A Smoker's Nightmare

A Smoker's Nightmare

Ming Chuang University
Eveline Yeh 葉佳凌 #26
Time: 65202- Thur. 6:30-8:15
Presentation of Cause & Effect Essay Dec. 30, 2004

A Smoker's Nightmare

Introduction – Paragraph 1
Thesis Statement
I learned there were four major reasons why I couldn't stop smoking: my dependence on it, the fear of gaining weight, very little support, and pressures from school and family.
Body - Paragraph 2
Topic Sentence
The chemical dependence is the main factor that kept me from stopping.
Supporting Ideas
The nicotine in all tobacco products is the drug that affects the central nervous system and creates a psychological dependence on smoking. While most psychologists believe that smoking is more a psychological than physical problem, I don't agree.
Restatement
I know all the health risks I'm taking every time I puff on a cigarette and I've seen all the gory pictures of lungs eaten up with lung cancer. So if it were purely psychological, this alone would be enough to scare me into quitting.
Body - Paragraph 3
Topic Sentence
Fear of gaining weight is another factor, and ties in with the chemical dependence, in a way.
Supporting Ideas
It's a proven fact that smoking cigarettes diminishes appetite.
Restatement
While most people might laugh at my fear of gaining weight, to me and many others the fear is no laughing matter.
Body - Paragraph 4
Topic Sentence
Peer support in another factor in "kicking the habit," and like the fear of gaining weight, it is more a psychological problem.
Supporting Ideas
The support I received during my two days without smoking was almost non-existent.
Restatement
So smokers who want to quit make real sure that the people whom they spend the most time with are for them, not against them; otherwise, they'll never be able to quit!
Body - Paragraph 5
Topic Sentence
School and family pressures play an important role in stopping, and can be more severe than lack of support.
Supporting Ideas
A. Right now I'm experiencing trouble with this class and my advertising class. I'm here on the 40th anniversary scholarship and know if I don't pass all my classes with a C average I'll lose the scholarship, thus not being able to return to college in the spring.
B. I'm a full-time student, a mother of three small children, ages 7, 3, and 14 months, a wife with a house to take care of, and a dog, too.
Restatement
There are pressures everyday, some more serious than others, but add normal pressures to something big like trying to stop smoking, and we have a major disaster.
Conclusion – Paragraph 6
Cigarette smoking is a drug and should be treated like one. People are out here screaming for HELP! So join forces you nonsmokers' and help us handicapped people to "kick the habit" once and for all!
Summary
Smoking causes many kinds of disease. Still, we can nearly call quitting as a “Mission Impossible” if the smoker lacks of peer support, and lives under many kinds of pressures; especially, if they couldn’t resist chemical (physical) dependence and fearing of gaining weight.
Smokers need a place to go! Cigarette smoking could be treated as taking drug behavior, and couldn’t stop by smokers themselves. That’s why a special hideaway for their particular demand should be set.

