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It is very puzzling that many young people are taking up smoking despite the number of health warnings that there are. It’s a serious problem, especially in the case of young girls who are increasingly joining the ranks of smokers. Teen smoking is on the rise and the long-term health risks are a worry. In addition to smoking, their health is further threatened by a sedentary lifestyle and poor diet. The situation is like a ticking bomb waiting to go off.

Why aren’t the health warnings working on the young? It’s harder to persuade a young person not to smoke if adults around them, including parents, indulge in the habit themselves. Smoking is decreasing in the general population but teen smoking continues to be a problem. This is despite the ban on smoking in public places, the increased cost and the ban on tobacco advertising in some countries.

Peer pressure has always been a factor in these matters and teenagers look to their friends for approval. It’s hard to be the only one to say no. There must be a way of making smoking an uncool thing to do. This is difficult in the current atmosphere of smokers being perceived as anti-social. Being anti-social attracts the young in the first place. Perhaps some celebrities, such as rock stars and rap singers, could launch an anti teen smoking campaign. This could be worth more than a thousand sermons from the government.

Gritty tactics have to be employed in this war of persuasion. The facts should speak for themselves but it’s hard to get a young person’s attention by telling them that their lungs will stop functioning in twenty years time. That seems like a lifetime away. It’s better to concentrate on the here and now and emphasize that their clothes stink of cigarette smoke, their teeth and fingers are stained and their breath smells. Teen smoking could stop if they think that they’re not going to get a girlfriend / boyfriend because of it.

There isn’t enough effort being put into this problem, compared with other initiatives involving recreational drug use and alcohol abuse. Cigarettes are a drug and should be treated as such. Teen smoking is every bit as important and on a huge scale. It will take courage on the part of young smokers too. They need the help of us all; government, health care providers, schools, friends and families.

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I have always hated the artificial things that pretend to be real. I hate, for example, light food, or vegetarian fake meat. That is why, up to this point, I have always hated artificial Christmas trees. They do not fool anyone, and yet they stubbornly persist in their mimic in a way that I find most irritating and useless. If these fake Christmas trees looked a little bit less like real trees, and more like representations symbolizing real trees, then I would not be so bothered by them, but as it is I can not stand them.

The problem is that, where I live, we are not allowed to have a real Christmas pine tree, nor do we really have the room to. My wife has wanted to get a plastic Christmas tree for the last couple of years, but I have been strongly against it for the reasons given above. That is why I have decided to get a Pink Christmas Tree this year. No one is going to believe that a Pink Christmas Tree is real for even a moment, but then again a Pink Christmas Tree is not trying to fool anyone into believing. Although it is garish and tacky, a Pink Christmas Tree is absolutely at home and honest about its garishness and tackiness, and so it really does not have the same offensive qualities to it as other fake Christmas trees do, in my opinion. Really, my wife thinks that I am crazy, but a Pink Christmas Tree is the only solution to our Christmas troubles. It is an xmas tree, which she wants, and it is not a cheap facsimile, which is what I want. Instead, it is a very fake mockery.

I have decided to put the Pink Christmas Tree in the window with the lawn flamingos that have nothing to do until next summer anyway. Around them, I will put the most bright, garishly flashing Christmas lights that I can find, and decorate the whole thing with cheap plastic garlands hung with little dollar store quarter bin toys. Then my Pink Christmas Tree will have that look that I have always dreamed of for it, that look of uncompromising falsehood. Maybe next year I will get a purple Christmas tree. I can only imagine what wonders I could work with that one! But for now, the Pink Christmas Tree really hits the spot.

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It’s imperative that everyone on the planet learn how to read. This is just one of the essential tasks in our world. It has to be done if you plan to be part of our society. There’s hardly a way to function without this skill. This is why we pass it on to our children at such a tender age. We want them to get started as early as possible. How is your little one reading these days? Do you think their skills are up to par with their age and grade level? If you’re not sure, then you may want to check and see. This is not an issue to dismiss lightly.

When did you first learn how to read? Was it back in first grade? I currently have a daughter in second grade, and her reading skills were first developed in kindergarten. This is outstanding in my opinion. I am all for them getting started as early as possible. This way they will be reading at a fairly high level by middle school. Now, there are some individuals in this world who fail to complete grade school and high school. Maybe something went on at home that they couldn’t control. This is always tragic. Then they reach adulthood and don’t know how to read. Or their reading skills are at an extremely low level. Now, instead of harboring oodles of shame, one should go out there and learn how to read properly. In this day and age there are so many ways to tackle this task. No one’s saying you have to go back to high school at the age of 45. You probably have a computer with Internet access, right? Well, it’s time to take full advantage of all it has to offer. You can learn how to read from the comfort of your home. Talk about relaxing and convenient. There are websites that can help you through it. People use these cyberspace tools on a daily basis.

So, are you stoked and ready to learn how to read? That’s the way to be! Hop on your PC or Mac and get started right away. Your trusty computer will tell you how to pronounce and spell all words. You can even purchase special software for this. In this modern age of technology and knowledge, there’s really no excuse for not knowing how to read and write properly. The key is taking that first step and getting started.

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