Monday, March 3, 2008

Smoking survey

1. Introduction

Do you ever smoke? Do your friends smoke? Do any members of your family smoke? Should we be allowed to smoke in public place? Should we increase the price of cigarettes? Today doctors know that smoking is very bad for your health. And it causes some of the most dangerous diseases, such as lung cancer and heart disease. They still don't understand that almost everybody knows about what smoking does to their bodies and they still smoke. This is serious problem in the society because they don't just affect themselves also; they affect the people who are around them.

Some of the researchers had found "staggering health risks of smoking; are women still lighting up? Today, 25.2 percent of women ages 18 to 24 and 27.8 percent of women ages 25 to 44 smoke--and these numbers are increasing. Dr. Larry Laufman, assistant professor at the Center for Cancer Control Research of Baylor College of Medicine, attributes the prevalence of young women who smoke to the recent rise in teen smokers".

"This increase in teen smoking is particularly worrisome because CDC studies have shown most people begin to smoke as teens. In fact, 82 percent of adults who smoke (or smoked in the past) had their first cigarette by the time they were 18, and more than half had become regular smokers by that time. Furthermore, people who have not tried cigarettes by the time they graduate from college are unlikely to ever start smoking,". according to Stefanie A. Doebler, "A Smoking Gun" (1999).

2. Purpose

Our group, S. Alugeel, G. Yoo, and I, decided to find out how smokers feel about smoking. And what did they think the best solution to make people quit smoking is? I wanted to examine the relationship between gender and when people start to smoking. Also, I wanted to know the different between ages when they want to quit smoking. Moreover, I wanted to know the relationship between gender and their feeling about smoking legalization in public places.

3. Hypotheses

I had three hypotheses about smoking. First, I thought that males would say they started to smoke earlier than females. Second, I thought that females would be more likely to say that they started to smoke due to peer pressure than males. Third, I thought that increasing the price of cigarette is the best solution to make males quit smoking but it will not work with females.

4. Methods and procedures

Our group asked thirty people who are different gender and age in Carbondale to get different opinions. In addition, we decided to ask smokers because we wanted to know how smokers thought about smoking. We collect the surveys in out of the student center were the smoker’s like to spend time there. We also, decide to ask only smokers. We prepared a survey that has teen questions. Those questions are short questions, so it was easy for respondents to answer the questions.

5. Data + chart

6. Results

Actually, when we ask people we find that males start to smoke cigarette earlier than females. We find that 4 out of 15 (26%) of males start to smoke in age 11-15. And 14 out of 15 (93%) of females started to smoke in age 16-19 and 10 out of 15 (66%) of males started to smoke in age 16-19. And 1 out of 15 (6.7%) of females started to smoke in age 20-24 and 1 out of 15 (6.7%) of males started at age 20-24. Also we fined that more females start to smoke due to peer pressure than males. We find that 14 out of 15 (93%) of females and 10 out of 15 (66%) started to smoke due to peer pressure. Moreover, we asked people to find out what they think the best solution to make them quit smoking is and we found that 10 out of 15 (66%) of males and 8 out of 15 (53%) think high price is the best solution. And the same result for males and females 3 out of 15 (20%) they think that makes smoking illegal in public places is the best solution. more over 4 out of 15 (26%) of females and 2 out of 15 (13%) of males think that make smoking illegal until age 24 is a good solution.

7. Conclusion and Discussion

I believed that males would say they started to smoke before females. It was true because our survey showed that. And Stefanie A. Doebler mentioned it in their research. I think that happened because males wanted to prove that they are men they are not children. Also, males thought that smoke, will make them cool and more attractive for females. Moreover, I believed that female would start to smoke due to peer pressure more than males. However, it was not true, because our survey showed that, males would start to smoke due to peer pressure more than females. I was shocked at that fact, because I thought that females would start to smoke due to peer pressure more than males. I think that happened, because boys don’t like to say no for their friends if they asked them to tried something, because they want to proved to there friends that they are men and the don’t scared. Another think I thought that increasing the price of cigarette is the best solution to make males quit smoking but it will not work with females. And our survey showed that is true. I think that happened, because males care about money more than females do, because they are more responsible than females. I think if I will do the survey again I will ask one more questions. I want to know how smoker felt if the government of the U.S. makes it illegal to smoke and sale cigarette.

