We all know that smoking is a big no-no to society. It is clear that I, the Internet Warrior, am against smoking and I will never smoke at one point in my life, because it is actually bad for your health. It may seem good and refreshing at first, but then you realize there's no stopping the addiction of blowing tobacco over and over again. You don't realize what's happening to you until it's too late.
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| Isn't this obvious enough? |
Smoking gives way to many risks and hazards; most notably one of the deadliest and most dangerous diseases known to man: lung cancer. As we all noticed, cancer is a chronic disease which can never be cured. It is also one of the most common of the chronic diseases taken in the world. Once a person is diagnosed it, he is now a lost cause.
Studies show that an estimated average of 240 Filipinos die everyday due to the long-term effects of smoking. There is very little possibility of a person surviving cancer caused by the infection, blackening and breaking of the respiratory system. That is how harmful smoking is to the health of many across the world. Many are becoming fully aware of the threats of constantly breathing in tobacco.
Recently, the Philippine legislative bodies registered a campaign to gain awareness to citizens of the very dangers of smoking and other unhealthy suicidal unorthodox acts by implementing the Republic Act 10643 or the Graphic Health Warnings Law. This involves releasing various images of mock cigarette packs with pictures of actual cases of victims diagnosed with catastrophic major respiratory-related ailments. Words and facts alone about cancer are gruesome, but presenting these beyond disturbing images as proof and symbol of the death and destruction tobacco has unleashed upon mankind is more than enough to scare the youth into not smoking.
Fortunately, Asia Pacific College is no exception to the campaign.
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| I could just move those two closer to middle, you know. |
Across the school, the staff placed anti-smoking posters and billboards in nearly every floor, contained with promotional quotes and frightening graphical images of real-life smoking cases to show the consequences of such an addiction, with the names of the victims remaining anonymous and the date hidden.
Addiction is deadly and harmful, either figuratively or literally. But the constant need for smoking by thousands or millions of people everywhere falls under the "literally" category.
Last October, Engr. Emer Rojas, a cancer survivor and founder of the New Vois Association of the Philippines (NVAP), was invited to speak to a group of APC students. He shared that at the age of 17, he became addicted to smoking until he was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2002. He eventually lost his voice box, and now speaks using an electrolarynx, a medical device used to replace the functions of the vocal cords and produce clearer speech. Since then, he has actively campaigned against smoking, encouraging and pleading people to avoid or quit inhaling smoke before it's lost.
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| Engr. Emer Rojas |
Engr. Rojas regularly holds talks in different campuses and has been recognized and awarded multiple times. Upon receiving the 2015 Healthy Lifestyle Exemplar Award, he was quoted saying:
"This award tells me that despite losing my vocal cords, I have not lost my voice at all."
Before he ended his talk, Engr. Rojas presented mock cigarette packs with graphic images showing the effects of inhaling smoke and its physical manifestation of various cancers in hopes of discouraging young people from even trying. He is living proof that smoking is a terribly horrifying nightmare come to reality that slowly destroys our body and affects not only the victim in general, but society as well.
Sadly, this doesn't stop some people from doing whatever the hell they want. Several students and faculty members in my school still kill time and, unbeknownst to them, themselves, smoking at the parking lot during breaks and even after school and worktime. Unfortunately, my older brother smokes occasionally and I hope that he dumps cigarettes out of his mind before it gets out of hand. So I suggest that if you are about to given a box of cigarettes from a stranger, just give that guy your middle finger and run off, because I assure you it's better to have your middle finger cut off than your lungs and your chance to live a little longer.
As usual, to conclude this blog, I ask a question:
What will it take for you to stop smoking?
Leave your interesting and creativity responses in the comment section below.
But thanks again for reading today's blog! I am the Internet Warrior and I approve this message.
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