Waiting to Exhale
EQ: What are the past present and future influences of tobacco on the social, political, and economic life the United States and around the world and its impact on individual and public health?
Tobacco in the Colonies
The introduction of tobacco into the colonies began with a man named John Rolfe. He thought that Virginia had the potential to grow massive amounts of tobacco. In response to his consumer demand, John Rolfe imported tobacco seeds and started an economic empire. Tobacco farming became a very popular occupation among farmers. Farmers grew so much tobacco that they didn't have enough physical labor in order to harvest all of it. once this issue was identified, the headright system was created, introducing indentured servants into the tobacco industry.
Tobacco Today
Adults are usually the ones who are seen smoking cigarettes in public. But there are other age demographics that show how teens have picked up smoking. Statistics show that there are 766,500 teens who are introduced to smoking each year. Some causes for teen smoking could vary from pier pressure to thinking that smoking is cool because people you look up to smoke cigarettes. There are many famous people who smoke that can influence the people who idolize them. If these statistics continue then an estimated 5.6 million children will die prematurely of tobacco related disease.
Tobacco Tomorrow
Smoking might be on it's way out, but there are still substitutes that are growing in popularity. For example, e-cigarettes are becoming very popular among teens. Even though 'vaping' is considered a safer alternative compared to tobacco, it doesn't mean that it is safe. It still has a plethora of unhealthy chemicals that can harm you. The safest alternative is to simply not smoke at all.