Reference
http://cctc2.commnet.edu/grammar/composition/cause_effect.htm
http://www.odessa.edu/dept/english/mjordan/cause.htm
http://washingtontimes.com/national/20030902-121420-6906r.htm
A Smoker's Nightmare
Being a cigarette smoker for 13 plus years, I have found myself asking, "Why can't I stop smoking?" Last Thursday I participated in the Great American Smokeout, and for two days I didn't have a cigarette. I really tried to stop smoking, but by Saturday afternoon I just couldn't stand it anymore. I broke down and smoked one after supper. I learned there were four major reasons why I couldn't stop smoking: my dependence on it, the fear of gaining weight, very little support, and pressures from school and family.
The chemical dependence is the main factor that kept me from stopping. The nicotine in all tobacco products is the drug that affects the central nervous system and creates a psychological dependence on smoking. While most psychologists believe that smoking is more a psychological than physical problem, I don't agree. The withdrawal symptoms I experienced during the two days without smoking were numerous. I felt dizzy, weak, and nauseous. I also had a horrible cough, increased appetite, and sleepless nights, to say nothing about the cigarette cravings I experienced. While some of these symptoms may be attributed to psychological problems, you have to agree that some don't. For example, I can't make myself feel weak, dizzy, and nauseous even if I tried real hard. So where do the psychologists get off telling me that my mind is faking all this? Also, I know all the health risks I'm taking every time I puff on a cigarette and I've seen all the gory pictures of lungs eaten up with lung cancer. So if it were purely psychological, this alone would be enough to scare me into quitting. There are alcohol clinics, drug rehabilitation centers, and numerous other clinics to help people "kick their habits." So why don't people have a smokers hideaway? Smokers need a place to go, for at least a week, so they can get the professional help they need. Believe me, if someone opened a smokers' hideaway here, I'd be the first to sign up. The chemical dependency is just too hard to bear alone.
Fear of gaining weight is another factor, and ties in with the chemical dependence, in a way. It's a proven fact that smoking cigarettes diminishes appetite. Although this is more a psychological problem, it's still scary. While on my two day, smoke-free excursion I experienced a high increase of appetite. I was eating constantly and couldn't stop myself. I know it had a lot to do with keeping my mind off smoking; and keeping my hands busy, but I realized if I kept eating like that I'd gain a lot of weight, fast. Obesity has never been a problem for me; in fact, I always had trouble maintaining weight. After giving birth to three children, I gained some weight, but not enough to be obese. My husband has gained very little weight in the five years we've been together, and is still as gorgeous as he was the first day I met him. Now what do you think would happen if I suddenly became overweight? Now I have to ask myself another very important question. Would I rather die of lung cancer from smoking or experience heart problems from being overweight? This choice is a very hard one to make because both of them are equally dangerous. While most people might laugh at my fear of gaining weight, to me and many others the fear is no laughing matter.
Peer support in another factor in "kicking the habit," and like the fear of gaining weight, it is more a psychological problem. The support I received during my two days without smoking was almost non-existent. While at school, my advisor, Mr. Paul Roberts, and a few other students gave me a lot of confidence and encouragement needed to get me through the crucial first day, and some of the second day. However, they couldn't go home with me. My husband Kelly is a very heavy smoker and lacked the confidence in my ability to stop. Instead of saying something like, "I know you can do it because I have faith in you," he kept saying things like, "Why even try? You know you can't do it!" At first it made me so angry that I was determined to prove him wrong. When I finally grabbed that first cigarette, I was really disappointed in myself and my husband for not trying to help me. I was hurt, angry, and very disgusted. So smokers who want to quit make real sure that the people whom they spend the most time with are for them, not against them; otherwise, they'll never be able to quit!
School and family pressures play an important role in stopping, and can be more severe than lack of support. Right now I'm experiencing trouble with this class and my advertising class. I'm here on the 40th anniversary scholarship and know if I don't pass all my classes with a C average I'll lose the scholarship, thus not being able to return to college in the spring. Add that sort of pressure to the pressures I have at home and you have someone waiting to explode like a time-bomb. I'm a full-time student, a mother of three small children, ages 7, 3, and 14 months, a wife with a house to take care of, and a dog, too. Where do I find time to take care of everything? At night when all are sleeping. When I quit smoking those two days I was worse than a grouch. I turned into a monster. I yelled at the kids, slapped my husband, kicked the dog just. to name a few. So what do you think my husband's reaction was? Why, he threw cigarettes at me and begged me to smoke them. There are pressures everyday, some more serious than others, but add normal pressures to something big like trying to stop smoking, and we have a major disaster. The pressures are just another example why smokers need a special hideaway of their very own.
Cigarette smoking is very dangerous. Smoking causes cancer of the mouth, larynx (voice box), pharynx, esophagus, urinary bladder, and lungs. Smoking also causes coronary heart disease and Buerger's disease (in which the arteries of the legs thickened and became obstructed, leading to gangrene affecting the feet and toes.) Non-smokers can also get lung cancer from sitting or working in smoke-filled rooms. Even though smokers know all this, they continue to endanger the lives around them, as well as their own, but as I have experienced it's not because we want to, it's because we can't stop ourselves. Cigarette smoking is a drug and should be treated like one. People are out here screaming for HELP! So join forces you nonsmokers' and help us handicapped people to "kick the habit" once and for all!