BY: ALEENAF FAROOQ 14L-4277

Smoking is Injurious to Health
SocIOLOGY TERM PAPER
SIR SHAFQAT HUSSAIN CHAUHDRY

Table of Contents:

Contents Table of Contents: 1 Executive Summary: 2 Review of literature: 4 Definition of Problem: 5 Formulation of Hypothesis: 6 Research Plan: 6 Data Collected: 7  Surveys: 7  Interviews: 7 Findings: 8 Data Analysis: 13 Role of society: 13  restlessness in our society: 13  Lack of self expression: 13  Pleasure seeking: 14  Lack of appreciation: 14  lack of relief: 14  IRRESPONSIBLE BEHAVIOUR OF MEDIA: 15 Recommendations: 15 Conclusion: 15 Replication of Study: 17 References: 18 http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/studenthealth/Pages/Smoking,alcoholanddrugs.aspx 18 Appendix: 19 Questionnaire: 19 Interview Questions: 20

Executive Summary:

This paper identifies the reasons as to why people smoke despite of all the threats it poses to their health. It also clarifies if it is the society as well, or the smoker alone who should be blamed for falling a victim to this social evil. It also tries to makes them aware of the hazards of smoking to discourage them from this abhorrent addictive habit, so that they remain safe from all the fatal diseases it brings along.
To discover the involvement of society in making a smoker, a survey and multiple interviews were conducted. These research methods pointed out various factors which make things easier to understand. Survey conducted can be found in appendix. Results of data analyzed show that, whereas, some of the people claim smoking to be of stress reliever; quite a number of them adopted this habit from their social circle. Some think of it as a rebellious and cool activity whereas some are plain addicts. They also claimed, that work load or personal problems causes stress sometime leading to depression. Hence, a number of these depressed people smoke to relieve their stress, eventually getting addicted. Most of these people had started smoking at a young age. Apparently their social circle seemed to have increased by their habit of smoking.
The report shows that today’s smoking culture includes a subpopulation called “social smokers”. Although there may be different explanations of what a social smoker is, but one thing is clear that one way or the other, their smoking roots somewhere from our flawed society. Hence, the hypothesis stands true after rigorous research and analysis.
Some of the recommendations include: * Media support rendered to smoking, in any form, must be stopped at once. * Also proper awareness needs to be spread among teenagers and their parents, so this can be cut from the roots.
I also faced certain limitations while conducting my research. Some of the limitations for this report include: * Although, the time was sufficient but pressure of mid terms and other subjects was a great hindrance. * Unwillingness, of some people to share their “smoking story” because of the fear of being judged. * Also, due to limited resources, research was generally restricted to FAST-NU and a relatively few outsiders.

