So, Smoking Makes You Cool?

Reasons behind smoking aren't exactly diverse. Occasionally, it is curiosity. But curiosity usually doesn't lead to addiction because the first try is usually horrid. Some start smoking after seeing a role model – father, older brother etc. – do it for years, and then decide to follow their footsteps. My own father has two master's degrees and still thinks smoking can't hurt you if you have an otherwise healthy lifestyle. Right.

The most common reason, however, is the influence of peers. Most people start smoking in their teens. And people, especially teenagers, like to be “cool”. They don't want to be the “goody two shoes”. Raisa Islam, 17, says, “When we had barbeque parties on our rooftops, all my cousins would smoke together. When I asked, they gladly handed me cigarettes too. I smoke at least once every day now.”

Many start smoking to fit in. When someone moves to a new locality or shifts to a new school, they find themselves friendless. It's very difficult for a teenager to fit in a new environment because young adults tend to stay within their own group. New people are not usually welcomed. So, if cha-biri at the tong er dokan makes a guy feel like he belongs, he gives in. Sreejoy Halder, 18, says, “When I visited my village home, all my friends there would tease me by calling me a snob, 'the guy from Dhaka', and some unprintable stuff. But when I joined in their little 'smoking club', I fit in easily. Now I have occasionally started smoking when I'm home as well.”

Sometimes, they tend to force you. Some smokers consider making someone else join them an achievement. Saadman Ahmed, 19, says, “It was definitely bad company. Terrible cousins. They started smoking in a circle around me until I gave it a try.” And he's right. Your parents, as annoying as you might find it, actually have a point when they fuss over who you're hanging out with or who your friend circle consists of.

But in some cases, you can't choose who your company is going to be. Raisa or Saadman can't get rid of their cousins even if they wanted to. They're family. The only thing Sreejoy could've done to avoid the situation was to not have friends at all. So in their cases, getting rid of the bad company wasn't an option.

In these cases, you have no choice other than being strong mentally. Learn to say 'no'. Anything that wastes your money and health all at once is not cool. Also, it makes your breath stink.

Smoking is an addiction. Most smokers I know have managed to convince themselves that it is a harmless habit like drinking tea or chewing paan but it isn't. Smoking harms the environment and the people around you as well and you have no right to do that. Smoking kills 1 in 5 in the US every year; no similar survey has been conducted in Bangladesh, but we can say for sure it isn't any better.

Don't be that one guy.

*Names have been changed to ensure privacy.