Thursday, January 30, 2020
Tobacco Use Among Teenagers Essay Example for Free
Tobacco Use Among Teenagers Essay In the United States, tobacco use or cigarette smoking has been identified as the leading cause of preventable death. Almost half a million deaths annually have been associated to cigarette smoking. The prevalence of tobacco use by adolescents has intensified in the 1990s, with the highest rates during 1996 to 1997 and then decreased thereafter (CDC, 1998). If the pattern of tobacco use early on during adolescence ensues, this will result in around 5 million minors who will mature into adults that will experience smoking-related illness in the future.  Medical expenses related to tobacco use have been estimated to cost approximately $50 to $73 billion annually. Such estimates have alarmed the healthcare agencies that they have created comprehensive smoking prevention programs to lessen smoking among adolescents.            The topic of tobacco use among teenagers is related to the goals of Healthy People 2010, which is a comprehensive collection of disease prevention and health education programs that was established by the United States Department of Health and Human Services. Healthy People 2010 was created by researchers and scientists to address the current issues in public health. The two main objectives of Healthy People 2010 is to improve the quality of life of the residents of the United States, which will result in the prolongation of life expectancy, and to prevent any differences that are observed and reported with regards to different subgroups within the U.S. population.            Massive anti-smoking campaign efforts were earlier initiated in order to deflect young and curious teenagers from using tobacco. These efforts included outright health warnings regarding the serious effects of smoking that are attached to every pack of cigarettes. There was also the aggressive campaign to enhance distaste towards smokers, convincing the rest of the society that smoking is not a good habit for members of the society, especially if the stench and stains of cigarette smoking will be physically attached to the smoker after a couple of months. In addition, legislation has required that a young-looking buyer should present his identification card in order to prove that he is at least 18 years old before he is allowed to buy cigarettes from a vendor. Any vendor who is caught selling cigarettes to a minor has been warned that he could be penalized for providing addictive items to a minor. Unfortunately, all these efforts in dissuading the youth from tobacco use was unsuccessful, as shown in the increase in smoking cases among teenagers as well as admittance to tobacco use amidst all these smoking prevention efforts.            Recent research surveys have determined that a generic smoking prevention program is not as effective as it was thought to be because each state and each school showed a different type of setting that strongly influences a typical adolescent to succumb to the pressure and lure of cigarette smoking. Variations in the factors that influence an adolescent to smoke are present at the levels of the country, state, school, and individual (Lotrean et al., 2006). In addition, the society and environment wherein the adolescent is situated also varies within the United States.            In terms of school-setting influence on tobacco use, research surveys show that smoking is strongly correlated with poor connection with peers at school. This includes the loss of feeling of being a member of a group in school or the simple sensation of belonging to the school society. Tobacco use among adolescents is also strongly connected to a lack of discipline in the school, which is actually a responsibility of the teacher. The lack of discipline is thus a result of an inadequacy in the involvement of the teachers with the adolescent students. It has also been observed that different schools follow a full ban on cigarette smoking within the school grounds, while other schools implement a partial ban. Unfortunately, there are also schools that do not have smoking bans. Schools often have school policies that specifically indicate that when a student of the school is caught smoking cigarettes within the school premises, a corresponding school action will be given to the student. Research indicates that schools that have established strict school policies show a significantly lower rate of tobacco use than schools that do not included any policy on tobacco use within the school’s premises. Another factor that influences teenage students to smoke originates from the school environment is the exposure of students to teachers who smoke within school premises.            There are also specific gender-related factors that persuade teenagers to use tobacco. In an independent study, it was observed that female teenagers are more vulnerable to social pressure at school than male teenagers (Barnett et al., 2007). The same trend in tobacco use is observed when a female adolescent is living in a single-parent home environment, much different from the observations reported from a male teenager who is residing in a single-parent home environment.            Social interactions existing around the teenager also induces them to use tobacco. In a cross-sectional investigation among middle school students, it was reported that there is a positive correlation between tobacco use and alcohol consumption among teenagers (Fisher et al., 2007). Interestingly, it was observed that the presence of family activities, especially family dinners, serve as a protection for teenagers from initiating use of alcohol and tobacco. The only limitation to such observation was that the preventive effect of family dinners is only effective during the pre-contemplative stage of smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol.  