Review of literature:
Smoking was always considered an imminent issue. Considering how harmful it is, initially the society tried to suppress it as much as possible.
As history’s first public smoking ban was Pope Urban VII's papacy, which began on September 15, 1590. Various papal bans on smoking stuck around until 1724, when tobacco-loving Pope Benedict XIII gave Catholics the thumbs-up to light up again. When Sultan Murad IV took over he banned all tobacco, alcohol, and coffee from his empire. Murad IV made Pope Urban VII look like a pushover--his punishment for breaking the ban was death. King James I of England was no fan of tobacco either, so he picked up his pen. In 1604, James wrote the treatise A Counterblaste to Tobacco, and he didn't pull any punches, writing, "What honour or policie can move us to imitate the barbarous and beastly maners of the wilde, godlesse, and slavish Indians, especially in so vile and stinking a custom?"(King James, 1604).
As the years progressed, smoking became more and more acceptable. Nazis aggressively tried to suppress tobacco usage but their ban fell with them, as during World War II and the immediate postwar years, smoking was actively promoted in most aspects of society. One only has to review the movies of the '50s and '60s to see that in almost every scene the hero or the heroine is smoking a cigarette. Even, King James's attacks on smoking over 3 centuries ago (Eckholm, 1977) have been vindicated.
As a result of this, the tobacco companies and society have been very effective in promoting smoking as being socially acceptable. This may seem all the more peculiar, given that most smokers believe smoking is hazardous; indeed, even in 1968 (Horn, Note 1), 53% of smokers reported that they would like to stop. That the antipathy does not necessarily depend on scientific data is evident from the response of Solomon Islanders and Saharan Africans: Though uninformed of the evidence on risks, they believe that smoking is a health hazard and a practice unfit for children (Damon, 1973). But they also stated that they could not go without cigarettes even for a day. In the last decade, research works have clearly unveiled that smoking increases risks of diseases such as lung cancer (Cornfield et al., 19S9; Doll & Hill, 1964; Hammond & Horn, 1954; Horn, 1968), coronary heart disease (Doll & Hill, 1964; Doll & Peto, 1976; Friedman, Dales, & Ury, 1979; Gordon, Kannel, McGee, & Dawber, 1974; Hammond & Horn, 1954; Horn, 1968), and emphysema (Horn, 1968; U.S. Dept. of Health, Education and Welfare, 1964, 1973). Researchers estimating the number of deaths from 12 smoking-related cancers even found that 48.5% of the 346,000 deaths in the US in 2011 were attributable to cigarettes.
Definition of Problem:
Smoking refers to the inhalation and exhalation of fumes from burning tobacco in cigars and cigarettes.
Smoking among the masses has constantly been on the rise. I choose this topic because I wanted to unravel the reason for it. Smoking is injurious to health, no one today has any doubt about that, but I wanted to know; why would someone smoke when they knew it is a slow suicide. Smoking contributes to 80% of lung cancer deaths in women and 90% of lung cancer deaths in men. In addition to lung cancer, smokers also have a significantly higher risk of developing: * Bladder cancer * Kidney cancer * Cancers of the pharynx and larynx (throat cancer) * Mouth cancer * Esophagus cancer * Cancer of the pancreas * Stomach cancer * Cervical cancer * Bowel cancer * Ovarian cancer
In some cases, also breast cancer.
Hence, this leaves no doubt in one’s mind about how harmful smoking can be, but the question is, “Why?” Despite of knowing how fatal something can be, why would anyone still pursue it? Is it just the smoker or are we as a society doing something wrong, to encourage smoking?
Formulation of Hypothesis:
Smoking is injurious to health, that is the problem, but why would anyone look over a problem so big, that is the mystery which made me choose this topic
Hence, to find out the answers to this, the research hypothesis I formulated was:
“Does society share the blame for why these smokers continue smoking, despite of knowing how injurious it is for their health?”
What led me to this hypothesis was the fact that smoking is a social evil, and cooperation of society is necessary for the outburst of a social problem like this. So, I believed there must be something we’re all doing wrong.
Research Plan:
An organized research plan was very important to achieve authentic results. The research plan was basically to investigate if the smokers take all the blame for their habits or do they think that it is because of someone else that they stepped into this quick sand.
The questionnaire which was used for the survey and interview questions are attached as Appendix.
Data Collected:
To gather the required and correct data we had to use different methods and different ways. Most of the data gathered is from within the students of FAST NU. Hence, the data we collected was in the form of: * Surveys:
Some questionnaires were made, and spread among the students of the university and some relatively few outsiders. That provided with some very valuable data. There were almost 8 to 10 questions in every questionnaire. The questions had predefined options. The options were designed to be in the boundaries/scope of the stated hypothesis. The gathering helped greatly in reaching conclusion. * Interviews:
I interviewed 5 to 10 students. At least one senior, junior, sophomore, and freshman were interviewed. It was made sure that one student from every batch was interviewed. We had different questions for every batch. The result of the gathering is included in “Findings” Section. As much detail as the person felt comfortable giving, was acquired.
Findings:
1. Do you smoke?

