by you. Secondhand smoking causes thousands of deaths every year. If that does not convince you to quit, I am not quite sure what will! Make the change yourself, your family, and the people around you!
