The EE Sampler - Jefferson County Public Schools

Liz Gramiak
to as “fussy” and one that “could never sit still”. In school I was the same way. I had a hard time
focusing on schoolwork, and I acted before thinking about the consequences. I was also a very
shy child. I was always nervous and worried about almost everything. These symptoms are
related to exposure to cigarette smoke. So, sometimes I wonder if these problems may have been
caused by my being exposed to smoke. While cigarette smoke has made me sick physically and
mentally, it has hurt me the most emotionally.
I have lost two people to the effects of cigarettes. My mother’s father smoked most of his
life. He exposed his entire family to second-hand smoke. It may not have been known at the time
that cigarette smoke was dangerous, and that may be why he did not see the need to stop
smoking. Nonetheless, my Uncle Albert died as a young infant of SIDS (a phenomena called
sudden infant death syndrome). My mother suffered from a mild form of dyslexia (a learning
disorder where people mix up letters and numbers in their minds) while growing up. She later
was diagnosed with breast cancer. All of my aunts (as well as my mother) are now (or have
been) smokers themselves (one of which was recently diagnosed with cervical cancer, and one of
which has a heart problem). All of these problems may have been related to their exposure to
cigarette smoke.
Aside from the emotional pain caused by the many health problems of those whom I
love, I also suffer every day from cigarette smoke’s negative effects. One day I was waiting at a
stoplight while on my way home when I noticed a car pull up next to me. The driver and the
person in the passenger seat were both smoking cigarettes. They had their windows rolled up,
and smoke was everywhere in the car. A little baby was sitting in the back seat. All I could think
of was how awful a scene it was. That poor baby was being exposed to something that could
cause many problems later in life. It hurt my heart to think that he could be harmed by people
who were supposed to protect him. I see examples such as this one everywhere, and it always
hurts me to see it.
I am a second-hand smoker. Not by choice, but by the fact that I live under a cloud of
cigarette smoke. This thing which I can’t control has made me sick. It has hurt me physically by
giving me breathing problems. It has hurt me mentally by taking away my sense of control and
leaving me with panic and nervousness. Finally it has hurt me emotionally by hurting the people
I love, and by attacking those too innocent and weak to protect themselves.
12