Latest Survey Proves Fewer Americans Are Smoking

A new survey has been done that shows that fewer adults in America are smoking. This survey includes legal cigarettes and cigars that can be bought at your local drug store, not illegal drugs. According to the US Center of Disease Control, 20.9 percent of Americans over the age of eighteen smoked tobacco in 2005, but only 19.3 percent are smoking in 2010. This sudden drop in 1.6 percent could have been caused by the awareness that smoking is unhealthy, over-the-counter nicotine patches, or a doctor recommendation… No matter what triggered the drop, it went down 1.6 percent in just five years! 

Smoking became popular a few decades ago when people didn’t realize the health risks. Now that people are realizing and seeing the effects of tobacco, they are quitting. Smoking damages your lungs, esophagus, and everything in between. It can damage your brain, heart, and vocal cords as well. I feel that smoking tobacco is a nasty act for your body and the environment. Smoking pollutes the air with harmful smoke and litters the ground with tiny pieces of paper leftover from smokers that are driving.

 I think it’s good that the 1.6 percent of Americans quit. It makes the United States of America look like a better, cleaner place. Smoking is the number one cause of lung cancer, which will also decrease America’s death rate from cancer. Many places, such as bowling allies, have eliminated the smoking area. If only restaurants would do the same, they could play a great role in making America drug free!

More Doctors, Nurses, Surgeons Needed In America

     A recent article put out by Yahoo News suggests that more doctors, nurses, and surgeons are needed in the United States. Even with the unemployment rates booming, many Americans are reluctant to go through medical schooling and the training necessary to become a doctor. Salaries for nurses can range up to $96,000 and salaries for doctors and surgeons can be up to $150,000. With the economy the way it is, why wouldn’t you jump ship and become a doctor? The answer is: it’s just not as easy as the government and universities put it.
      Medical school, four years of college, training, equipment, time… Lots of things go into wanting to become a doctor. I feel that universities and medical schools realize this hoping people give up. I feel that colleges like Florida State University sponsor programs in high schools, such as SSTRIDE, so more people can essentially go to FSU for free. What does this mean for Florida State? It looks good for them and it gets the college more students because of this program. I feel that these colleges are saying more medical jobs are needed, so younger students shoot for these high earning jobs.
      Is it that easy? Go through school, get the necessary training, and then get handed a job for $90,000? How many nurses do you know that have six-figure salaries? I feel that all universities and medical programs are doing is advertising… It takes a lot of work to become a doctor. It isn’t easy!

Facebook, MTV, and Other Teen Hotspots Are Causing More To Do Drugs, Alcohol

Written by Guest blogger - Ian- One-third of teenagers (male and female, ages 13-19) watch shows such as Teen Mom, Jersey Shore, and Gossip Girl. 70 percent of teens in the United States have an account on Facebook, MySpace, or another social networking website. According to researchers at the Columbia University National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, teens that are a part of MTV, Facebook, MySpace, or other social networking site are five times more likely to do drugs, smoke, or drink alcohol underage.

Being a Facebook member myself, I feel that this statistic is ludicrous! Facebook doesn’t support, promote, or resemble drug and alcohol abuse in any way. Facebook and MySpace are about communication, sharing, and making friends. Social networks do not promote drugs in any way.

On the other hand, MTV does. The MTV ten years ago is totally different than the MTV now. They used to just play music video after music video, but they’ve turned into a teenage drama channel. Jersey Shore is about a bunch of steroid-pumped guys and anorexic girls partying. That’s all that show is about… And one third of American teenagers watch it! No wonder so many people are doing drugs, alcohol, and smoking.

The other thing that MTV promotes is pregnant teens. Instead of trying to prevent teenage pregnancy, they turned it into a show. The more teenage girls that get pregnant, the longer they can keep the show running. The longer the show stays running, the more money MTV makes. Parents, beware! The television is more dangerous than the Internet.