2. Do you think society played a role in leading you to smoking?

3. Why do you smoke?

4. How often do you smoke?

5. Do you think smoking is harmful?

6. Do feel relieved when you smoke?

7. Do you find smoking addictive?

8. Do you want to quit smoking sometime in future?

9. How has smoking affected your life?

10. What is a bigger hurdle in your way to quit smoking?

Data Analysis:
Smoking is injurious to health yet it is increasing rapidly. Data collected indicates that most of the subjects started smoking either because of certain social problems, some tension/stress or to apparently improve their social status.
Role of society:
Everyone dislikes smokers, but no one tries to know why they started smoking. Truth is that society is responsible for this habit. It may be ignorance, parental attitude, peer pressure, burden of work/study etc. There are many reasons that contribute to that fact that smoking has become outrageously contagious, all connecting back to our society. * restlessness in our society:
One major shortcoming of our modern culture is the universal lack of adequate relaxation. Many smokers not only are unaware of how to relax, but do not take time to learn. Smoking helps smokers to relax because, like music, it is rhythmic. Smoking gives smokers a legitimate excuse to linger a little longer after meals, to stop work for a few minutes, to sit at home without doing anything that requires effort. Here is a nostalgic comment contributed by a strong defender of smoking: "After a long day's work, to get home and sit in a chair and stretch my legs 'way out, and then to sit back and just smoke a cigarette and think of nothing, just blow the smoke in the air - that's what I like to do when I've had a pretty tough day." The restlessness of moderate smoking explains why people working under great stress use more tobacco. * Lack of self expression:
Smoking can be traced to the universal desire for self-expression. None of us ever completely outgrows his childhood. We are constantly hunting for the carefree enjoyment we knew as children. As we grew older, we had to subordinate our pleasures to work and to the necessity for unceasing effort. Smoking, for many of us, then, became a substitute for our early habit of following the whims of the moment; it becomes a legitimate excuse for interrupting study and snatching a moment of pleasure. "You sometimes get tired of studying intensely," said a student whom we interviewed, "and if you sit back for the length of a cigarette, you feel much fresher afterwards. It's a peculiar thing, but I wouldn't think of just sitting back without a cigarette. I guess a cigarette somehow gives me a good excuse." * Pleasure seeking:
Most of us are hungry for rewards. We want to be patted on the back. A cigarette is a reward that a student can give to himself as often as we wish. When we have done anything well, for instance, we can congratulate ourselves with a cigarette, which certifies, in effect, that we have been "good boys." We can promise ourselves: "When I have finished this piece of work, when I have written the last page of my report, I'll deserve a little fun. I'll have a cigarette”, said one of our subjects. * Lack of appreciation:
The first and last cigarettes in the day are especially significant rewards. The first one, smoked right after breakfast, is a sort of anticipated recompense. The smoker has work to do, and he eases himself into the day's activities as pleasantly as possible. He gives himself a little consolation prize in advance, and at the same time manages to postpone the evil hour when he must begin his hard day's work. The last cigarette of the day is like "closing a door." It is something quite definite. One smoker explained: "I nearly always smoke a cigarette before going to bed. That finishes the day. I usually turn the light out after I have smoked the last cigarette, and then turn over to sleep." * lack of relief:
While answering a student of LSE, a smoker said "When I have a problem, and it comes back and back, warningly saying, 'Well, what are you going to do about this?' a cigarette almost acts like a consolation. Somehow it relieves the pressure on my chest. The feeling of relief is almost like what you feel in your chest after you have cried because something has hurt you very much. Relaxing is not the right kind of word for that feeling. It is like having been in a stuffy room for a long time and at last getting out for a deep breath of air." That man's explanation comes very close to stating the scientific reason why smoking brings relief. Worry, anxiety, depresses us not only psychologically but also physiologically. * IRRESPONSIBLE BEHAVIOUR OF MEDIA:
Media generally shows smoking as a very cool and manly thing to do. Hence, wanting to look tough and cool in a social setting many people start smoking.
Recommendations:
Following are certain recommendations which could prove useful: * Social stigma and isolation – smokers should be made to feel that what they are doing is not acceptable, by imposing bans and discouraging it as whole. * Lack of freedom - having to worry about where you can go and whether you can smoke. This will intensify as smoking restrictions increase. * Imposing strict bans on any brand or media that supports smoking. * Educating people from a young age, and spreading awareness among parents to keep a check of their child’s activities and social circle.
Conclusion:
Our studies and research showed that today’s smoking culture includes a subpopulation of smokers called “social smokers”. Although there may be different explanations of what a social smoker is, some define them as those who use tobacco in more social activities and find it essential for socializing, rather than using tobacco on a regular basis, dictated by nicotine dependence. Social smokers are not addicted to smoking, or worried about the social acceptability of their smoking habits. While others usually smoke for relief, pleasure, depression etc.
After observing recent advertisements about smoking and tobacco it was observed the tobacco industry is particularly concerned with younger audiences because they constitute the future of smoking and tobacco profits. Today's teenager is tomorrow's potential regular customer, and the overwhelming majority of smokers first begin to smoke while still in their teens. The smoking patterns of teenagers are particularly important to these companies, and the taxes are important to the government.
It was also observed that a person is more likely to smoke if their parents, siblings or friends smoke.
Also most smokers stated that smoking cigarettes reduces anxiety, and smoking often occurs after stressful events or in stressful situations. Studies find that depressed college students are more likely to smoke and have a more difficult time quitting than non-depressed college students. So, mostly smoking occurs during times of low self esteem, which leads to higher reports of smoking among depressed individuals.
Also, smoking by some people is viewed as a way to socialize and take breaks, i.e. smoking is perceived by some people to aid in social interactions.
Hence, it can be clearly seen that almost 80% of the problems that leads one to start smoking can be easily traced back to the shortcomings of our society, either it be ignorance, restlessness or a false perception of it being “cool” imposed on us by our media, and our governments holding back on taking strict steps, because they value taxes more than their people’s lives.

