face off against tobacco in Jamaica plain on Flickr.
this person supports this campain because he has a uncle who smokes alot
face off against tobacco in Jamaica plain on Flickr.
this person supports this campain because he has a uncle who smokes alot
Have you ever had a person in your life, that if you lost them it would be just as hard as losing a limb? I’m Julia, and I am 15 years old.
I spent 12 years of my life with this boy as my best friend. We faced every challenge of growing up together, and no matter what happened in our lives it never broke our bond. We both got into the same high school and it changed everything.
I guess all of the pressures around him got to him, because he decided to join “the bad kids” because they made smoking look cool. He decided that hanging out at the park and lighting up’ was more important than seeing his “best friend” – someone that was practically his sister for twelve years, someone that listened to him for years about how stupid drugs were and how they would never affect him. Not only is he hurting his lungs, he’s hurting his grades because he’s too buy smoking, hurting his family because they’re always fighting about his whereabouts, and the one person who always cared about him… me. Now smoking isn’t just enough for him, he added all sorts of drugs to his list—like marijuana and crack!
For me this blog is venting, telling someone a story that maybe doesn’t care if they’re hurting themselves, but they’re hurting everyone that cares about them.
- Julia, Allston-Brighton
“You can outgrow this!” my doctor says, waging his finger, “just if you can get daddy to stop smoking!” That’s what he always says when we’re referring to my asthma.
My dad has been smoking since he was around my age, and not only do I always scream at him about all the long-term damage he’s done to himself, but also the damage he’s doing to me—medically, academically, physically, and mentally.Ever since I was born I have had asthma. When I wanted to take up the saxophone, my doctor recommended I didn’t. When I struggled in softball, it was because I couldn’t breath running the bases. When I failed math in 8th grade, it was because I missed too many days— from constantly having asthma attacks. I get called over by my favorite teacher in the whole school, because I’ll walk into his study and he’ll think I was just out smoking; and it’s really hard having that happen every single day. One day I just hope he’ll realize what he’s doing to me and try to stop his addiction, so my life doesn’t have to revolve around a purple disk, my asthma inhaler, that saves my life.
- Julia, Allston-Brighton
I’m Yasmari and I’m writing this blog post so that other teens can understand that because they think smoking is fun and isn’t hurting anyone, it actually is. They have to think about their loved ones.
I personally was curious on what smoking would be like. I had friends and family doing it all the time so I tried it. I ended up liking it. Family and friends would give me what I wanted. I would leave my house for the weekend so my mom wouldn’t smell me once I walked through the door. I would go to a park right behind a police station and just smoke until it was all done. I never did it alone.
My sister found out on the 4th of July. She made me tell her everything. Then something happened and I ended up having to tell my mom. My mom was beyond upset… she didn’t talk to me for anything. I was 14 years old, my sweet 15 was coming up on July 25th, and I still had to get my dress. Going shopping with my mom and sister was horrible; my mom didn’t even want to look at me when I tried on dresses. She made me feel so ashamed of myself.
Right then and there I knew I had to completely stop smoking. I couldn’t take in the fact that my mom, who I love so much, was so hurt by my decision. It caused a lot of tension in my family, so now I want to help prevent teens from smoking because it brings a lot of negativity and it’s just not good for you point blank.
Yasmari, Allston-Brighton
My name is Maddie and I am writing this blog post about my fear of cigarettes as a small child. My great-grandmother has smoked since before I was born, and still continues to smoke today.
Once, when I was about six years old, she had just left my house and when I went into the kitchen I found one of her cigarettes on the ground still glowing. I thought that it was going to explode and started crying for my mom, saying that “one of great-grandma’s ‘things’ was on the ground.” My mom simply picked it up and threw it outside. I was shocked! I expected a big ordeal.
I can remember my great-grandmother throwing her cigarettes on the grass then warning me to stay away from them because it was very dangerous. I would sit off at distance and watch . I never understood it… if it was so dangerous, then why did she put it in her mouth? To me, cigarettes were sticks that caught on fire. I was terrified of them! And sadly, even though she is an amazing woman, the strongest memories I have of my great-grandmother are of her and her cigarettes.
I don’t want to be known for my smoking, and I don’t want smoking to hide who I am. I want to be a positive influence to my younger brothers, cousins, and all future generations to come.
- Maddie, Allston-Brighton
Face Off Against Tobacco in Dorchester on Flickr.
For Daisy, who is working at Health Resources in Action, the “Face Off Against Tobacco” campaign is important as a step to prevent youth from smoking. The quote she is holding up does not surprise her at all:
“When I worked with young people in Roxbury, we surveyed storefront windows on how much tobacco advertisement they have. We found a lot of advertisements that were really colorful, looked like cartoons and candy advertisement, but in fact were for tobacco products. In addition, they were displayed two feet and below so that especially young people could look at them. This was a very concerning thing! We know that advertisement works and therefore this quote is not surprising. The tobacco industry needs to stop targeting young people!”
Face Off Against Tobacco in Randolph on Flickr.
“Learning about Big Tobacco’s tactics to market to young people by making their products too attractive, too cheap, and too easy to get makes me fired up and ready to work against this!”
Face Off Against Tobacco in Quincy on Flickr.
“I started smoking with 14 years and if there is one thing I would like to do, it would be going back in a time machine to when I was 14 and tell myself to put it down and not start. It was so hard to quit smoking!”
FACE OFF AGAINST TOBACCO on Flickr.
“Parents shouldn’t smoke infront of thier children, this is one way kids become curious and want to try smoking.”
FACE OFF AGAINST TOBACCO on Flickr.
“Everyone has cancer cells in thier bodies, these are just some things that activate them.”
FACE OFF AGAINST TOBACCO on Flickr.
“18 years sounds far away but time flys and so are the risks of smoking. They are rising like yeast.”
FACE OFF AGAINST TOBACCO on Flickr.
“We need to fight and raise the age of tobacco buyers.”
FACE OFF AGAINST TOBACCO on Flickr.
“Always heard second hand smoking is worse than first hand, this somewhat proves is.”