8. Reference

Doebler, S.A, (1999, September) A Smoking Gun. American Fitness. FindArticles.com. Retrieved February 20, 2008, from
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0675/is_5_17/ai_57387244

Our view on corporal punishment: to spank or not to spank

In the article ”Our view on corporal punishment: To spank or not to spank,” they talk about corporal punishment over the years, and the danger of some corporal punishment. Also, they give the best ways to punish your children without spanking them. In California sally Lieber said that they should punish the parents who use bad punishment on their children who are three years old or under, by up to a year on the jail and $ 1,000 or by requiring attending parenting classes. And the opponents said that the body punishment is violence that causes harm.

The corporal punishment for children has become from the biggest cases in the U.S. In the old days in the U.S. punishment by spanking children was very common. But it wasn't harmful. I think there are many ways to punish the children to make them change their behavior without body punishment. First, you can punish your children by not letting them watch television or do the things they like; second, by making them do a lot of housework. Third, it's a good idea to compensate your children for doing good things.

I think that punishing your children by not letting them do or have the things they like is a very good way to change your children's behavior. When you do it seriously the children like a lot of stuff and when you say no for something he will feel bad, and try to not do it again. For example, when I was seven years old my mother punished me; if I did something wrong she wouldn't let me watch the television. And I felt very bad at that time, then I started to change my behavior so she didn't punish me and I could watch the television; it is really worked with me.

Another good way for punishment is by making them do a lot of housework. The children hate it when they know that the have to do some housework, such as cleaning up the living room or doing some writing housework if they do something wrong. I remember my uncle was punishing his kids by making them write five papers from their textbook every time they did something wrong, and they hated it; they didn't want to write this mach writing. So they did what ever he wanted and they tried hard to not do anything bad; it really worked; they are very polite and good boys.

Third, there is another way that can work like magic for some children. And the way is to compensate your children. And how it works is to give your children a present or carrot if he does something good or if he didn't do something you don't like him to do. For example, you can make a chart with the day for every week, then you make circle for every day, then if your child does something wrong you put in this circle F (fails) and let him see it, then when he does something good you give him a G (good); then at the end of the week if he has more than 4 Fs, you don't give him anything but if he has G all week, or less than 2 Fs, you let him choose a present. And believe me; this will work very well with some of the children.

In conclusion, corporal punishment for children is very popular in the U.S. There are ways to punish your children without corporal punishment. First, you can punish your children by not letting him have the things he likes; second, by letting them do a lot of housework. Third, it's a good idea to give a carrot to your children when they do good things.

Reference

Our view on corporal punishment: to spank or not to spank. (2007, January 25). USA Today. Retrieved February 28, 2008, from http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2007/01/post_35.html

Raising the Drinking age

In the U.S. the legal age to drink is 21 and some people think it is not fair. They want to drink alcohol when they are 18. Many researchers have found that there are large numbers of underage people who are drinking too much. According to Ruth C. Engs (1998, para, 10); "22% of all students under 21 compared to 18% over 21 years of age are heavy drinkers. Among drinkers only, 32% of under age compared to 24% of legal age are heavy drinkers". In my opinion, the legal age has to rise to 23 or it has to be illegal. Moreover, the teenagers should not be able to drink. Why? First, alcohol may destroy your health. Secondly, the teenagers do not have a lot of responsibility.

Alcohol may destroy your health. Drinking too much alcohol may affect your health negatively. There is a positive relations between drinking alcohol and having health problems. There is lot of disease you may get if you drink too much. First, you can be addicted to alcohol or get poisoning or both, and you may die. Second, you may get stomach ulcers. Moreover, it is really bad for your body. Additionally, the problem is people do not care and still drink alcohol.

The teenagers are not responsible. When drinking alcohol is legal for teenagers, a lot of people might get injured or might die because of irresponsible teenagers. When they start to drink, they drink more than normal, because they do not care about their health or their environment; they just want to drink and do what adults do. Also, teenagers could be the reason for dangerous accidents. For example, they might drive when they are drunk, and it can put them in big trouble. Moreover, it affects their minds and their behaviors and under the effect of alcohol they may fight with someone and get hurt.