Once the adolescent has started smoking or drinking, the efforts of setting up family dinners as prevention or protection schemes has been determined to be ineffective. The role of the family, in terms of social interaction and frequency of present to the adolescent, thus strongly influences any decisions that he may make. The opposite scheme is observed among adolescents who rarely or seldom have family dinners together. It was estimated that these individuals were 50% more likely to use tobacco and drink alcohol. Thus, social interactions within the family members offer an excellent venue for communication between the adolescent and his parents which in turn provide an impact on the behavior of the teenager. The single-parent environment of an adolescent also shows a greater risk of using tobacco. This influence is further complicated when the teenager involved is female. The occurrence of other members of the family smoking at home also influences a teenager to consider and actually follow suit in smoking (Phillips et al., 2007). Aside from that, even if the teenager does not decide to smoke, his exposure to secondhand smoke subjects him to the same or even worse condition in terms of the harmful effects of tobacco on human health.            Another factor that influences use of tobacco among teenagers is the improper application of knowledge or information to actual life choices. In a research survey involving adolescents and their corresponding parents, it was determined that approximately 85% of the youth respondents and their parents admitted that they knew that tobacco use was harmful to their health (Lubman et al., 2007). The figures of this report were quite encouraging, because both the young and adult respondents showed that they were aware of the associated health implications of smoking cigarettes. However, it was also discouraging to read that the report described a striking opposite result with the rates of tobacco use in the same surveyed population, indicating that this population was not capable of translating the information regarding tobacco use and health into actual behavioral output.            The media also has an influence on the use of tobacco among adolescents. Research has described that adolescents who view movies that include a teenager character smoking induces the adolescent viewer to follow suit in a dose-response relation (Sargent et al., 2007). The effect of media on teenage tobacco use is categorically different from the effect of the immediate environment where an adolescent is located.            Given the abovementioned factors that influence tobacco use among teenagers, it is thus ideal to design and implement a smoking prevention program that is based on the actual conditions of a community where susceptible teenagers are situated. An exemplary effort is spearheaded by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) which has proposed that each state create smoking prevention programs to lessen the frequency of smoking among adolescents. Research surveys have been conducted to identify factors that influence youth in considering the use of tobacco as part of their young lives.  The Youth Tobacco Surveillance and Evaluation System was established by the CDC to conduct surveys of middle and high school students at the state, national and international levels. The system is comprised of two parts, the National Youth Tobacco Survey and the state-level Youth Tobacco Surveys. Both surveys were designed to offer smoking prevention programs nationwide.  Each program is distinct for each state and country, depending on what has been observed in the surveys that were conducted prior to the implementation of the smoking prevention program (Rudatsikira et al., 2007). The programs provide information regarding the different types of tobacco that are currently being circulated among the youth, including cigarettes, pipe and cigars. The attitudes of children and youth are also examined in order to determine the influence of different factors around their immediate environment as well as in their homes.            I have learned that smoking among teenagers is not a simple action that is influenced by peer pressure. I realized through my research that smoking among teenagers is influenced by social interactions with the family and friends, as well as in the school. It is also interesting to know that the media imparts a strong effect on teenagers and smoking. I also agree with the reports that describe that different conditions exist in different communities, hence a simple smoking prevention program that involves aggressive campaign against smoking and tobacco are destined to be ineffective in decreasing or controlling the rise in the number of cases of teenagers using tobacco. I will take the information I have learned from this report with me and hopefully I may apply the facts that I have learned in the actual setting.  References Barnett TA, Gauvin L, Lambert M, O’Loughlin J, Paradis G and McGrath JJ (2007): The influence of school smoking policies on student tobacco use. Arch. Pediatr. Adolesc. Med. 161(9):842-848. CDC (1998):  Tobacco use among high school students: United States, 1997. MMWR 47: 229-33. Fisher LB, Miles IW, Austin SB, Camargo Jr. CA and Colditz GA (2007): Predictors of initiation of alcohol use among US adolescents. Arch. Pediatr. Adolesc. Med. 161(10):959-966. Lotrean LM, Ionut C and de Vries H (2006): Tobacco use among Romanian youth. Salud Publica Mex. 48 suppl 1:S107-S112. Lubman DI, Hides L and Jorm AF (2007): Beliefs of young people and their parents about the harmfulness of alcohol, cannabis and tobacco for mental disorders. MJA 187:266–269. Phillips R, Amos A, Ritchie D, Cunningham-Burley S and Martin C (2007): Smoking in the home after the smoke-free legislation in Scotland: qualitative study. BMJ 335:553-557. Rudatsikira E, Abdo A and Muula AS (2007): Prevalence and determinants of adolescent tobacco smoking in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. BMC Public Health 7:176-182. Sargent JD, Stoolmiller M, Worth KA, Cin SD, Wills TA, Gibbons FX, Gerrard M and Tanski S (2007): Exposure to smoking depictions in movies its association with established adolescent smoking. Arch. Pediatr. Adolesc. Med. 161(9):849-856.
