Student Gia Hy Ho
Introductory Sociology
Section 6353-6377
Topic: Sociological Analysis of Smoking
Although today's society is developing and flourishing, there are still many outstanding issues
that are of public interest. One of them is smoking. Every year around the world more than 8
million people die from smoking. On average, someone dies from smoking every 4 seconds. It is
not difficult for us to come across smokers in our daily lives. Despite knowing the great harms
that smoking brings, people still do not stop using this harmful substance. According to Shaffer
(2019), smoking can be understood through the prism of social constructivism, which
emphasizes how social factors shape our understanding and behaviour.
Nowadays, smoking is widespread and widespread. Smokers come from a wide range of ages,
and they are predominantly male and, in some cases, female. Another headache problem of
smoking that we have to mention is the smoking of students. Many boys and girls, although still
in their teens, have learned to smoke. The cause of this smoking phenomenon is firstly due to
people's consciousness and habit of using. Besides, cigarettes contain addictive nicotine that
makes it difficult for people with a habit of smoking to quit. If they don't smoke, they will feel
uncomfortable. Smoking has many great effects on people. For example, in tobacco contains
many toxic substances that lead to many dangerous diseases such as throat cancer and lung
cancer. Smoking also costs money as well as contributes to environmental pollution. Shaffer
(2019) emphasizes that smoking can change perceptions and attitudes over time. In the middle of
the 20th century, smoking was a popular trend. However, as people's awareness is more
advanced, smoking is gradually seen as less cultured, and without good sense. This change
represents the cultural influence of society on smoking.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2022) provides valuable insight into the
prevalence and consequences of smoking as a social problem. According to the CDC, more than
8 million people die from tobacco use each year. "Cigarette smoking causes more than 480,000
deaths each year in the United States. This is nearly one in five deaths." Smoking a lot of tobacco
seriously affects your health (cancers of lung, liver, larynx, stomach, etc.) must smoke (can
seriously affect the health of women, children, ...). Hut Drugs Annoying people around (bad
breath in people who regularly smoke). Smoking tobacco costs a lot of money to buy cigarettes
(smokers will smoke more and more, the demand for strong cigarettes has a high price). Tobacco
has so many serious harmful effects, yet many people still take smoking lightly. They use
cigarettes as a means of communication, meet and greet each other. It can be said that smoking is
still a problem of today's society, and we need to take measures to improve it. Shaffer (2019)
emphasizes the role of power dynamics, economic influence, and marketing strategies in
promoting and perpetuating smoking as a social practice. The popularity of cigarettes also comes
from extensive advertising from major companies. I believe the tobacco industry is a fertile
business.
It can be said that society has an influence on the behavior of smokers. Shaffer (2019) points out
that smoking regulations are society's efforts to overcome the negative problems of smoking.
Policies show the correlation between smoking behavior and societal norms. Shaffer (2019)
emphasizes that smoking is associated with rebellious, cold and mature views in different
cultural contexts. Today, young people often ignore the harmful effects of smoking to use
because they want to become cooler. Unfortunately, the consequences often come late, and by
the time you discover them, it's too late to change. For every human being, health is the most
important issue, and it is always the top concern. People can be successful, no matter how
successful they are without health, nothing can be done. However, in fact, many people are
gradually destroying their body health by smoking harmful to health. Moreover, smoking
directly affects the lungs. Lungs are human life. Try to ask the question if our lungs are adversely
affected, will we live? Smoking not only endangers your own health, but also affects everyone
around, especially children.
Solving the problems of smoking in society depends on the awareness of each individual. It can
be said that the surrounding environment affects a lot because children who grow up in an
environment with poor awareness are often less civilized. Smoking is very harmful to health, so
we must take measures to prevent and prevent this situation. Each of us must consciously remind
those around us not to smoke. Working together to spread awareness among all people, both
smokers and non-smokers.
Conclusion, Smoking is a social problem formed from many factors such as culture,
preferences, environment, individuals... Social structure of smoking, influence of norms Society,
disparities related to tobacco use, and the role of institutions and policies all contribute to its
complexity. The negative problems of smoking are still present in society. The damage and loss
caused by drugs is great, but people are often subjective because they think it will not happen to
them. Smoking is a bad habit and worthy of condemnation in society, because it causes many
negative effects on human life, making society less civilized and hindering the progress of the
country. Therefore, as a true citizen, we need to have the necessary awareness about smoking, as
well as prevent ourselves and those around us from engaging in this bad habit.
References:
Shaffer, R. (2019). Sociology Matters. New York, NY: McGraw Hill.
Smith, J., Johnson, L., & Anderson, K. (2021). Social Norms and Smoking Behavior: A
Systematic Review. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 58(3), 341-358.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Smoking and Tobacco Use: Fast Facts.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022) Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking.