Why does EF student care about cigarette smoking more than their health?

1.0 Introduction

Smoking has become the most common practice among the youths in the contemporary
society. Moreover, among the risk factors that have contributed to the adoption
of smoking among the youths include peer pressure, curiosity to experience the
feeling that is associated with smoking, poor parental guidance, advertisements
of cigarettes among others. However, most youths are unaware of the harmful
health effects that are linked to smoking while others are aware but because
they have become addicted, they fail to quit the habit. This research paper
pays high attention to identifying the reasons why students prefer smoking at
the expense of the health effects that are associated with smoking (WHO, 2002).
I addition, the paper, outlines several literature reviews concerning smoking,
methodology, results and analysis of data collected from several students, and
the conclusions that were made from the study findings.

1.1 Research question

Why does EF student care about cigarette smoking more than their health?

1.2 Research objective

To identify why EF student care about cigarette smoke more than their health?

2.0 Literature review

In United States, 90 percent of the youths aged between 14 to 18 years are
reported to be new smokers daily (Centres for Disease Control, 2004). It is
anticipated that almost one third of these youths would prematurely die due to
smoking-related diseases and many others acquire smoking-related difficulties
in the next ten years. Moreover, I line with the international smoking trends,
and it was reported that students in universities and colleges were the most
current smokers than in middle schools. In addition, more than sixteen percent
of students I United States were reported to smoke cigarettes at least once a
day. However, the number of male smokers was reported to be greater compared to
that of females in both middle and high schools.

Consecutively, in Canada, statistics Canada released a report showing that, out of the
19-years aged males who were either smokers or were former smokers, 13 percent
reported starting smoking during their 11 years of age, 47 percent during the
ages of 12 to 14 years while 37 percent started during 15 to 19 years (Health
Canada, 2002). Moreover, out of the females of the same age, 11 percent started
smoking during their eleventh year, 56 percent started between 12 and 14 years
of age while 31 percent started between their 15 and 19 years of aged.
According to this Canada report, the number of students smoking cigarettes
increases as the latter advances in their education and the seemed to equate in
both males and females.

In
addition, according to a report published by World Health Organization in 2002,
nearly 30 percent of students from thirteen comparable European countries were
smokers. The report also indicated that, the prevalence of youths smoking in
these European countries had increased mainly due an increase in prevalence of
smoking in Eastern European countries. Moreover, although the WHO reported
indicated more males than females who were smokers in the European region, the
most observed increase in students smoking prevalence had been noted among
females especially those from the Eastern European countries (WHO, 2002).

Additionally, according to the results from the report conducted In Australia in 2001, found
that more than 15 percent of students aged between 14 and 22 years of age smoke
daily. In contrast to other countries, 16 percent of females are daily smokers
compared to 14 percent of males (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare,
2002).

3.0 Research design

In this research study, a descriptive study design was used to in order to gather
information from respondents concerning why students care about smoking at the
expense of their health. This study design would help to obtain information on
why, when and how many EF students smoke cigarettes. However, simple random
sampling was also used to select the participants in this study.

3.1 Study area and target population

The
study targeted all students in this school but since resources and time were limiting
factors, a sample of 13 students was used to gather data that was then used to
generalize the entire school. The study encompasses this school only where data
was collected.

3.2 Sample determination

In
this study, thirteen participants were required to gather information that
would then be used to generalize why students care about smoking cigarettes at
the expense of their health in the entire school. Thus, simple random sampling
was used to select the thirteen respondents in this school and their responses
were then analyzed, and conclusions made.

3.3 Inclusive criteria

The
study obtained results from the participants who were willing to participate
without being coerced or forced to participate.

3.4 Exclusive criteria

The study excluded those students who were unwilling to participate.

3.5 Data collection tools

Data
from the 13 respondents were collected using structured questionnaires.

3.6 Data presentation

The quantitative data collected was then presented in the form of tables,
pie-charts, rates and percentages while qualitative data collected through the
structured questionnaires was analyzed manually, summarized and then presented
in a narrative form.