Wednesday, January 22, 2020
The Chosen Essay -- English Literature Essays
The Chosen Inflective and Forward Personalities In Chaim Potok’s The Chosen, two contrasting characters are introducedâ€â€Reuven Malter and Danny Saunders. They are opposites. While Reuven is forwardâ€â€speaking his mind, Danny Saunders shows a stark contrastâ€â€an inflective soul, listening to silence, and growing from it. These characters set the stage for a lasting relationship to form, to be strengthened, and to be stressed. Danny’s father’s name is Reb Saunders. The tzaddik of a small community within close proximity of Reuven’s home, he was born in Russia and later brought his congregation to America. When Danny is speaking to Reuven, he tells him the story of this occurrence. â€Å"They bribed their way though Russia, Austria, France, Belgium, and England. Five months later, they arrived in New York City.†This was the original catalyst for the relationship between Reuven and Danny. If Reb hadn’t brought his congregation to America, ever, Danny and Reuven would not have met in anything close to the same circumstances. When introducing the reader to the novel, Reuven explains why the inter-parish softball leagues were formed by the Jewish parochial schools after World War II. â€Å"†¦America’s entry into the Second World War and the desire this bred on the part of some English teachers in the Jewish parochial schools to show the gentile world that yeshiva students were as physically fit, despite there long hours of study, as any other American student. They went about probing this by organizing the Jewish parochial schools in and around our area into competitive leagues, and once every two weeks the schools would compete against one another in a variety of sports.†This was the second factor in the friendship. It would be unlikely for the matter of a soft-ball league to be considered on the part of Reb Saunders if he had not seen any particular reason. On Danny’s second visit to the hospital, Danny and Reuven talk about matters of common interest. While on the topic of the baseball game, Reuven asks how he learned to hit a ball. â€Å"‘I practiced,’ he said. ‘You don’t know how many hours I spent learning how to field and hit a baseball.’†After this statement is avowed, Danny makes the comment to Reuven that he could have ducked the ball. Reuven responds with: â€Å"I remembered the fraction of a second when I had brought my glove up in front of my... ...arefully of what you will say. Think what your father’s questions will be. Think what he will be most concerned about†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ã¢â‚¬ When David persistently asks Danny questions as Danny half-answers, anxiety is created as the significance of the questions is revealed. All of these factors put stress on the relationship, initially, and in the end strengthened it. The first mentioned, was the difference between Danny and Reuven’s religions. Although they were both Jewish, the novel shows that there were perceptible differences. The next mentioned was Reuven’s inability to understand â€Å"listening to silence†. Although Reuven may not have seen significance, Danny found silence to be very important, even related to wisdom. The final stressor mentioned was David’s methodological questioning of Danny at the end of the novel. It created tension in an already stressful situation, although helpful. Danny and Reuven’s friendship built throughout The Chosen had the roots to last a lifetime. It was apparent that Danny originally needed a friend and Reuven turned out to be the right one. Also, their fathers recognized this lasting friendship. So, each would most likely encourage it in the future.
