有头脑的人的选择 TheThinkingMansChoice Contactismade.Nervesorderthehearttopumpfaster.Adrenalinsurgestoaction.Nervesconstrictthebloodvesselsintheextremitiesofthebody.Skintemperaturedrops.Fingersandtoesgrowcolder.Bloodpressurejump.Analcoholicoradopeaddictinthefirststagesofacure?Amanbeingcatapultedintoouterspace?NoTheseeffectsstemfromsmokingjustonecigarette. TheUnitedStatesPublicHealthServiceisissuingcontinualwarningstosmokers.Iftheyabstainpletelyfromsmoking,theirchancesofacquiringlungcancerwillbeonein275.Theirchancesofdyingoflungcancerwillbeonein10iftheybeeheavysmokerstwoormorepacksaday.Lungcancerisfatalin95percentofallcases. Butinspiteofglaringevidenceandfrequentwarnings,thepublicissmokingmoreandmore.TheDepartmentofAgricultureestimatesthatthisyearsconsumptionofcigaretteswillreach180packsperpersonfifteenyearsofageandover.Howmanycigarettesdoesthismeanperperson?3600. Whyissmokingsuchanimportantproblem?Becausesmokingisnotamerehabit,assomanythinkitis.No,itismoreseriousthanthat.Ahabitcanbebrokeneasilyenough,butanaddictioncannot.SmokerslapseintohelplessnessDanielSchubert,oftheUniversityofChicago,quizzed226studentsatalargeNorthwesterncollegeabouttheirsmokinghabitswhytheystarted,whatsatisfactiontheygot,andiftheywantedtostop.AccordingtoSchubert,theywantedtoquitsmoking;buttheycouldnt. Ifoneisaddictedtocigarettes,heisdependentuponthemphysically,aswellaspsychologically.Whatisit,ifitisnotaddiction,thatmotivatesamantogooutinsubzeroweathertobuyapackofcigarettes?Ifnecessary,hewilldrivetenmileslateatnighttofindanopendrugstore.Whatisit,ifitisnotaddiction,thatmakesamoocherofanotherwisecharmingyounggirl? Iwastalkingtoaprofessornotlongagowhohadjustquitsmoking.Hetoldmewhatmostofyoualreadyknowthatoncethehabitisstarted,watchoutItisnexttoimpossibletostopsmoking.Iaskedhimhowheevermanagedtoquitwhenhehadbeensmokingoverapackadayfortenyears.Listentohisstory. Well,Icutdowntoonehalfpackadayforthefirstweek. Iwastouchymostofthetime.Theslightestirritationmademynervesjangleandmyheadwanttoexplode.ThenextweekIsmokedfivecigarettesadayandhadanevenworsecaseofnerves.ThenthefollowingweekIchewedgumandsuckedonmints,candy,andpipestems.Frankly,IwasntsurefromonemomenttothenextifIcouldkeepgoing.SomehowImadeit. Manyofyouknowwhatthisprofessoristalkingabout;you,too,havetriedtobreaktheaddiction,buthavefailed.Inthefewminuteswehaveheretodaywecananalyzethemotivesattherootofoursmokingproblem. Perhapswecanassurethosewhodonotsmoke,(andIamhappyIcanstillincludemyselfinthisgroup),tonipinthebudtheurgesofthosewhoareabouttobeginsmoking,andtoencouragetocutdownthosewhoarealreadyconfirmedsmokers. Letsbeginwithgrouppressures.Weracetomaturity,togrowupallatonce.Wewantpoise,selfconfidence,andlotsoffriends;wewanttobeaccepted. Thisneedforacceptanceremindsmeofanincidentthatoccurredinacampussororityhouseduringtherushingperiodlastfall.Asororitymemberofferedarusheeacigarette.Eagertopleaseandnottoseemdifferent,thegirlblurtedoutaconfident,Oh,yes,IdloveoneTheactivestruckamatch,wascalmlyextendingittowardtherusheewhentheflusteredfreshmanmettheactivehalfwaywithcigaretteinhand.Theactivewasthunderstruck.Youcanimaginehermixedemotionswhilestrivingtostifleheramusementandatthesametimetounderstandthatthepoorrusheehadneversmokedbefore.Intheexcitementofthemomentshewasonlyconcernedwithbeingaccepted. Thenthereisthegirlwhoisseatedinagroup,notknowingwhattodowithherhands.First,sherollsandunrollsthecurlbehindherleftear;thensherummagesinherpurseforsomearticletowaveasaprop.Aninspirationflashes,andsheremembersthepackageofKentsinhercoatpocket.Whydidntshethinkofthembefore?Shealwaysdidthinkwomenwhosmokedlookedmature.Whataconvenientproptohavebroughtalong.Convenient?Yes,sophisticated?No.Yearsago,awomanwasthoughtsophisticatedifsheknewhowtosmoke.Menwereimpressed.Buttodaythepictureischanging,aseveryoneknowshowtosmokeageelevenorup.Perhapsnowthenoveltyshouldbethenonsmoker? NowIaskyou.Isawomancharmingifshecansitwithherhandsfoldedgracefullyinherlap,orisshemorecharmingwhilefidgetingwithonecigaretteafteranother?Andyoumenspecificallywhichdoyouprefertheladywhoneedsnopropstohavepoise,ortheladywhothinksacigarettemakeshermorealluringtoyou?Takeagoodlookatawomansometimewhensheisinhaling.Shedragshard,makesapuckeringnoisewithherlips,tossesherheadbackdrawingadeepbreaththenbellowsthesmokeoutlikethegustfromarocketlaunching.Shemayevengosofarastoblowsmokeringsforyou.Isshedainty?Isshefeminine? Thepowerofsuggestionisanotherstrongmotivatingfactorinourlives.Haventyouwatchedsomeoneyawnandsuddenlyfeltyourownmouthgapeopen.Youletthepowerofsuggestiongetthebestofyou;andbeforeyourealizedit,you,too,wereyawning.Now,couldntthissamepowerinduceyoutosmoke?Whynot,especiallythroughthemediumofadvertising. IamremindedofaMostlyMalarkycartoonthatIrecentlyclippedoutoftheChicagoTribune.Malarkystrolledintoadrugstore.Standingbeforethecounter,hescratchedhisheadinsilence.Finally,hemutteredtotheclerk,Iwantthethinkingmanscigarette,butIcant