"Smoking" as the name itself says it all, "Smoke" and the one doing this feels like "king" for some time. It's a very small word as far as we see, but the story and the consequences behind it are humongous, and those come similarly like "objects in the mirror are closer than they appear"; it can surely be rephrased as "smoking consequences are closer than they appear". It may feel like fun for some time, but the actual game starts afterwards.

Let's start to go deep into the topic. Earlier, smoking patterns were different; in fact, it was only tobacco plants from which the main content was grown and obtained. The tribal area people used to smoke tobacco in pipes or use it as snuff in religious rituals, healing ceremonies, and social events. It was then believed to connect humans with the spiritual world, cure Illness, and ward off evil. The tradition was followed and carried away for a long time, and certain modifications were made, and the ways of smoking also evolved. Pipes were replaced by the introduction of hand-rolled cigarettes. Due to the invention of cigarette rolling machines, its production increased to a huge level. Later on, with time, cigarette and cigar smoking became a trend; it resembled the status and standard of the family. Army members and the heads of the family always had big, expensive cigars burning in their hands. People used to judge a person's personality based on lavish style, family, and having a cigar in the hand added some extra standard to the personality. With time cigar trend declined, and it was all over replaced by "Cigarette", a white piece of paper with tobacco rolled inside it. Burn it, have a drag, and let the smoke come out. A satisfying task for some of the people.

Earlier, smoking was only considered and done by the working men who were away from home, working in big companies, factories, foreign countries, where they used to smoke for some time to relax or kind of destress themselves from the hectic work schedule and the pressure they dealt with in their workplace. But eventually, with time, women too started smoking, and gradually it spread like a rash. And now with men and women both smoking, it also had an effect on the teenagers to try it, and thus it followed, and soon became famous among teenagers. Now let's try to know the reason exactly why teens smoke. Firstly, for looking cool in front of their friends or to fit in with their surroundings. Many times, the surroundings where smoking is common encourage teenagers to smoke. Secondly, it is for relieving stress, anxiety, and emotional pain. Cigarettes contain nicotine, which has a temporary calming effect, though it increases stress levels over time. Nicotine is very addictive, and once the body gets used to it, the craving for nicotine starts, and gradually it becomes a habit for teenagers. Nowadays, teenagers are highly influenced by social media and film industry stars; they follow them blindly, and it is also one of the main reasons behind their habit. In the beginning, it's only like we should try once, and that one try will get them a permanent habit. After meals, in the morning, we can see teens having drag everywhere in society. Some of them believe it helps in weight loss by appetite suppression, although it is a very unhealthy and risky method. The social media platforms and film industries do not insist that anyone follow them for smoking or other harmful substances. They do give caution during the scenes like "Smoking is dangerous to health, don't try this," still, people go for temporary fun and fail to control themselves from such harmful things. Meanwhile, the film industry and influencers also try to teach us to quit these things by doing campaigns and some movies.

Several movies subtly or directly convey anti-smoking messages through their narratives or characters. For instance, Thank You for Smoking (2005) satirizes the tobacco industry, highlighting its manipulative tactics and the health consequences of smoking. In The Insider (1999), based on a true story, a whistleblower exposes the tobacco industry's secrets, underscoring the dangers of cigarettes. Pixar’s Ratatouille (2007) removed a smoking scene to promote healthier messaging, and many superhero films like Spider-Man or Black Panther avoid showing heroes smoking to set positive examples. These films, through satire, moral conflict, or visual restraint, communicate that smoking is harmful, unnecessary, and often promoted for the wrong reasons. Several web series creatively highlight the journey of quitting smoking and its challenges. Breathless NoMoreButts portrays relatable stories to encourage smokers to seek support, while The Quitter Diaries documents real people worldwide striving to break free from tobacco addiction. Cold Turkey, a reality-style show, throws unsuspecting smokers into a no-smoking challenge, capturing their struggles and breakthroughs. The Evening Cigarette uses dark humor and satire to reflect on the absurdities of smoking, and the FDA’s animated series Little Lungs in a Great Big World emphasizes the long-term consequences of smoking in a quirky yet impactful way. Each series aims to educate, inspire, and support viewers in quitting smoking through storytelling. Such movies and web series are made in every country and almost every region of the countries, where they teach us a lot about the consequences and their bad effects on health. Such movies and web series should be shown to all the teenagers so that they can learn something from them and go for a better cause.

Now let's come to the most sensible and most important factor: is smoking a gift for teenagers, or is it a curse? It gives somewhat of coolness in society as per the growing influence and the standards of the modern day people, and somewhat of temporary relief during rough times and depression. There is no other benefit or any kind of good aspects associated with this. Some of the other temporary or we can call it short-term benefits are appetite suppression and also awakens the feel-good neurotransmitters. It also may increase alertness and lastly it can be used to break social barriers in the high standard atmospheres where some communication can take place during the smoking these are the only partial or we can say short term benefits of smoking which can be stated as a gift for teenagers which in result can create a health effect later on in their lives.

On the other side, smoking as a curse has a lot more aspects and strong evidence, which is enough to prove it as a curse. Smoking causes Cancer, heart diseases, damages blood vessels, raises blood pressure, and increases heart attack rates. Long-term smoking can also cause respiratory issues, chronic bronchitis, and emphysema. It also has adverse effects on Aging, yellowing of teeth, bad breath, and dull complexion. It also results in a pure immune system, resulting in a deficiency in stamina and physical fitness, and decreases longevity and vitality. It's just a small thing, but it's expensive in terms of money and also in terms of health. Smoking causes complications in pregnancy, resulting in miscarriages, low birth weight, etc. It is harmful for the doer as well as the one who is there in the surroundings in an indirect way. People who are not smoking but are in somewhat contact with the smoke are also affected by the same; it may be on a smaller level, but danger is danger whether it is small or on a bigger level. The teenagers who are addicted to smoking and electronic cigarettes, etc, can join various campaigns which are conducted by various NGOs that help to quit smoking. Such campaigns are highly effective, and their success ratio is pretty impressive. One cigarette contains over 7,000 chemicals, including arsenic and formaldehyde. Shockingly, teens who smoke are three times more likely to abuse alcohol or other drugs. There is no benefit, only long-term damage disguised as a trend. Choosing not to smoke is choosing a healthier, smarter future. Quitting smoking is challenging but entirely possible with the right approach. Start by setting a firm quit date and removing all cigarettes, lighters, and ashtrays from your surroundings. Identifying their triggers for stress, boredom, or social settings, and by developing healthier coping mechanisms like exercise, meditation, or chewing gum. Seeking support from family, friends, or joining a support group. Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), such as patches, gum, or lozenges, can ease withdrawal symptoms.

By analysing all the good and bad aspects of teenagers' habit of smoking, it has many disadvantages. Smoking is a curse for teenagers, not a gift. It harms developing lungs, reduces stamina, and affects brain growth, impairing memory and focus. We, as responsible citizens, should stop teenagers from smoking and tell them the actual reality about the same. We should be aware enough to teach them about its Ill effects. If we can stop even one teenager from smoking, then it would be a great work, as one can stop many in the future, and also we can stop harming other people and our nature as well.

.    .    .