Feminists, can you do something about so many young women choosing to smoke?

Question

I did a survey today. My observations show that 85% of young women smoke. This is a shocking statistic. They are ruining their health and the health of others. What can be done?

Answer 1

Where were you observing this? In the smoking section of your local casual-fare eatery? Give me a break.

There's not much more anyone can do except continue to put out Surgeon General's warnings and anti-smoking ads.

Answer 2

First, your observations are wildly incorrect because only a small percentage of young women smoke.

Second, there is this thing called freedom which means the individual has a choice about choosing to engage in risky endeavors; sky-diving, car racing, bungee-jumping, smoking, eating fast food, joining the military, etc.

That YOU believe the propaganda in the light of evidence to the contrary, and rely on your own observations as the norm, is your failing.

Answer 3

The Surgeon General first made Americans aware that smoking was hazardous to our health in 1938. From then on, most Americans with an IQ over 60 have been aware of how dangerous it is to smoke. Fortunately there has been a noticeable decline in tobacco usage among teenagers since the mid 1990s. With the cost of everything going up, hopefully fewer young people will choose to start smoking. Should you buy a pack of cigarrettes or would that money be better spent on your gas tank?

Answer 4

Smoke their cigarettes while they arent looking?

Answer 5

What is a 'young woman' exactly; age range? Did you also include males in this study or have you ignored that aspect of your study in order to make it look like this is a problem associated mainly with females?

It isn't a shocking statistic, I have heard far worse. I might be shocked if you carried out this survey in a nursery, but where exactly did you carry out the study?

It isn't a feminist issue, i'm sure many males smoke too, but I am certain that either males or females, the actual figure is nowhere near 85%. I am not saying you did your study wrong, just that people can manipulate a study and statistics and if you carried it out on your own, it will never be a representative of a town, let alone a nation or the world.

Edit: "We have an epidemic on our hands." Maybe you're right, I know, buy a 'no-smoking' sign and pin it up on that corner tomorrow, problem solved. Your statistics do not show that 85% of young women smoke. It does show that '85% of young women on a single street corner in a single day happened to be smoking'. Location, time of day and what constitutes a young woman are factors that will dramatically change the result of that study. I could do the same study on a street corner in my town and I believe I will see a figure closer to 5%.

Edit: These aren't rhetorical questions...

Answer 6

You mean pole smoking? -- What's wrong with that?

Answer 7

Well, the same thing you do to stop young men smoking, I guess.  Graphic television ads, and disgusting pictuires on the packets.  Not that it works...

On the plus side, more people than ever are quitting- that's very good.  Usually once they hit mid to late 20's they realise just how much damage it has already done to them, and hopefully they will stop.

Answer 8

smoking is detrimental to a persons health- the choosing to smoke whether male or female is what has to be tackled through education

Answer 9

85% of young women do not smoke. Your statistics are wrong. Did you take into account the area and the class of people (low, middle, etc.) who you interviewed in your "survery"?

Location makes a difference, for example, in let's say the state of Georgia a lot of people smoke in general so the % for young women smokers would be high in that state. However, if you did a survey in let's say California where there aren't as many smokers your % of young women smokers would be significantly lower.

The class of people you asked also makes a great difference. People of lower class are more likely to smoke and people are higher class are less likely. Of course this is only generally speaking.

Also, there is nothing that we can do about those who do choose to smoke. It is a personal decision. And I personally could care less, if someone doesn't care about their health than why should I?

Answer 10

You do realize that your so called survey is unscientific and your so called statistic is shocking in how fallacious it is.  How can we help you realize not to jump to conclusions so quickly with no actual evidence.

Edit:  You don't seem to understand the whole idea that your survey is unscientific, it's not unbiased and it's not a random sample.  Therefore you can't draw any rational conclusions from it.