Cylinder of Death

THE REAL ENEMY

          It is a small cylinder of finely cut tobacco leaves rolled in paper; it  is ignited at one end and allowed to smolder; its smoke is inhaled from the other end, which is held in or to the mouth. This small cylinder also carries a plethora of serious health risks such as heart and lung diseases. 

       The tobacco smoke from this cylinder contains 7,000 chemicals, and about 70 of them are known to cause cancer. These "cylinders" are also called cigarettes, and according to research, smoking one cigarette can take 10-14 minutes of your life. 

        So in short, smoking is basically a slow way to kill yourself, but from where I study it's just a hobby.

          I study at Asia Pacific College (APC), and of course like all colleges, its population is composed mostly of students. It is alarming to see that most of these students smoke more than their teachers and professors, it's like a competition about smoking, where the students are getting the upperhand.

          But in reality, there is no competition. Because everyone loses.

          With everything being almost accessible to the youth nowadays, it's not hard to imagine that a majority of college students are smoking, with some of them being underage, as in below 18 years of age. This is a sad fact, as it reflects our culture of indulgence and lack of self-discipline, with the number of these "underage smokers" growing day by day, is there still something we can do?

        Fortunately, not all hope is lost. Almost every college in the Philippines has something to combat this smoking addiction. In my college we have the "APC Anti Smoking Campaign," which is doing its part in reminding everyone in our school that you don't need to smoke and that it's a choice, whether to smoke and risk yourself of diseases or avoid smoking and live a healthier life.

        And trust me, smoking is a risk that you wouldn't want to take.

          But in the end, it's just a campaign, the real battle is within the smokers themselves, whether they would able to stop, or give in to addiction. Whether they would risk their own lives and the lives of the people around them, or choose to live a healthier for the benefit of everyone. 

         The APC Anti Smoking Campaign is fighting an on-going war against smoking, it is up to you to choose your side.