Lesson56 Smoking Facts and Figures
　Many people, including doctors, parents, teachers, and others, are concerned about the health risks of cigarette smoking. According to the latest statistics, active smoking kills 400,000 smokers in the United States each year, and secondhand smoke kills 53,000 nonsmokers in the United States each year. Equally disturbing is the fact that 80% of smokers have their first cigarette before they are 18 years old.
Before trying to solve the health problems related to cigarette smoking, an important question to ask is why people start smoking to begin with. Some factors involved in beginning to smoke are environmental. For example, family history influences whether or not a child becomes a smoker.
When parents smoke, they model smoking behaviour, and children often copy what they see their parents do. Many people, especially young people, have their first cigarette because of peer pressure. They want to be accepted in their social group, and if smoking is part of the group's activities, young people will begin to smoke in order to be accepted into the group.
Personal factors also affect whether a person will begin to smoke. People with tendencies toward risk-taking behaviour are more likely to start smoking than people who tend not to take risks. Outgoing people are also more likely to become smokers than shy people are. People also take up smoking to alleviate stress, or to help themselves lose weight. Finally, people, especially young people, begin to smoke because they believe smoking makes them appear mature, self-confident, and independent.
When we understand the reasons why people become smokers, we can help smokers become nonsmokers again. We can also help nonsmokers remain lifetime nonsmokers.

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有关抽烟的事实和数字
　　包括医生、父母、老师在内的许多人都很关注抽烟给健康带来的危害。最新的统计数据表明，在美国，每年主动吸烟导致四十万吸烟者的死亡，被动吸烟导致五万三千名不抽烟人的死亡。同样令人不安的一个事实是，百分之八十的吸烟者是在十八岁之前开始抽第一支烟的。
　　要想解决与吸烟有关的健康问题，首先要问的一个重要问题是为什么人们会开始吸烟。导致开始吸烟的部分原因是环境因素。例如，家庭吸烟史会影响到孩子是否会成为一名吸烟者。父母吸烟的话，他们成了抽烟行为的模仿对象，孩子们经常会模仿他们父母的行为。许多人，特别是年轻人，他们开始抽烟是因为来自同伴的压力。青年人希望能被自己的社会群体认可。如果抽烟是这个群体的活动的一部分，他们就会开始抽烟以加入这个群体。
　　个人因素也会影响一个人是否会开始抽烟。有冒险倾向的人比不愿冒险的人开始抽烟的可能性要大。外向型性格的人比害羞的人更容易成为一名吸烟者。有些人开始抽烟是为了减轻压力，或者帮助减肥。最后，有些人，特别是青年人开始抽烟是因为他们相信抽烟使他们显得成熟、自信和独立。
　　我们了解了为什么人们会成为吸烟者后，就可以帮助吸烟者戒烟，也可以帮助不抽烟的人一辈子都不抽烟。