Eighty percent of smokers began smoking before they turned eighteen (Brain-Underage Smoking Statistics). Smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer in America. Teens smoke cigarettes and other tobacco products more and more every day. Young people are not aware of the effects smoking has on their body, some know the effects and continue to smoke to appear “cool” or “popular”. The truth is that they are slowly killing themselves. “Smoking kills. If you get killed, you lose a very important part of your life” (Shields). The effects of smoking are very serious and dangerous. Smoking can damage almost every organ in the body. It also affects the autoimmune system, bones, blood, hearing, vision and lungs. In the United States, one in five deaths is caused by smoking. Additionally, smoking can cause cancer of the nose, mouth, larynx (voice box), trachea, esophagus, throat, lungs, stomach, pancreas, kidneys, bladder, cervix, bone marrow and blood. It is also known to cause leukemia (health effects of smoking). Smoking is not worth the effects that come from the cartoon. People don't realize the addiction that nicotine causes. Nicotine is addictive whether the user uses tobacco products or simply smokes cigarettes. Addiction is what drives someone to continually smoke even when they are trying to quit. For some people, breaking the cycle is more difficult than others. Many people are unaware of the various methods to quit smoking. When using tobacco products, nicotine is rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream. Within ten seconds of entering the body, nicotine reaches the brain. This causes the brain to release adrenaline, creating a buzz of pleasure and energy. The buzz evaporates quickly, leaving behind a feeling of tiredness...... middle of paper... her” (Unknown). Smoking is harmful and you shouldn't even start doing it. Putting a single thought on all the bad things that smoking can bring is not difficult. Smoke should never even touch the brain. It's crazy how many people do this just so they can "fit in". This should not be an excuse to get lung disease or ruin your brain cells. Don't put the harm of others into your hands. Simply ask yourself if you can handle the guilt of knowing that someone who doesn't smoke has "smoker's lungs" because they've been around someone who smokes. There are so many people today who die because they have smoked their whole lives, or even die of secondhand smoke because their parents or spouse smoked in front of them. So think twice before you light a cigarette and take the first puff, think about everything that can happen to the body, once addicted.