Role Models:

Today you turn on the TV, radio, or even go online, and you will see or hear at least one ad for smoking. You open the pages of the magazine and she sees either a very beautiful female model or handsome male model looking back at you with a cigarette in their hand and a cloud of smoke.

But the smoking industry does not just use nameless models to try to sell you on their tobacco products they use celebrities as well. Who can forget the lasting image of Michael Jordan after every one of his six NBA championships of having a cigar either in hand or in his mouth? What about Red Auerbach,? The Hall of Fame Boston Celtic coach always was seen in public smoking. Despite what others such as Charles Barkley, the former NBA player says, everyone knows that celebrities, whether they are sports stars or movie stars, what they do and say are copied by their fans, especially the younger fans.

Now are these celebrities smoking a real cigarette and cigar? Don’t know. Are these celebrities smoking an electronic cigarettes? Don’t know. What is clear is that their fans see them smoking and rush home or to school and as fast as they can, try to imitate their idols. It is very important to try to educate the young while they still have time to overcome harmful habits whether they think it’s ‘cool’ or not.

At this point it is necessary for school  officials to get together with the parents of the children that they have identified who are at risk of becoming adult smokers and try as best they can to Implement a stop gap if need be to try to save these young people from the harm of smoking. Tools such as an electronic cigarettes can possibly be used to ease these young people off the habit .An added benefit of the electronic cigarettes is that it  look like the real thing, they can still keep their image up in front of their friends as they are being weaned off the real thing.