AddictionsAddictions Smoking Kim Tolman & Claudia Tesselaar d d i c t i o n s

Introduction The reasons for addiction The problems of smoking Legal/illegal government policy & laws Ages: 16+/ 18+ / 21+?

reasons for addiction Smoking, the reason for smoking is you want to try out, You try out because your parents smoke and you want to know how it is. Or you will smoke because your friends also do this. And you want to belong to this group. Mental dependence is especially caused by habit. Just like at alcohol and coffee you grab for a cigarette also from pure habit. Moreover smokers frequently feel lost without a cigarette in their hand.

The problems of smoking Your clothes smell You stink from your mouth Cough It’s very bad for your health It’s bad for the people who inhale the smoke.

Legal/illegal Smoking is legal. You can smoke everywhere where it has been permitted. In every country it is different when you may smoke. In Holland you must be 16.

government policy & laws The government will disencourage smoking by a smoke prohibition in all public buildings by Since a couple of years we can almost smoke nowhere, only on some spots where there are not many people.

Ages: 16+/ 18+ / 21+? In the Netherlands you must be 16 if you want to buy cigarettes Some people let other people buy cigarettes for them, because they are not old enough. My opinion: I agree with the age of 16. It is impossible to prevent that older people fetch cigarettes for younger children.

Final words I am sorry to have to tell you that I’m addicted to smoking myself. I started at the age of 14 and I am 17 now. I hope I will be able to stop smoking in the future, because I know it’s bad for your health and it’s very expensive. Claudia Tesselaar, The Netherlands