I dont know for sure if I did this right, but I was not able to meet in the rooms any longer so I took a stab at this myself. Thank you! --Rickie Larson
In 2007, there was an average of 22.3% men and 17.4% women who were smokers. If you compare that to 2008, there was an average of 23.1% men and 18.3% women who were smokers. That means that the average percent of smokers had increased within that one year period. This is very mind boggling to some because of the steady increase in the price of cigarettes per pack which now averages $5. Not only does cost affect smokers, but there are also health related risk factors that affect not only the individual but others around them as well who are inhaling the second hand smoke. I am very surprised to see that the percent of smokers had increased during this time period, however, am still feeling certain that with time and with the views of society, smoking may decrease a bit more. I don’t think that smoking will be eliminated completely, but I do think people will kick the habit more with time. I think that smoking is becoming easier to quit for some because of the fact that there are so many health related risk factors such as lung cancer, emphysema and heart related diseases. I know this girl who used to smoke and I asked her why she quit and she said “after seeing my mom die of emphysema, I decided it was not worth it for me to die the same way, so while I am still young, I decided that I was going to kick the habit”. I have also talked to people about the cost of cigarettes and this one guy stated “Yeah, I pay $5 for a pack of cigarettes, but I am only smoking a half a pack or so a day”. When I added that up, it came to $17.50 a week, $70 a month, and $840 a year. When I see these prices, I think of all the other things I could buy with that money. Now a half a pack a day isn’t bad, but can you imagine if you smoke a whole pack a day or even two packs? One last girl I talked to states “I had to quit because I work in a bar and when I’m not working, I enjoy my time with friends at the bar, and I cannot stand going outside to smoke, especially when it’s cold, so I gave it up”. As you can see with these results, because of the health related risks, the cost per pack, the society saying where and where you cannot smoke is encouraging younger people to quit smoking which will eventually bring this percentage down, I think.
Hi Rikie, I found your essay really interesting. I agreed that smoking may decreased because of prices and illnesses. However, some cases are extreme. Two weeks ego I was at the hospital visiting my father in law. He had an emergency heart surgery. He smokes two packages a day. It is horrible. After go through all that pain he came back home and the first think he did was lighting a cigarette. Sad…
I couldn’t find anybody in the Chat room. I tried a few times, so I wrote my own essay. Natalia Espana.
What is making us sick? In the last two years, the answer of this question became more and more important in my life. We know some steps to follow to became healthy. For example; Eat a lot of vegetables, fruits, whole grains. Avoid fried, greasy food. Well, it turns out that this is not enough any more. The food that we eat these days is affecting our health because it is loaded with chemicals, preservatives , fertilizes and animals are fed in an unnatural way. The vegetables and fruits we buy at the supermarket are not safe anymore. These days pesticides are so strong that when they are spread on the lands it could be life threatening for humans to be close to them. In his book “The Omnivore Dilemma” Michael Pollan, Describes his experience in Idaho visiting a potato farm. He explains that the potato crops were sprayed with water, pesticide and fertilizers. They were so toxic to the nervous system that no human being was allowed to get closer to them for the following five days. These potatoes have to be stored for six months to wait for the chemicals to fade. Our animals are not in a better situation. Cows were born to eat grass. Because of the meat demand, they are loaded with hormones, and they are overfeed with grains. This is unnatural for these animals. Their Omegas ratio changed and therefore ours has changed as well. When a normal Ratio would be 4 to 1 (omega6 to omega3). The new advanced cow is 20 to 1.The most common consequence to humans because of the way animals are fed is high cholesterol, therefore causing stroke, heart attack and other ailments.. Finally, a big part of the food available today at supermarkets is over processed and loaded with preservatives, colorants and high fructose corn syrup. These extremely affect our health. The risk of cancer, diabetes and heart attacks increases considerable when we eat these foods on regular bases. However, we still can work against this problematic situation. Some of the precautions we can implement in our life is to buy Organic foods, cage free, hormone free, grass feed animals. Avoid highly processed foods and select the most natural ingredients. This is one way to take control of our health for good.
Your essay sure is an eye opener! I had no idea what they do to produce and animals before it gets to the store. Or maybe it is that I did not think about it. What they do to the animals sounds inhumane. I will definately look at food differently from now on.
This is great work. Good job! The contents of this eassy is not only rich but highly informative. I like the date quotations; and really shows that much effort was elected in this eassy.
I will however, mind repetitions like- I think, I think, I think, That appear so much in the entire work. Again, in support of the earlier comment, The money value mentioned in this work should have reflected on the current value of cigarettes.
This is one of my favorite topics! I loved the detail in this, it was definitely well researched which is evidenced by the amount of statistics you have. The only advice I would give would be to proof read a little more. The sentence at the beginning said '...the answer of my life...' which doesn't make sense to me.
Oh and I'd like to just say something about the 'free range' suggestion. Did you know that the only requirement farmers have to meet so they can obtain the free range label is to give their animals a door that is left open? They can still be kept in stuffy barns, and they can still eat their own excrement. To buy organic food is definitely the way to go, though I heard a report on NPR about organic food still using pesticides, but that those pesticides are 'natural' and less toxic than conventionally grown pesticides. Of course, the label 'natural' can be used loosely as well...
