Dear Me Letters
dear me
i have wanted to quit for a long time i have been smoking for over 30 yrs. i keep saying i want to see my precious granddaughter growup. please i need help i have tried things too but its hard and i really want to quit so bad.
marita, spokane wa
I am ready to quit. I will visualize myself as a non-smoker. Freedom is the goal. Let e go. Let me go. Let me go.
Michael, Vancouver,WA
Dear Me,
You have a beautiful daughter that means the world to you. Dont you want to be able to give her the childhood that you didnt have? Being able to play outside with her without having to take breaks to smoke or because you are out of breath. Dont you want her to not smoke, she is more likely to smoke if you do. At three she already pretends to smoke and you tell her not to do that because its bad. You endangered her life, and her health smoking for five months into your pregnancy you only quit because the midwife told you she wasnt gaining enough weight. Being a teen mom was not an excuse to that, nothing was, that was wrong of you. God forbid she have any medical condition you would have to blame yourself and live with that guilt. You want to quit you cant afford your addiction but it always comes first. Your mother smoked around you in the house and car your whole life and then youve been smoking for 7 years dont you think its time to call it quits? Your 21 and you can barely breathe at night, your chest always feels tight and you cant run after your daughter. Its the most idiotic thing to do to yourself, why spend so much money killing yourself, you are so scared of everything but it dosent scare you to smoke, because you cannot see what it is doing to your insides. You need quit to be there for your family
Christine, Tacoma, WA
Letter to child
Communication
Dear child,
Before you continue to smoke please think about how this will dramatically have a negative effect on your future. In the 1950s and 60s cigarettes were advertised as having no significant effect on your body. Doctors were also involved, telling people that they could not find evidence of harmful affects on the body. They would say “if you do not over-do it smoking can be ok for you,” this is a LIE. The cigarette industry simply wants your money and your life commitment to their brand.
Cigarette brands such as Camel and Marlboro have been advertising their brands for a long time. In the past the cigarette brand Camel for example, claimed that their cigarettes would agree with your throat and would be the tastiest brand around. An American icon like John Wayne, who was a famous actor of the 50s, was frequently featured in their campaigns. The iconic rugged cowboy claimed these cigarettes were the greatest, but he forgot to mention how many Americans died from cigarettes each day.
Unfortunately, cartoons even help to promote cigarette brands now and in the past. The Flintstones, helped to promote Winston. Winston claimed to pick out “special” tobacco and “tasted good like a cigarette should.”
Culture also plays a big role in the cigarette industry. Commercials show parties, cartoons, or hip young people smoking in order to get your attention. The last thing they care about is you. The scam is to make money. Even famous actors and actresses of each time period are featured smoking the cigarette brand they promote making them appealing to you. Don’t fall for it. Just because they promote it doesn’t always mean they actually smoke it!
How about Wayne Mclaren the famous Marlboro man, do you know how he died? He passed away from lung cancer.
In the 1960s cigarette advertising took up most of the advertising campaigns on television. In 2006, as people started to become aware of the side effects, for the first time not a single tobacco company was among the top 100 ad spenders.
Tobacco kills people more than any other drug. Every single day someone else dies from cigarettes. Children lose their parents while parents lose their children. I do not want to lose you to something that you have the ability to say no to.
What about high school, college, the rest of your life? Cigarette companies want and are hooking you at this age for a reason. The reason is that you will be a companion to their brand for LIFE. They advertise specifically to young adults.
Did you know that after only a few years of heavily smoking your lungs turn black, your teeth turn yellow, you have breathing issues, and you will constantly smell like smoke? Another factor is money. Why do you think every week the price of cigarettes are skyrocketing? It is because they are trying to make people realize how bad smoking actually is. In the past cigarettes were not required to put surgeon generals warnings on the box, now they have to. This has lead to an increased awareness of the negative effects of cigarettes allowing people to have more motivation to quit!
Smoking is not just bad for you but your friends and family as well. Second hand smoke kills people and puts them in harms way. Did you even stop to think about the time when you want to have children? Don’t you want to be there when they grow up?