On the other hand, opponents say that the drinking age has to be less than 21. They think that 18 is the best age to start drinking alcohol. And they support their idea by saying, that 18-year-olds can get married legally. Also, 18-years-olds people can be soldier and go to the war. They think that this is unsatisfactory that 18-year-olds can be soldiers and they can get married but they can't drink alcohol. I think this idea is wrong. I mean, not all teenagers go to the war or not all of them are getting married, when they are 18 years old. Very few teenagers get married, or go to the war, but we cannot over generalize like this. On the other hand, drinking alcohol is much more fun than going to the war or getting married very early. I think drinking alcohol during the teen ages is dangerous for them, because they drink too much and they don’t care about the consequence of drinking too much.

In conclusion, In the U.S. you can drink if you are 21 or up. But not everybody is happy with that; they want to decrease the age for drinking to 18-year-olds. Many researchers have found that there are large numbers of underage people who are heavy drinkers. I think it is a good idea to raise the drinking age to 23 or more or make it illegal. And the reason the drinking age should be raised is drinking alcohol may damage your health and the teenagers are not old enough.

Reference

Engs, R. (1998, March 20). Why the drinking age should be lowered: An opinion based upon research. Applied Health Sciences, Indiana University. Retrieved February 20, 2008, from http://www.indiana.edu/~engs/articles/cqoped.html

Road Rage runs rampant in high stress U.S. society

According to Altman’s article, "Road Rage runs rampant in high stress U.S. society," the number of people who died on the highway is increased from what it was in 1997. The Congress is very worried about this growing number of road accidents. Also, he explains how is speeding one of the most common reasons for road accidents.

Moreover, he discusses the road rage problem and how some people behave in inappropriate ways, and this causes danger and accidents. Finally, he asserts that by paying fines this problem will be decreased and using the technology against this problem is an effective way to know who doesn’t fallow the the driving rules.

Road rage has become a big issue in the U.S. Road rage costs the government of the U.S. and people who live over there a lot of money. Also, the crazy driving causes a lot of car accidents and deaths over the years. Finding solutions will help to solve this problem. There are three ways to contribute to stopping the danger of driving accidents, which are educating people, controlling and supervising the road and establishing strict laws.

First, educating people is in important step that the government should care about. The government has to teach people about the danger of road rage; for example, the government shows us a short movie on television and in high school that shows some of the most dangerous car accidents. This way will make people think that they may have the same accident and that will encourage them to drive carefully. Moreover, the schools should teach the students about the dangers of crazy driving by making this problem a serious case. For example, taking the students on a trip to the hospital and letting them speak with the patients that had car accidents so they will change their thinking about crazy driving. Finally, the parents have the biggest effect on their children. The parents have to be a good example for their children while they drive. For example, when the family travels somewhere, the parents have to clarify the road rules for their children and how it is important to respect the laws such as the speed limit, the stop signs and the traffic lights.

Second, using new techniques is a good way to control and supervise the road rage. The government has to use the technology so that will help them to control people who drive fast on the road. For example, in Dubai they use advanced cameras in the road and this camera can catch people who exceed the speed limit or pass the traffic light in a very clear picture that shows the car plates. This technology works very well in Dubai and the police think that is an amazing idea because the people start to watch their speed. Furthermore, the police have to hide their cars on the highway when they try to catch the people who drive very fast. For example, there are many people who like to drive fast but when they see the police car they slow down. In this case, when the police hide, they will be able to know who drives fast. As a result, making the technology work to enforce the laws will help the police to catch who ever drives over the limit.

Third, hard punishment will make the people think a thousand times before they do something crazy. Usually American people worry about money so that will be a good punishment for people who try to break the law. For example, if you break the speed limit and the police catch you, you should pay around three hundred dollars, which is too much, so you will be more careful while you drive, because you do not want to pay the large amount of money. Moreover, jail is a good idea as a penalty. For example, in Saudi Arabia the punishment for people who pass the speed limit is spending one week in jail, and it works.

In conclusion, the people should know that the road is for everybody and it is not their own road; because of that the people should respect other people who drive in the same road. Also, the person who drives carelessly will make his life and other people's lives in danger. There are a lot of things that will make the road more safe, such as teaching people about road rage dangers, managing the road and making strict penalties.

