An Open Letter From The Child Of A Smoker | The Odyssey Online
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Politics and Activism

An Open Letter From The Child Of A Smoker

From all the children that yearn for their parent to quit.

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An Open Letter From The Child Of A Smoker

"For as long as I can remember, my dad has smoked cigarettes. Several times a day, every day, for as far back as I can remember. Growing up, I hated the fact that my dad smoked. Every day whether at school or during ads between my favorite TV shows, we learned about how smoking kills you, slowly and painfully. Every time I saw him take a puff, it would kill me inside. Have you ever sat down and thought about how much you love someone? Because dad, that is how I feel. I could never love you more because my heart is only so big and watching you slowly kill yourself as you smoke cigarettes after cigarettes shatters my heart. I am sure that you know smoking harms your body, but if so, why do you continue smoking? Maybe you do it because you haven't really realized the effects that smoking has on your body. There are a lot of reasons why you shouldn’t smoke, dad. Smoking costs a lot, it affects the people around you, and most importantly, it affects your own health.

Smoking cigarettes is a very expensive hobby. One of the many reasons why you should stop smoking dad, is because each pack of cigarettes cost a lot. If you look at its price per pack, it might not seem like it is much, but on average, you spend about $2000 on cigarettes. Maybe you start smoking only when someone offers you a cigarette, but there will be a day when you will feel the need of a cigarette. By this time, you will pay however much it takes to get a puff of that cigarette smoke, and each time you will want to smoke more, so you will definitely spend more. All the money you would spend on cigarettes could have be spent in something better, don’t you think? If you think about it, you are actually paying the cigarette companies to kill you. Not only do they cost you a lot, but they also harm the people around you.

Smoking causes damage to your health, but secondhand smoking is worse. In case you did not notice dad, there is a filter at the end of each cigarette that filters out some of the carcinogens that harms you. When you smoke, the smoke that is exhaled is released into the air for others to breathe in and the smoke that they breathe in is dirty and unfiltered. The carcinogens directly enter their lungs and their body. Secondhand smoking does more damage than smoking from a cigarette. Think about all those times you had to smoke next me. In the car, while we were walking down the streets, in the playground, etc. The air I inhaled all those times was filled with the smoke you exhaled. Not only were you harming your own health dad, but mine as well. You are so important to me dad, and I cannot bear to watch your health deteriorate as you smoke cigarette after cigarette.

Cigarette smoke is filled with over 4000 carcinogenic chemicals that you are inhaling every time you take a puff. These chemicals kill you, dad. They contaminate your mouth, throat, lungs and every other organ in your body. Cancer is such a painful disease dad and I cannot stand to see you suffer in any way. Cigarettes also reduce your life span by 20 years. Some of the chemicals found in a cigarette are used to kill rodents, imagine what it will do inside of you. One by one, your organs are affected by these chemicals and sooner or later, they will all be contaminated. As a smoker, you will receive constant headaches, and the lack of oxygen may cause strokes, thus, if you want to stay alive for a longer period of time, you should stop smoking, dad.

Smoking does not exhibit any positive effects in your life. Life is short. It may seem like forever when you're young, but it's just a blip and then you’re gone. What you do affects who you become and if you make bad choices, you will have bad consequences. I know at this point, it gets harder and harder for you to quit, but I cannot afford to lose you. Please stop smoking dad. It damages your health and the people around you. It also costs you a ton of money. I want you to see me graduate, see me get my first job, see me get married and grow old with my grandchildren and that is never going to happen if you keep going down this path. Please stop smoking, dad. I love you more than anything in the world, so please stop smoking and stay with me."

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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