Tuesday, January 14, 2020
Case Study: Clams about Gay Marriage Essay
This case study focuses on the gay marriages in different states. In Massachusetts the State Supreme court had a ruling that the state constitution did not agree with same-sex marriages. The only way they could grant licenses was if the legislative acted to give same-sex marriages. After this ruling in Massachusetts; in San Francisco, California the mayor ruled that they could not deny same-sex marriages. Many same-sex couples began to apply for marriage licenses and got the marriage license. The gay marriages started to attract the media and many television cameras. Soon after the California State Supreme Court said that the San Francisco mayor had exceeded his power and they told the city to stop issuing these state marriage licenses to gay couples. Courts in other states followed the Massachusetts ruling not allowing same-sex marriages. It then began to report that other foreign countries were allowing same-sex marriages to become legal. This started controversy in the United States because people in America think of marriage in a very sensitive way and that commitment it between two people who love each other. Advocates of gay marriage wanted to know why when two people are in love that they couldn’t be married. This began to raise issues for gay marriage not being legalized. Advocates were speaking out that it not only is about the commitment between the two people but also about the legal rights that the couples would obtain. The gay couples wanted the rights that a couple of a married man and women would get. They wanted to be able to get the medical rights and property rights of other normal married couples. Advocates also argued that they have their freedom also and they have the right to be in love with whomever they choose to be in love with. They just wanted the same equality as everyone else. In others terms they stated that same-sex marriage was wrong and it shouldn’t be allowed in the state. The argument then began again about marriage should be between one man and one woman. They also began to state that children that come from a household of a man and woman being married benefited them. They believed that if same-sex marriage became legal there would become a downfall in society. It wasn’t about the rights and freedom of same-sex couples but the image that America was to hold and how society is taught that one man and one woman should be married. In elections later in 2004 and 2006 conservative politicians wanted to have a same-sex marriage amendment to forbid it. The arguments for and against gay marriage became more and more heated as the years went on. As votes were shown most people wanted civil union laws. When the vote for same-sex marriage came about only a minority was for it. Gay and lesbian couples began to arrange ceremonies that were not legal unless legally allowed in the state. To this day debates, arguments, and court cases still go on about the fight for gay marriage. Questions 1. What grounds, warrants, and conclusions do advocates for gay marriage and their opponents use? The advocates say that besides two people being in love and making a commitment but that same-sex couples should have the freedom to love whomever they choose have the rights as any other one man and one woman married couple were to have. The opponents believe that for reasons for society and to keep the image and to not cause a downfall in America that only a man and woman should be legally married. 2. How did claims favor of gay marriage evolve from those of the earliest advocates to the more recent campaigns after the ruling by the Massachusetts state supreme court? I believe that the Massachusetts ruling was part of the start that caused the claims to start and from all of this evolved the more recent campaigns and the issues coming from gay marriage. 3. How did opponents to gay marriage change their counterclaims to respond to new arguments by advocates of gay rights? The opponents changed their counterclaims because they had to be able to have an argument back to the new responses of the gay rights advocates.
Sunday, January 5, 2020
Hate Graduate School Avoid These 8 Mistakes!
Do you often find yourself saying I hate grad school or simply frustrated with the increased workload that comes with it? Given the competitive nature of graduate school admissions, grad students tend to be excellent students, but hours of study over complex subject matter and good grades dont guarantee success in graduate school. In order to fully value and understand the education, youre receiving you need to avoid these eight common pitfalls of graduate students that wind up making them hate the program. Thinking Like an Undergraduate Undergraduates take classes while graduate students immerse themselves in a discipline. Undergrads work ends when class ends, they turn in papers and leave campus. A graduate students work, on the other hand, is never completed. After class they do research, meet with faculty, in a lab, and interact with other students and faculty. Successful graduate students understand the difference between college and graduate school and treat their education like a job. It would be easy to get bogged down in the ho-hum of yet another four years of studying if you forget this little detail: you are in graduate medical school because you love medicine and want to pursue a career in it. Treat graduate school, instead of another 1,000 hours of studying, as your first days of being in your chosen profession. Hopefully, that will bring the joy and passion back to your work and studies. Focusing on Grades Undergraduates worry about grades and as a result, often approach their professors to ask for a higher grade through either extra work or a redo on previous assignments. In grad school grades are not that important. Funding is usually linked with grades but poor grades are very uncommon. Cs generally are uncommon. In graduate school, the emphasis is not on the grade but on the learning. This frees up students to actually be able to delve into their chosen fields of medicine instead of focusing on instant recall of data or studying for tests. As a doctor, a graduate of medical school will need to have long-term retention of the information garnered during the program. By focusing on the application of information and repeatedly doing so, students in grad school truly learn their craft and instead of getting bogged down on whether