Smoking and diet in Spain

First of all, I am surprised that no one has written anything on this topic yet - probably because we have become accustomed to seeing about 30% of the population around us smoke. But I wanted to reflect on the issue of smoking for a minute, especially since it relates to my paper topic - kids and health.

Every day that I go to my internship, I pass by a "No Smoking" sign posted by the front gate of the school; five seconds later, I pass several students with their morning cigarette in hand. While it is a disturbing sight to see children puffing away, it bothers me even more that the school does nothing about it. "Why does it matter?" you might ask. "Even if the school designated its borders as a no-smoking zone, the kids would just find somewhere else to do it." This is probably true, but the bottom line is that the educational institution, as a center that works to improve the mental and physical well-being of its students, needs to send a message. By remaining silent on the issue, they reinforce rather than reject this unhealthy behavior. Furthermore, students as young as 6 have classes in the same building as the 18-year-olds; in other words, they see "the cool kids" smoking by the door when Mom or Dad drops them off at school.

During my research process, however, I have learned some interesting information regarding smoking and the Mediterranean diet. Despite the fact that so many people smoke in Spain, they have managed to avoid many health problems that Americans, who smoke less, currently suffer from. To me, this is especially significant, because when we consider that the Mediterranean diet is declining and that Spaniards continue to smoke, what will happen to their health? If people do not change their ways, one could foresee many health problems rapidly approaching for Spaniards.