Stephanie , Cranston, RI
Dear me smoking has caused me so much illness yet i still do it i have decided that i would like to live a alot longer i just became a grandmother and i want to be there for her and maybe there will be more my boyfriend says at night i sound like something he can not explain its all the different breathing noises i make i have wanted to quitfor some time now and i really dont understand why icant i have been in the hospital time after time but i have made my choice and i want to live for as long as the lord is willing,,Sincerly me
Deborah, Tampa. FL
dear me,
you are about to be 21 and still have your whole life a head of you. you have been smoking for 7 years to long and it is tme for you to quit. stayin up at night with constent heart and chest pain is slowly killing you more then ever and i can stand it any longer. everybody in your family smokes your mom, dad brothers sisters, and it is time to make a differnce STOP being like everbody else, STOP making excues for your self, and STOP saying you will stop and do something about it you have a newphew a neice and another new neice that hasnt even got to know u yet. you need to be there for them and teach them things that an aunts hould love them and teach them the bad things can help them later in life. you even seen one of your friends slowly killer her self by smoking and you sshould think to your self that can be you if you dont stop. it hurt you so bad and i know that. BUT just tthink how much your family would fell if that was you. there is so many people out there that loves you but not that haabit that you do
so please justn rember that there is people out there that will help you and support you no matter what you choose. you have brothers, sisters, neices and nephew that needs and miss you lke crazy if anything happen to you
so just stop if not for you then for your mom, dad, sisters brothers neices nephew for your kids and grand-kids in the future.
you have so much to ofer in the world and the world needs you more then ever :)
cecelia , wenatchee, washington
Dear me, You are 16 years old. you have been smoking for only a year. it shouldnt be so hard for you to stop. you dont need a crutch, you can stop if you set your mind to it. You have tried once before and failed. But you can do it. You dont want to get lung cancer. It terrifies you. So why are you smoking? Its time to quit. You can do it!!! You have a 6 year old brother that wants you around a long time so you can play with him and do things with him. And if you stop smoking you can have the money to do more, with him and your family. So which is it? Do you want to live longer, breathe better, watch your little brother and cousins grow up? Or do u want to get cancer and die? I think the answer is very obvious. SO STOP ALREADY!!! Love Me.
Kelsey, Marion, NC
Dear Me,
It is time to quit. Ten years is enough. You are too young. Too pretty. Too bright. Your smile is too beautiful. You are too unique to be a smoker. Too wonderful to die of a preventable disease. You are the best mom to your child, and he deserves to have you around for a long time. Quit already.
You miss the pavement. You miss running and sweating. Your feet hitting the ground in perfect rhythem, the sunon your shoulders. You miss that freedom. You miss climbing up a flight of stairs without losing your breath. You miss yourself. The self that was not controlled by urges. Triggers. You miss the strong self, with the world, and a long life ahead of her. Quit alredy.
You miss smelling clean. You miss an ash free dashboard. You miss your money. To the tune of 2,340 dollars a year. You miss being warm when it is freezing cold outside. You miss the company of your friends and family when you sneak away to smoke. Quit already.
Smoking is not your friend. Yes, your cigarettes are always there for you, no matter what. When you are happy. When you are sad. When you are bored. When you have been drinking. But they have already sabatoged your body. Do not let them kill you. Do not let them take the rest of you.
Morgan, you deserve a long life. A beatiful life. A smoke free life. So does Dylan. And yes, the pavement misses you too.
Morgan, Snohomish, WA
Dear Me,
You are going to die if you don’t quit smoking! You can’t breathe and you HATE being controlled! It controls your life and keeps you from playing since you can’t breathe! You want to hike, play with your hula hoop, do things to push your body & have fun but "breathing" is important.. duh! Then, you have to take a freaking smoke break every 30 minutes!
You always say “tie me to a tree and brush the pine needles away so I don’t smoke em” but in reality, you can’t literally have someone tie you to a tree!
Just take the time off, spend some of that stash you refuse to spend as if it were the last money on earth and rent that cabin in BFE…
Sounds simple.. errr I am actually out of smokes this moment!
Figure it out Lady… Find a way!
42 do or die, Kitsap
Dear Lisa.
Ah...another Monday, and quiting smoking has yet to become a reality. I am mad at you! You said you would do it, could do it..but you still havent! Why is it so hard to do this? I love smoking but I am coming to hate it too.
The money, energy, and time wasted on smoking. All of these things I am afraid to give up??? For what? If only I could realize that quiting smoking is NOT the end of the world, it is only the begining of a cleaner, healthier, brighter future. So when am I going to finally do it???? Hopefully after this pack.
Lisa, Federal Way, WA
