Cooperative Extension Service,
Purdue University,
Lafayette, Indiana
4H-427
"TO SMOKE OR NOT — THE CHOICE IS YOURS"
by John D. Boruff, Extension Health Specialist
Purposes
Since the beginning of time, elders
have asked - why do chiIdren act the way
they do? The question is no easier to
answer than the companion question of
why elders act the way they do. This is
as true of cigarette smoking as it is of
anything else.
When the Surgeon General's Report,
Smoking and Health, was issued in Janu-
ary 1964, a great many parents and tea-
chers saw in it a new argument to use
with young people.
The argument went like this:
"We adults began smoking cigarettes
before science proved they were as
harmful as they are. Now we know
better, but it is too late to do
anything about it because quitting
cigarettes is so hard. You young
people, on the other hand, haven't
begun to smoke. You are alerted to
the dangers of cigarettes and you
have your parents' bad example be-
fore you. You can now exhibit your
native good sense and not start."
As it turned out, this is not what
happened. Millions of adult smokers did
quit smoking after the Surgeon General's
Report was issued, and they are contin-
uing to quit at the rate of more than
one million a year. At the same time,
smoking among teenagers has declined.
Nevertheless, there are still about one
million young people who take up the
habit each year.
A great deal has been said and writ-
ten about the difficulties of quitting
smoking. Almost nothing has been said
about how hard it is for the average
young person to grow up in our society
today and not become a smoker.
This 4-H material has been develop-
ed for you to:
1.	Personally face the matter of
whether to smoke or not to
smoke;
2.	Learn the facts about the ef-
fects of smoking on health and
your life;
3.	Recognize the life-long sub-
conscious effects to which you
have been exposed to smoke;
4.	Develop rational reasons for
and against smoking for yourself;
5.	Investigate alternative means
for achieving any advantages
to smoking;
6.	Select healthful activities for
positive Iiving;
7.	To help others squarely face
the choices.
Facts and Ideas
Most 4-H members and students in
elementary, junior and senior high and
beyond will sooner or later have to make
a choice of whether to smoke or not to
smoke. Nobody else will be able to make
the choice for you.
Probably the moment of decision will
present itself without fanfare - no flags
waving or trumpets blowing - or fancy
commercial music and situations like on
TV - no cameras breathlessly awaiting
your momentary decision to be announced.
Without ever really thinking about
it, or having thought about the possibil-
ity of it, you will suddenly be required
by the situation to decide. The invita-
tion will be there in the offer by your
date, the other guys and girls of your
crowd are there with cigarettes in their
mouths and fingers, the cigarette machine