Replication of Study:

References: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/10566.php http://www.slideshare.net/phillipske/problem-solution-teen-smoking-essay-2384868?related=1 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1490600/ http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/studenthealth/Pages/Smoking,alcoholanddrugs.aspx http://psycnet.apa.org/psycinfo/2011-20051-001/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cigarette_smoking_among_college_students http://betobaccofree.hhs.gov/health-effects/smoking-health/ http://cebp.aacrjournals.org/content/14/7/1762.full http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1746-1561.1967.tb08043.x/abstract http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/12/suppl_1/i60.full http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/reports/preventing-youth-tobacco-use/factsheet.html Appendix:
Questionnaire:

Question-1: Do you smoke? a) Yes b) No
Question-2: Do you think society played a role in leading you to smoking? a) Yes b) No
Question-3: Why do you smoke? a) Tension/ Depression b) It’s cool c) Peer Pressure d) Personal Problems e) Just Because Question-4: How often do you smoke? a) Everyday b) Once a Week c) Often d) Once a Month Question-5: Do you think smoking is harmful? a) Yes b) No c) Neutral Question-6 Do feel relieved when you smoke? a) Yes b) No c) Neutral Question-7: Do you find smoking addictive?

a) Yes b) No
Question-8: Do you intend to quit smoking sometime in future? a) Yes b) No Question-9: How has smoking affected your life? a) It has made me popular b) It has made me miserable c) No effect
Question-10: What is a bigger hurdle in your way to quit smoking? a) Lack of will power b) Social circle/ Peer pressure

Interview Questions:

Question: How did you started smoking?
Question: Do you think social smoking is something that can be justified?
Question: Does anyone in your family smoke?
Question: Do your parents know that you smoke?
Question: How would your parents react if they find out that you smoke?
Question: Did the advertisements motivate you to smoke?
Question: Do you intend to quit smoking after graduation?
Question: How is it that you know smoking is harmful but still you smoke?
Question: Any message for non-smokers?
Question: Any message for fellow smokers?