Great work though, fascinating stuff!!! I think you should get extra points for doing it solo :D
It is a scary thought that the food we thought was safe to eat is not as safe as we thought. Most people know that processed is not the best for them, but our fruit and vegetable? I always thought washing fruit and vegetables well would keep me safe from these pesticides and other spays but I am beginning to rethink this. Thanks for the informative article.
Natalia- This was very interesting to read and also while most of my husbands family will only eat free range but they go straight to the food source. They drive to Cannon Falls every month to purchase meats from a farm that only sells to co-ops. We tried it a few times for a comparsion and found the taste difference is huge. Not only does the free range taste better but its had more moisture and takes the added flavorings better then the meat you buy at the local store. The book you used is a great reference tool for anyone wanting to know more, by Michael Pollan. I say job well done. I am sure you gave many of us food for thought. No pun intended.
Rikki, you gave some great points and statistics. I quit smoking cold turkey over 21 years ago. I have seen how much cigarettes are cannot fathom how someone can still buy them. I also work for medical records, my intership for now, in an oncology clinic and I have seen people receiving their chemo. You make a great point to someone by adding up the true cost of smoking.
I was thrilled by the way this group pushed their argument.I believe they defied the natural impediment in their side of the topic. No one would want his/her teen minor to drink alcohol. They however drove their point home when they cited education as the most appropriate intenvention to this problem.
I also believe them when they acknowlegded the existance of lwalessness given that minors aleady have access to alcohol thus suggesting that we lower the age to which they can have it legally in order to avoid the breakage of the law.
I however don't think you have really addressed some of the points you tried to dispute. Century College been an academic avenue has nothing to do with people's rights to eat whatever they feel will give them pressure. I was expecting a precise argument on how smoking affects the acaddemic excellence whhich Century College stands for but I didn't see it in your rebuttal paragraph.
Again, the issue of giving people cancer by inhalation of the smoke needed more elaboration. I mean, there are designated areas for smoking. why would a non smoker choose to go to these smoking desgnated areas?
Besides these unaddressed points, I think you guys did a great job in your rebuttal paragragh.
I dont know for sure if I did this right, but I was not able to meet in the rooms any longer so I took a stab at this myself. Thank you! --Rickie Larson
ReplyDeleteIn 2007, there was an average of 22.3% men and 17.4% women who were smokers. If you compare that to 2008, there was an average of 23.1% men and 18.3% women who were smokers. That means that the average percent of smokers had increased within that one year period. This is very mind boggling to some because of the steady increase in the price of cigarettes per pack which now averages $5. Not only does cost affect smokers, but there are also health related risk factors that affect not only the individual but others around them as well who are inhaling the second hand smoke. I am very surprised to see that the percent of smokers had increased during this time period, however, am still feeling certain that with time and with the views of society, smoking may decrease a bit more. I don’t think that smoking will be eliminated completely, but I do think people will kick the habit more with time.
I think that smoking is becoming easier to quit for some because of the fact that there are so many health related risk factors such as lung cancer, emphysema and heart related diseases. I know this girl who used to smoke and I asked her why she quit and she said “after seeing my mom die of emphysema, I decided it was not worth it for me to die the same way, so while I am still young, I decided that I was going to kick the habit”. I have also talked to people about the cost of cigarettes and this one guy stated “Yeah, I pay $5 for a pack of cigarettes, but I am only smoking a half a pack or so a day”. When I added that up, it came to $17.50 a week, $70 a month, and $840 a year. When I see these prices, I think of all the other things I could buy with that money. Now a half a pack a day isn’t bad, but can you imagine if you smoke a whole pack a day or even two packs? One last girl I talked to states “I had to quit because I work in a bar and when I’m not working, I enjoy my time with friends at the bar, and I cannot stand going outside to smoke, especially when it’s cold, so I gave it up”. As you can see with these results, because of the health related risks, the cost per pack, the society saying where and where you cannot smoke is encouraging younger people to quit smoking which will eventually bring this percentage down, I think.
Hi Rikie,
ReplyDeleteI found your essay really interesting. I agreed that smoking may decreased because of prices and illnesses. However, some cases are extreme. Two weeks ego I was at the hospital visiting my father in law. He had an emergency heart surgery. He smokes two packages a day. It is horrible. After go through all that pain he came back home and the first think he did was lighting a cigarette. Sad…
I couldn’t find anybody in the Chat room. I tried a few times, so I wrote my own essay. Natalia Espana.
ReplyDeleteWhat is making us sick? In the last two years, the answer of this question became more and more important in my life. We know some steps to follow to became healthy. For example; Eat a lot of vegetables, fruits, whole grains. Avoid fried, greasy food. Well, it turns out that this is not enough any more. The food that we eat these days is affecting our health because it is loaded with chemicals, preservatives , fertilizes and animals are fed in an unnatural way.
