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All of my neighbors who smoke are well educated too and are aware of the horrors of addiction. They have seen many cases of people who have turned into drunkards and even get mentally ill because of overuse of cigarettes or alcoholic beverages yet aren’t concerned to avoid such bad habits.
Most youth start smoking with a friend who smokes. Only few of them make it their “first and last” experience. A school going child smokes just to become a ‘hero’ in front of girls and a ‘man’ in front of his friends. And then slowly smoking becomes a habit, an addiction without which they can’t stay calm. Adolescence age is filled with curiosity but is a very critical stage in life. They desire to taste new things. The youth addicted to cigarettes will have no hesitation to smoke marijuana or experience drugs in the future.
Life turns hell when you realize that you have changed, you’ve become worthless. It’s tragic when you have to spend all your pocket money to buy cigarettes or even worst drugs. It becomes the worst when you become a victim of mental illness. I have seen my brothers (from my village) and a few close friends gradually go crazy because of depression as a result of addiction. I think smokers and drinkers can easily become prey to mental illness; they can’t resist bigger shocks (like death of a family member or bad relationship) in their life. I don’t have any scientific data to support what I am saying but I have closely observed my friends who have transformed from energetic to delinquent and from social to wild.
Most youth who have visited rehabilitation centers or a counselor go back to their addiction time and again. Those who are in the initial stage and are under medication continue to smoke or drink secretly. Parents, on the other hand are unaware of this and friends can’t directly inform their parents as the friendship is on the line; which just means we are silently helping them destroy their lives.
Every year, a big amount of money is spent on programs that try to make teenagers aware of the dangers of drugs. But I don’t think it’s necessary today. Every urban teenager knows the negative impact smoking or drinking can have on their health, career, and life. Ignorance isn’t the real reason, its stupidity on their part. It’s because of friends like us who don’t dare to speak about their habits with their parents or teachers. It’s because of our society, in a sadistic way, enjoys seeing others’ children go the wrong wayl and it’s because of our parents who always assume that we are not bad like the neighbor’s.
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