or not theyre passing, begin to enjoy the concept of working professionally. Failing to Plan Ahead Effective graduate students are detail oriented and juggle many tasks. They must prepare for multiple classes, write papers, take exams, conduct research and perhaps even teach classes. Its no surprise that good graduate students are good at identifying what needs to be done and prioritizing. However, the best graduate students keep an eye on the future. Focusing on the here and now is important but good students think ahead, beyond the semester and even year. Failing to plan ahead can make your graduate school experience much harder and worse yet could even adversely affect your career. As a graduate student, you should begin thinking about comprehensive exams well before its time to study and tossing around dissertation ideas early in graduate school so you can seek feedback and develop your thesis well in advance. Considering career alternatives and determining what experiences you need to get the jobs you desire is imperative to your success as a doctor. For example, those who want jobs as professors will need to obtain research experience, learn how to write grants and publish their research in the best journals that they can. Graduate students who think only about the present may miss out on the experiences that they need and may be ill-prepared for the future they envisioned. Dont wind up hating graduate school because you didnt prepare ahead of time. Being Unaware of Department Politics Undergraduate students are often shielded from academic politics and are unaware of the power dynamics within a department or university. Success in graduate school requires that students become aware of departmental politics, especially because professors and students alike oftentimes continue to work together professionally after graduation. In every university department, there are some faculty members with more power than others. Power can take many forms: grant money, coveted classes, administrative positions and more. Moreover, interpersonal dynamics influence departmental decisions and students lives. Faculty who dislike each other, for example, may refuse to sit on the same committee. Even worse, they may refuse to agree on suggestions for revising a students dissertation. Successful graduate students are aware that part of their success relies on navigating nonacademic interpersonal issues. Not Fostering Relationships With Faculty Many graduate students mistakenly think that graduate school is only about classes, research, and academic experiences. Unfortunately, this is incorrect as it is also about relationships. The connections students make with faculty and other students form the base for a lifetime of professional relationships. Most students recognize the importance of professors in shaping their careers. Graduate students will look to professors for recommendation letters, advice and job leads throughout their careers. Every job that a graduate degree holder might seek requires several letters of recommendation and/or references. In order to have a better graduate school experience and in turn a more rewarding professional career, it is imperative that graduate students seek the advice and camaraderie of their professors. After all, these same professors are soon to be their contemporaries in the field. Ignoring Peers Its not just faculty who matter. Successful graduate students also foster relationships with other students. Students help each other by providing advice, tips and acting as a sounding board for one anothers dissertation ideas. Graduate student friends, of course, are also sources of support and camaraderie. After graduation, student friends become sources of job leads and other valuable resources. The more time that passes after graduation the more valuable those friendships become. Not only that but making friends in school is one of the biggest benefits of joining a program. This is especially true of medical school where, at the very least, you all share one common interest: a love of medicine. Its easy to hate school when you have no friends to commiserate with over the trials and tribulations of becoming a doctor. Making friends will help ease the stress during your schooling and go on to be greatly beneficial when you start your residency program afterward. Not Putting in Face Time Completing class work and research is a big contributor to success in graduate school, but the intangible elements of your education also matter. Successful graduate students put in face time. They are around and visible in their department. The dont leave when classes and other obligations are over. They spend time in the department. They are seen. This is imperative to garnering those all-important letters of recommendation as well as receiving notoriety by not only your professors but your peers. Oftentimes graduates who do not spend enough time making these appearances find themselves lacking in the feeling of accomplishments those who do spend enough time within the department do. This is because those students dont receive as much recognition for their work and dedication. If youre having a bad time at graduate school and dont feel that your professors are respecting your effort, perhaps making more face time with your peers will remedy this common problem. Forgetting to Have Fun Graduate school is a lengthy endeavor, filled with stress and countless hours spent studying, researching and cultivating professional skills. Although as a student you will have a great many responsibilities it is important to take the time to have fun. You dont want to graduate and later realized that you have missed out on some of the coolest opportunities to enjoy yourself. The most successful graduate students are healthy and well-rounded because they make time for and cultivate a life. If you find yourself midway through graduate school and hating every minute of it, maybe the perfect solution is to step away from it all for an evening (or a weekend) and remind yourself of your youth and excitement by going out with your colleagues, exploring some of the schools organized activities or simply taking in the city where youre studying. A few hours or days away from work could be just the refresher you need to remind yourself why you chose the medical field in the first place. That way, you can get back to learning and enjoying your field of study.
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