Student Awareness of Smoking Dangers Training Kit

A training kit on raising student awareness of the dangers of smoking

The concept of smoking and addiction

Smoking:

Smoking is the process of inhaling the smoke of burning tobacco, which contains hundreds of chemicals harmful to health, most notably nicotine, a substance that causes addiction. Smoking is practised in different ways, the most common of which are cigarettes, cigars and shisha.

Addiction:

Addiction is a psychological and physical condition that makes a person unable to stop consuming a particular substance or practising a particular behaviour, despite its negative impact on health and daily life. Smoking is considered one of the common forms of addiction because of physical and psychological dependence on nicotine.

The importance of staying away from smoking

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Maintaining public health:

It reduces the risk of diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and respiratory diseases.

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Improving quality of life:

It helps improve energy levels, physical fitness, and personal appearance such as skin and dental health.

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Protecting others:

Avoiding smoking reduces the exposure of family and friends to passive smoking, which causes serious health problems.

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Financial savings:

Quitting smoking saves the costs of buying tobacco products and treating the diseases caused by it.

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Improving academic and professional performance:

It helps increase focus and productivity, away from the negative effect of nicotine on the brain.

Reasons for smoking among students

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Social influence:

Students' desire to imitate friends or join a particular group.

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Curiosity and experimentation:

Students' curiosity to try smoking as part of self-exploration and age stages.

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Stress and academic pressures:

Some resort to smoking as a way of dealing with stress or family problems.

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Marketing and advertising:

The impact of marketing campaigns that target young people, whether directly or indirectly.

• Lack of awareness: Lack of health education about the harms of smoking and its long-term effects.

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Easy access to tobacco products:

The availability of cigarettes at low prices and in easily accessible places encourages students to smoke.