The article “Death by a Cigarette” by Carol D. describes the harsh realities of teens smoking. She gives you informing facts about the issue, like, “...this silent assassin continues its deadly streak, luring an estimated 4,800 teens into its trap every minute.” She also explains how it can affect you, like yellowing teeth, clothing that smells like cigarettes, bad breath, and decreased energy.

Smoking is not the answer. This article explains perfectly how smoking can ruin your life. As I have gone through middle school, I have seen more and more kids suffer from depression or a related problem, and most of them turned to smoking. Smoking is definitely not the right way to relieve your problems. It left me thinking, “Wow, I never really knew how big of an impact this kind of thing can have on your life.”

I like the line, “Seemingly harmless at first, it gains the trust of young victims.” This is very true. Most people think smoking isn’t a big deal and that it won’t affect them negatively, but it can. The biggest factor being death. Don’t live your life this way. Pick a better path. If you aren’t in control of your choices, who is?