Blowing Smoke: Monologue

When I was a little kid I use to watch a lot of movies. Mostly cartoons and Disney stuff. They set an example to me of what "a normal life was" and what was cool to do. I kept this tradition. When I got older I kept going to movies. I still go see pretty much every one that comes out. I try not to miss any.

Subconsciously, I picked up on things the actors do in them. I remember when I was about 6, I saw James Bond. I thought it was the coolest thing. My friends and I all were absolutely positive we were going to be secret agents when we grew up! We would play like we were James Bond. We even made toy guns and cigarettes. One day, when we were playing in my front yard, this homeless guy was walking by. He had a big brown dirty jacket on and he had a brown bag in his right hand with a bottle in it. He scared me. At that age I was afraid of homeless people. I had one of my fake cigarettes in my mouth and was leaning against a telephone pole trying to act cool. The guy came up to me and asked me if he could have the cigarette. I didn’t know what to say. I thought only cool people like James Bond smoked, not homeless people. I was scared. I didn’t know what to say. It was fake, so I said no. He started slamming me against the pole and screaming. I kicked him in the stomach and quickly ran away. I was so scared. I thought about it for a while and you know, my dad doesn’t smoke and he’s even cooler and is more importance to me than James Bond. I didn’t have to smoke to be cool.

I remember when my grandma died. I was very young, but I still remember how sad and upset I was. My mom had told me she died because of smoking. She said she started because when she was a kid she wanted to be like one of the movie stars. I had forgotten about everything I had learned and heard about that disgusting habit because I was so overwhelmed with the "coolness" of James Bond. Well, I don’t think James Bond is that great any more. In fact, his new movie just came out and I didn’t go to see it. I know I'm a lot cooler than James Bond. I don’t smoke.

by, Marc Arthur

Flavored Cigarettes Becoming Trendy For Teens

Health officials are worried that an increasing number of teens are smoking bidi cigarettes—small, unfiltered cigarettes with flavors such as chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla. Bidis, imported from India, are filled with tobacco flakes and hand-rolled with a greenish-brown leaf. The cost for a pack of bidis runs about $2 for a pack of 20, less then a pack of regular cigarettes.

According to a survey last year, 58 percent of students at four San Francisco high schools had tried bidis. "They’re dessert with a cigarette," says Leah Parrish, 19. Teens say they are cute, trendy, less bitter, and are more natural than regular cigarettes.

Although bidis contain less tobacco than a US cigarette, an unfiltered bidi "releases at least two to three times more tar and nicotine," says Samira Asma, an epidemiologist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. " They’re horrible," says Ron Todd, director of tobacco control for the American Cancer Society. "It’s unfortunate that they’re finding their way in the hands of children." Bidis were once only sold in tobacco specialty shops and cigarette stores, but now they are showing up in gas stations and convenience marts.