As the Bible verse goes, "Our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit..." 1 Corinthians 6:15-20
So, how does this verse refer to smoking?
For starters, the saying goes like this, "cigarette is dangerous to your health." But nowadays, smoking has become a way for some people to release tension, to keep them occupied when they have nothing to do, the list goes on and on.
But what people do not realize is that smoking has become a part of their life-it has become a drug that they cannot live without.
Recently, a study has been conducted on the effects of cigarettes and it has proven that data from the UK, US, Australia and New Zealand shows that around 60.3% of people had tried smoking and an estimated 68.9% of those progressed to a daily habit.
According to the study's authors, they said that the research showed the "remarkable hold" cigarettes could establish after one experience.
One just not simply try a cigarette and come back without having second thoughts about it. On the other hand, researchers said it confirmed the importance of stopping cigarette experimentation.
The meta-analysis, published in the journal 'Nicotine & Tobacco Research', was based on 215,000 respondents to eight surveys between 2000 and 2016 contained in the Global Health Data Exchange.
According to lead researcher Prof Peter Hajek from Queen Mary University of London, said it was the first time the link between trying a first cigarette and becoming a regular smoker had been documented in such a large set of data.
"We've found that the conversion rate from first-time smoker to daily smoker is surprisingly high, which helps confirm the importance of preventing cigarette experimentation in the first place," he said.
"The UK is seeing a dramatic reduction in smoking at the moment and this tallies with recent findings that only 19% of 11- to 15-year-olds have ever tried a cigarette, so the good news is that we are on the right track."
What makes smoking bad?
In 2016, 15.5% of adults from the UK smoked - about 7.6 million people - according to the Office for National Statistics, down from 19.9% in 2010.
In the same period, 19.3% of 18- to 24-year-olds were smokers, compared with 25.8% in 2010.
Not only is smoking bad for you, for it causes heart failures, faster aging, cancer, it can also affect those that are around us.
The Bible did not want us to ruin the body that God has created for us. He has planned so much for His people that He doesn't want a cigarette to ruin your life.
As Christians, we should be knowledgeable on what to do and what not to do. Not everything that is "in" is right.
And just because a lot of people are doing it, doesn't make it the right thing for you. Stand up, have your ground, do not be fooled, and do not smoke.
