Have a Cigarette?

"Everything is permissible"—but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"—but not everything is constructive. (1 Corinthians 10:23)

The death of Peter Jenning has stirred up public interests in lung cancer. ABC News reported that 160,000 Americans died of lung cancer every year. The number is equivalent to total number of casualties if one jumbo jet crashed everyday of the year.

If lung cancer is the #1 killer in United States, why didn't we pay more attention to it? One theory is that most people just assume that lung cancer is caused by the bad choice of smoking. And we are not supposed to talk about personal choice?!

Nicotine is very addictive and damaging. And it is hurting our young people. It was reported that one quarter of High School kids would smoke before their graduation. Why? They have bought into the marketing hypes that smoking is cool, and a symbol of having a good life just like race cars. When asked why she smoked, one teenage girl gave this reason on camera: "Have a cigarette? That is a really cool way to start a conversation anywhere."

Teach your children how to make healthy choices as they grow by sharing feelings and thoughts in your family. Your goal is to to raise kids who can think on their own rather than just following the crowds. Help them become responsible for themselves. Next time you have a chance, find out what they think about smoking. Better yet, you can set good example by not smoking!

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