スクリプトは事前提出されたものですので、ビデオの音声とは異なる場合があります。

Smoking: It’s Just Not Worth It!

OHTSUKI Shohei (Akashi National College of Technology)

If you have ever been to New Zealand, perhaps you have seen a commercial in which a middle-aged man with tubes in his throat and stomach says with a rather strange and husky voice, “It's not worth it, eh?” His condition is a result of smoking, and the commercial is just one of many which make up an anti-smoking campaign across New Zealand. His appearance and his words made such an impression on me that I chose to derive my title from his words.

Do you smoke? Do you want to smoke? Do you know someone who does? Certainly, your answer to at least one of those questions is “Yes.” Most likely, you have all heard my message in one form or another before, and you may think “Oh no this again?” But had ALL of us internalized that message, only then would this message not be necessary. So, today, I hope that I too can leave the following impressing on you: Smoking, It's Just Not Worth It!

When I went to New Zealand, the first thing which really surprised me was the photos on packages of tobacco products. I saw photos of: mouth cancer, lung cancer, gangrene, blind eyes, and so many other illnesses and complications caused by smoking. And I thought: How terrible! This gave me a very negative impression of smoking.

However, in Japan, it seems that the image of tobacco is still “cool.” Recalling the commercials by JT, don't you think you're getting a neat picture of the tobacco industry? As far as I know, that's only in Japan. They show the cleaner spaces where cigarette smoke can be divided better, or they display JT employees who engage in contributions to society by cleaning up the town with children. But we must notice that these ads are meant to stop us from changing our minds, so that we will not oppose smoking. As a result of their ad campaign, what remains is this “cool” image. Nontheless, about 114.000 deaths each year in Japan are attributed to direct smoking or second hand smoke – that's 300 people a day. Is that not a wake up call? It's Just Not Worth It.

Some students in Japan do not smoke only because their teachers tell them not to. Some adults in Japan stop, or do not start, smoking only because it's expensive. And, others stop smoking just to impress someone they love. However, it seems, here in Japan, we tend to overlook the impact that smoking has on our physical appearance, our health, and the health of those around us. Though we have several opportunities to learn the harmfulness of smoking, the consciousness against smoking is not growing as it should.

Regarding physical appearance, smoking leads to bad breath, stained teeth, smelly hair, smelly clothes, and even reduced sex appeal. It can really damage someone's image. For example, imagine this: A beautiful girl or a handsome guy is walking down the street, and you cannot help but admire that person. Gorgeous hair, clean complexion, nice body, absolute dream; and then that person lights up a cigarette. It's Just Not Worth It.

It is estimated that half of all long-term smokers will die from a smoking related disease. Those smokers who die from a smoking-related illness lose on average 15 years of life compared with non-smokers. And they suffer from years of discomfort from their illness in the time in time leading to their death. If you search tobacco-related diseases on the Net, you will soon notice the number of them can't even be counted. It's Just Not Worth It.

And, we must also remember that smoking causes complications for one's family. Among smoking women, miscarriages and stillbirth occur at higher rate than among non-smoking women. Also among men smokers, one might find complications in fathering a baby. And for small children whose parents smoke, it is said that SIDS, which means “sudden and infant death syndrome might occur. So for your family as well, “It's Just Not Worth It.”

Now it's clear we should not smoke. But before I conclude, I think I should emphasize one important fact for “non-smokers.” I may stand here and say “It's just not worth it” and I mean it. But we also need to take into consideration that sometimes anti-smoking movements can go too far.

Perhaps you have read on the Internet about one symposium on lifestyle-related illnesses that was suddenly stopped. The reason was that a group protest kept the speaker from giving his speech because he was a smoker. They claimed that he couldn't speak on health seriously because he smoked.

I really don't think that was fair. The goal of any anti-smoking movement should be to bring us better lives; not to bring us stress and discrimination.

So, what should we do?　　Well, if you smoke, stop. If you don't smoke, don't start. And, if you know someone who does smoke, do not turn your back on them, do not alienate them nor add to their stress, but give them opportunities to join you for smoke-free activities. But, most importantly, if nothing else, please remember – Smoking: It's Just not worth it!