The Effects Of Smoking On The Uk - 1065 Words

As more of us become aware of the dangers of smoking, the percentage of smokers in the UK has fallen from around 50 per cent of the population in the 1950s to 25 per cent in 2003. Even with this fall in the number of smokers, it s estimated that cigarettes were responsible for more than 1.2 million deaths in 2000 in the European region of the World Health Organisation. In the UK, smoking is responsible for around one in five deaths. The illnesses caused by smoking extend beyond the well-reported links with cancer, heart disease and respiratory illnesses. Smoking can cause impotence, ulcers and fertility problems and it s doesn t just harm smokers. Passive smoking causes lung cancer and is linked to cot death, glue ear and asthma in†¦show more content†¦A Scottish study of teenage girls found that smoking was part of an image cultivated by the girls who were seen as leaders of their groups. Smoking went along with wearing short skirts, jewellery and make-up. In contrast, a study by the World Health Organisation found that the 11 to 15 year olds who were most likely to be smokers were lonely, had difficulty talking to parents, had problems at school and had started drinking alcohol. How we learn to smoke Health psychology looks at the complex array of biological, social and psychological factors that influence our health and illness-related behaviour. Smoking is a biological addiction, with nicotine as addictive as cocaine and heroin. However, there is more to being hooked on cigarettes than the physical addiction to nicotine. When people want to quit, they also have a psychological habit to break. Social learning theory describes how we learn by example from others. We are strongly influenced by our parents, and other people we look up to, such as peers, actors and pop stars. This can lead us to emulate their behaviour and try smoking. There is an almost immediate effect on our brains with those first cigarettes, so we keep smoking to get this reward. Later we learn to associate smoking with other activities such as drinking coffee, going to the pub, etc. We can become conditioned so just the thought of the activity triggers the need for a cigarette,