3.7 Ethical considerations

Data was collected with the consent of the school and the use and nature of the
the study was first explained to the participants prior to their participation.
Moreover, consent was sought from the respondents and those who were not
comfortable to participate were free to withdraw from the study.

4.0 Conducting of the research

The
study was conducted from 27th may to 29th May 2014. On 27th may, data was
collected from 13 students using structured questionnaires and their
respondents were then analyzed and then presented I form of percentages, means,
averages, pie-charts among others. Moreover, the study managed to capture the
responses from all the targeted respondents. Descriptive statistics was
moderately used to present the findings from which interpretations and
conclusions were made.

5.0 Results and data analysis

The
interpretation and presentation of data was guided by the study objectives and
organized in the following discussed sections:

5.1 Demographic
characteristics of the respondents

This
section describes the background information of the study respondents. It
includes key areas such as age of the respondents, gender and whether a smoker
or non-smoker as outlined in the table below.

Table
5.1: Demographic characteristic of respondents.

 Source: Author, 2014.

However,
all respondents reported that the cigarette smoking leads to addiction where
most indicated that it contains chemicals that make the body become dependent
on them. Moreover, all respondents responded that a cigarette smoke affect the
health of the smoker. However, the respondents gave varying responses on
explaining how cigarette smoke affects the health of the smokers as indicated
in the pie chart below.

Figure
5.1: How smoking affects the health of smokers.

Source:
Author, 2014.

Moreover,
most respondents reported that there is a safe way to smoke through electronic
means as recorded by 84.6% while 15.4% indicated that there is no safe way of
smoking. In addition, all the respondents indicated that a cigarette smoke
contains harmful chemicals such as nicotine and tar. In addition, 76.92% of the
respondents reported that, most students start smoking due to peer pressure
from friends while 7.69 % indicated that students start to smoke due to stress,
a new adventure and lack of awareness of the adverse effects associated with
smoking as outlined in the bar chart below.

Figure
5.2: Why students smoke.

Source:
Author, 2014.

In
addition, the respondents gave varying responses on the number of students who
smoke in the school. Most of them indicated that more than 80% of the students
smoke mostly during break time. Consecutively, most respondents indicated that,
most smokers fail to quit smoking besides being aware of the adverse effects
associated with smoking because they have become addicted. Additionally, the
respondents reported that the number of years that a chain smoker can survive
depends on the health of an individual. Moreover, the respondents agreed that
smoking affects the environment and that passive smoke is even more harmful
than active smoking. Additionally, most respondents reported that, there is a
chance of smoking students to quit smoking especially after learning the
adverse effects of smoking. Others reported that, for the smoking students to
quit smoking, they must attend rehabilitation centres especially those who are
most addicted.

Consecutively,
69.24% of the respondents indicated that smoking positively affects the economy
of the country through the taxes that are levied on cigarette. Other
respondents indicated that smoking negatively affect the economy of the country
negatively through the deaths of the active citizens. However, 30.76% of the
respondents indicated that smoking does not affect the economy of the country.

6.0 Conclusion

It
is, therefore, evident that, in this school, most students of both sexes are
smokers and most of them started smoking as a result of peer influence from
their fellow students. Moreover, most students fail to quit smoking even when
they are aware of the adverse health effects that are associated with smoking
because they became addicted to cigarettes. However, smoking students
understand that that there is a chance of quitting smoking if they can be
sensitized about the dangers of smoking especially those who are highly
addicted. Additionally, most students are aware that cigarette smoking contains
chemicals such as nicotine and tar that causes lung cancer and heart diseases
which limit the lifespan of the smokers. Moreover, students are aware of the
economic impacts that cigarette smoking have In their life.

Reference

Australian
Institute of Health and Welfare. (2002). 2001 national drug strategy household
survey. Canberra: AIHW (Drug statistics series no. 10).

Centres
for Disease Control. (2004). Countries implementing the GYTS. Retrieved
8 July 2004, from http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/global/gyt/GYTSmap5.htm.

Health
Canada. (2002). Summary of results of the 2002 youth smoking survey. Retrieved
7 July, 2004. 

WHO. (2002). Europe – United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Retrieved 7 July, 2002.

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