Reference:

Altman, K. (1997, July 18). Road Rage runs rampant in high stress U.S. society. U.S. News. Retrieved January 24, 2008, from http://www.cnn.com/ US/9707/18/aggresive.driving/

Sunday, March 2, 2008

Drinking survey

1. Introduction

Do you ever go back to your home and see people who can’t stand up because they are so drunk? Do you drink? Do your friends drink or does one of your family drink? Should we allow alcohol for people under 21, like 19 or 18? Scientists find that drinking is really bad for our health. We may have serious diseases such as addiction to alcohol, and poisoning, and you may die or you may get stomach ulcers.

Drinking is a problem these days because the research has found that 22% of all students under 21, compared to 18% over 21 years old, are heavy drinkers. (Engs, 1998, para.s) Also, they have found that only 32% of under age youths compared to 24% of legal age youths are heavy drinkers. Some people think that states should raise the drinking age to 21 and this is the right thing to do. But some think that drinking age should be less than 21 the think that 18 is the best age to start to drink. Also, males and females may have a different idea abut drinking. Moreover, young people and old people may have different ideas.

2. Purpose

Our group, EAP1-A including me, decided to find out some things; first, if the females started to drink before the males, or the males started first. Second, we wanted to know at which age they started to drink alcohol. Third, what do the people think about lowering the drinking age to 18? Another thing we wanted to know was if they think much drinking is a problem in Carbondale or not.

3. Hypotheses

I had two hypotheses abut drinking alcohol. First, I thought that males start to drink alcohol before females. Second, I thought the teenagers, at age 18 and under, would want to lower the drinking age to 18 or less.

4. Methods and procedures

Each person in our group was supposed to ask 6 people who were of different genders and ages in the student center and on the S.I.U. campus to get a different opinion all respondents were probably student at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. In addition, we asked anyone we saw. We prepared a survey that had 9 Questions. Those questions were almost all yes or no questions, so it was easy for respondents to answer the questions.

5. Data + chart

6. Results

Actually, most of the people we asked said that they drink. 8 out of 12 (67%) 18-20 years old told us that they started to drink at age 18-20 years old. 32 out of 36 (88.8%) of people said that they started to drink at over 20; 20 out of 25 males (88%) drink and 19 out of 24 (79%) females drink. 3 of 25 (12%) males and 4 out of 24 (17%) females started drinking when they were 13-15 years old so the females started first . 9 of 25 males (36%) and 11 of 24 (46%) females started drinking when they were 16-18. 11 of 25 (44%) males and 6 of 24 (25%) females started drinking when they were 19-20. 4 of 12 (33%) of people who are 18-20 years old and 8 of 25 (31%) people who are over 21 said that they should lower the drinking age.

7. Conclusion and discussion

I believed that males started to drink alcohol before females. However, it was not true because our survey showed that females started to drink before males. I was shock at that fact, because I thought that males started to drink first. Also, I thought that teenagers at age 18 and under would want to lower the drinking age to 18 or less. The survey showed they were only slightly more likely to faros lowery the drinking age. This was true; 33% of people who are 18-20 said that they should lowered the drinking age, and 31% of people who are over 21 said that they should lowered the drinking age. I think the results come out as they did because, people how are 18 more likely to say yes, to lower the drinking age. They want to drink as adult and they think that they have the right to do it. They think if they can get marred and go to the war when they are 18 they can drink alcohol it is not a big deal. Moreover, 4 out of 20 (20%) of people who are 18-20 year old, and 8 out of 64 (12.5%) of people who are >20 think that too much drinking is problem in Carbondale. Which means that Engs was right about that under age are have drinker. Finally, if I will do another survey about the drinking age I will ask two more questions. I want to know how can they get alcohol when the want to drink? Also, I want to know how they feel if they make alcohol illegal in the U.S.A.

8- Reference

Engs, R. (1998, March 20). Why the drinking age should be lowered: An opinion based upon research. Applied Health Sciences, Indiana University. Retrieved February 20, 2008, from http://www.indiana.edu/~engs/articles/cqoped.html