My Smoking Journey – A Look at Cigarette Use in the UK
When I was in my early teens, I picked up smoking as a way to fit in with my peers. Back in the day, smoking cigarettes was seen as rebellious and exciting, a way to prove you could keep up with the adults. It felt liberating to take a puff, knowing that I was doing something adults said not to do; like staying out late when your parents told you not to. I was one of millions of youths in the UK picking up cigarettes, thinking of it as a sort of rite of passage.
Little did I know that I was becoming part of a country-wide epidemic that would see more and more people turning to cigarettes. From 1990 to 2019, the United Kingdom had one of the highest rates of smoking in the world, with roughly 15 million people in the UK smoking regularly. Constant attempts were made to curb the problem, such as banning smoking in public places in 2007, but smoking still remained a widely used habit.
One of the biggest problems with cigarettes in the UK is the price. Taxation on cigarettes is far higher than it is in other countries, with a pack of cigarettes costing an average of £11.21 in the UK, versus a much less expensive £6.18 in the US. The problem is compounded by the fact that many cigarette brands in the UK come pre-packaged with menthol or other flavours, making them more appealing to young people. This makes it even easier for youths to get their hands on cigarettes.
It seems like cigarettes and smoking will always be a part of the UK’s culture, but I’m grateful more steps are being taken to reduce the amount of people using them. Over the last decade, the total number of people smoking in the UK has fallen from 22 percent to 14.9 percent, and the figure continues to decrease. I believe that with the right incentives, eventually cigarette use could become a thing of the past in the UK.
One way to reduce smoking among youths in the UK is through education. Many kids don’t understand the dangers that come with smoking cigarettes, and therefore don’t consider the consequences as they light up. If more education was given to youths on the dangers of smoking, perhaps fewer of them would be picking up the habit.
In conclusion,cigarette use in the UK has been a long-standing problem and there’s still a lot that needs to be done to reduce smoking rates. Education and taxation can both play a role in reducing smoking, but ultimately it’s up to individuals to make the right choices and kick the habit. I’m proud to say I’ve managed to quit my own smoking habits, and hopefully more and more people in the UK will follow suit.