The vegetables and fruits we buy at the supermarket are not safe anymore. These days pesticides are so strong that when they are spread on the lands it could be life threatening for humans to be close to them. In his book “The Omnivore Dilemma” Michael Pollan, Describes his experience in Idaho visiting a potato farm. He explains that the potato crops were sprayed with water, pesticide and fertilizers. They were so toxic to the nervous system that no human being was allowed to get closer to them for the following five days. These potatoes have to be stored for six months to wait for the chemicals to fade.
Our animals are not in a better situation. Cows were born to eat grass. Because of the meat demand, they are loaded with hormones, and they are overfeed with grains. This is unnatural for these animals. Their Omegas ratio changed and therefore ours has changed as well. When a normal Ratio would be 4 to 1 (omega6 to omega3). The new advanced cow is 20 to 1.The most common consequence to humans because of the way animals are fed is high cholesterol, therefore causing stroke, heart attack and other ailments..
Finally, a big part of the food available today at supermarkets is over processed and loaded with preservatives, colorants and high fructose corn syrup. These extremely affect our health. The risk of cancer, diabetes and heart attacks increases considerable when we eat these foods on regular bases.
However, we still can work against this problematic situation. Some of the precautions we can implement in our life is to buy Organic foods, cage free, hormone free, grass feed animals. Avoid highly processed foods and select the most natural ingredients. This is one way to take control of our health for good.
References:
Omnivore’s Dilema, Michael Pollan
Maximized Living, BJ Hardick, Kimberly Roberto
Natalia Espana.
Your essay sure is an eye opener! I had no idea what they do to produce and animals before it gets to the store. Or maybe it is that I did not think about it. What they do to the animals sounds inhumane. I will definately look at food differently from now on.
ReplyDeleteThis is great work. Good job! The contents of this eassy is not only rich but highly informative. I like the date quotations; and really shows that much effort was elected in this eassy.
ReplyDeleteI will however, mind repetitions like- I think, I think, I think, That appear so much in the entire work. Again, in support of the earlier comment, The money value mentioned in this work should have reflected on the current value of cigarettes.
Thanks.
John N.
This is one of my favorite topics! I loved the detail in this, it was definitely well researched which is evidenced by the amount of statistics you have. The only advice I would give would be to proof read a little more. The sentence at the beginning said '...the answer of my life...' which doesn't make sense to me.
ReplyDeleteOh and I'd like to just say something about the 'free range' suggestion. Did you know that the only requirement farmers have to meet so they can obtain the free range label is to give their animals a door that is left open? They can still be kept in stuffy barns, and they can still eat their own excrement. To buy organic food is definitely the way to go, though I heard a report on NPR about organic food still using pesticides, but that those pesticides are 'natural' and less toxic than conventionally grown pesticides. Of course, the label 'natural' can be used loosely as well...
Great work though, fascinating stuff!!! I think you should get extra points for doing it solo :D
It is a scary thought that the food we thought was safe to eat is not as safe as we thought. Most people know that processed is not the best for them, but our fruit and vegetable? I always thought washing fruit and vegetables well would keep me safe from these pesticides and other spays but I am beginning to rethink this. Thanks for the informative article.
ReplyDeleteNatalia-
ReplyDeleteThis was very interesting to read and also while most of my husbands family will only eat free range but they go straight to the food source. They drive to Cannon Falls every month to purchase meats from a farm that only sells to co-ops. We tried it a few times for a comparsion and found the taste difference is huge. Not only does the free range taste better but its had more moisture and takes the added flavorings better then the meat you buy at the local store. The book you used is a great reference tool for anyone wanting to know more, by Michael Pollan. I say job well done. I am sure you gave many of us food for thought. No pun intended.
Rikki, you gave some great points and statistics. I quit smoking cold turkey over 21 years ago. I have seen how much cigarettes are cannot fathom how someone can still buy them. I also work for medical records, my intership for now, in an oncology clinic and I have seen people receiving their chemo. You make a great point to someone by adding up the true cost of smoking.
ReplyDeleteDrinking Age Should be Lowered in America:
ReplyDeleteI was thrilled by the way this group pushed their argument.I believe they defied the natural impediment in their side of the topic. No one would want his/her teen minor to drink alcohol. They however drove their point home when they cited education as the most appropriate intenvention to this problem.
I also believe them when they acknowlegded the existance of lwalessness given that minors aleady have access to alcohol thus suggesting that we lower the age to which they can have it legally in order to avoid the breakage of the law.
Good job group 2.
John Nwabugwu
Rebuttal of group 3:
ReplyDeleteGood job!
I however don't think you have really addressed some of the points you tried to dispute. Century College been an academic avenue has nothing to do with people's rights to eat whatever they feel will give them pressure. I was expecting a precise argument on how smoking affects the acaddemic excellence whhich Century College stands for but I didn't see it in your rebuttal paragraph.
Again, the issue of giving people cancer by inhalation of the smoke needed more elaboration. I mean, there are designated areas for smoking. why would a non smoker choose to go to these smoking desgnated areas?
Besides these unaddressed points, I think you guys did a great job in your rebuttal paragragh.
Thanks.
John Nwabugwu.
I need help with locating the link to cast my vote for the debate. I really enjoy reading all the group efforts. Can somenoe help me.
ReplyDeleteJohn Nwabugwu.