Mind if I smoke?

I am a 17 years old male student studying in Raffles Junior College. My family is

very poor and thus, I have to work as a waiter in a café after

school to make ends meet.

I picked up smoking from my colleague who encouraged me to try. After the first time, I got addicted and I often asked him to help me to buy cigarettes as I am underage.

However, cigarettes in Singapore are very expensive. As time passed, my parents found out I started smoking as I was no longer able to pass to my parents as much of my pay as before.

As the only child in my family, my parents had high expectations of me and they looked down on me when they found out I smoke. I no longer speak to them as I afraid that they will get angry with me easily.

My addiction worsened and I started to bring cigarettes to school and often took ‘toilet breaks’ to smoke in the toilet stall.

One day, I got caught by one of my classmates when I was smoking. He reported to the disciplinary master and I was to be expelled. However, my parents pleaded with the school to give to me a second chance and thus, I was suspended for a week instead.

News travelled in our class quickly and everyone started to isolate me. They assumed that I was part of a gang and were afraid of me. I felt very lonely as nobody would speak to me.

As I was no longer able to satisfy my addiction in school, I started to smoke the void deck. Soon, I noticed that strangers were avoiding me as well. I was seen as a bad person by everyone around me.

One day, my colleague resigned and I lost the only person I could ask for help to buy cigarettes. When I tried to go to the convenience store to buy cigarettes on my own, I was told to show my identification card, which I was unable to as I am underage.

This encouraged me to quit smoking. I struggled to quit at first, but was unsuccessful and I relived my stress by arguing with my parents and skipping classes in school instead.

Without any cigarettes to smoke, my addiction worsened and I resorted to steal. Unfortunately I got caught by the security camera. The store manager called my parents and the police to arrest me.

I was made to stay in a rehabilitation centre. I was afraid of the people around me as a lot of the people there are very rowdy.

I tried to escape many times but I was always being caught and sent back. I realised it was impossible and I gave up trying. Today, I am still in the rehabilitation centre trying to get over my addiction.

Even if I manage to quit, will people still look at me in

the same way?

THE END…

References

1) Raffles Institution, 2010. Visual Tour [online]. Available from: http://www.ri.edu.sg/ [Accessed 1 February 2012].

2) Lau, B., 31 March 2011. Best Cafes in Singapore. Singapore Food Blog. Available from: http://www.ladyironchef.com/ [Accessed 1 February 2012].

3) Winters, M., 31 May 2010. Smoking toddler highlights Indonesia's tobacco addiction. Tobacco Industry- Cigarette Smoking News. Available from: http://cheapcigaretteonline.blogspot.com/ [Accessed 2 February 2012]

4) Yellow Prison Project, 2011. Do you know? [online]. Available from: http://www.yellowribbonprisonrun.sg/ [Accessed 2 February 2012]

5) Wallpapers Galaxy. Escape from prison [online]. Wallpapers Galaxy. Available from: http://www.wallpapersgalaxy.com/ [Accessed 3 February 2012]