# data[].attributes.body
Alisha - Photographer, Photo Editor, Presenter, Narrative
Britt - Photographer, Padlet Designer, Narrative
Holly - Photographer, Team Leader, Presentation Writer, Narrative, Presenter
Jess - Photographer, Narrative, Researcher, Presenter
Karla - Photographer, Narrative, Researcher
Maddy - Photographer, Researcher, Narrative

# data[].attributes.headline
Introduction - Background and Context Reflection

# data[].attributes.subject
Introduction - Background and Context Reflection

# data[].attributes.body
Our group workshopped our topic of health to focus on how health has different dimensions through society and thus, we decided on the focus theme of smoking, a daily dangerous addictive habit that affects the individuals health, the community's health, the health of the environment surrounding society and the reflects the unhealthy ideals, culture and addiction of a damaging pastime. Individually, our group captured images to reflect all of these notions to amalgamate our argument of how smoking demonstrates a negative societal health issue in today's society. We then came together to select which images fitted best, edited the chosen photos to bring out the colour contrasts, bringing visual emphasis to the smoking phenomenon.

# data[].attributes.headline
Hauntingly Beautiful? Or Just Plain Haunting?

# data[].attributes.subject
Hauntingly Beautiful? Or Just Plain Haunting?

# data[].attributes.body
Smoking was first depicted in paintings and artworks as early as the 9th century. However, it was not until their mass production that propaganda campaigns worked to promote the aura of mystery and beauty that we now connote to cigarettes. However, with a tobacco related death occurring every 20 minutes in Australia, we have to wonder is smoking hauntingly beautiful or just plain haunting?

# data[].attributes.body
Somebody once told me that shooting stars were just angels flicking ash from their cigarettes. As I watched the sky in awe, I lit my first cigarette and the rings of smoke that billowed around me, were my own personal angel wings. Yet, as a generation entranced by this romanticism, we forget that the angels are immune to the horrors that smoking brings. They will never feel their loved ones slip away from them as 14,900 Australians do annually. They will never feel their teeth turn brown and their insides blacken. Yet we remain; holding onto cigarettes with more vigour than we hold onto life, because nobody ever told us that praying on shooting stars was a death wish.

Reference:
Cancer Council Australia. (2018). A brief history of tobacco smoking in Australia. Retrieved from Tabacco In Australia: http://www.tobaccoinaustralia.org.au/chapter-1-prevalence/1-1-a-brief-history-of-tobacco-smoking-in-australi

Victorian Government . (2016). Smoking Statistics. Retrieved from Better Health Channel : https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/smoking-statistics?viewAsPdf=true

# data[].attributes.body
The health deficits directly related to smoking are presented everywhere in society to the point where the packaging of cigarettes blatantly advise of the cancer risks, accompanied by grotesque images. Despite this, smoking has become normalised to the point where it is seen everywhere in society such as public benches and is still engaged with.

# data[].attributes.body
While it is not uncommon to see litter scattered around public areas such as train stations, an image that has become a daily background feature in our lives is cigarettes. People witness it everywhere and are constantly reminded it is hazardous to engage with to the point a blatant capitalized sentence saying this drug form will cause cancer and despite all the advertising and media coverage about it, it is still not enough. When society becomes this accustomed to smoking, there is a underlying message it sends to the public that it is okay to disregard your own health and accept the consequences you bring about.

# data[].attributes.body
Smoking, the leading cause of preventable death in Australia, is responsible for about 85% of lung cancers and many other disease, including many types of cancer, lung disease, and heart and blood vessel disease. As depicted in this photograph, your life is in the line with every cigarette you choose to smoke.

# data[].attributes.body
Many of the 7,000 chemicals in tobacco smoke are chemically active and trigger profound and potentially fatal changes in the body. This addiction and constant pattern of inhaling and exhaling the nicotine and many different toxic chemicals is one of Australia’s leading causes of poor long-term health often resulting in issues like lung cancer, many other types of cancer and diseases, heart and blood vessel disease and basically harming nearly every organ in the body. Every cigarette you chose to smoke is crucial to your future. It has been predicted that regularly smoking 20 cigarettes a day can shave approximately 10 years off your life expectancy.
Reference:

Hughes, I. (2014) How much life do you lose every time you smoke a cigarette or take illegal drugs? Retrieved from: https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/technology-science/technology/how-much-life-you-lose-4437754

# data[].attributes.body
Second-hand smoke effects many non-smokers in our society. These harmful chemicals and nicotine that smokers inhale and exhale are easily spread into the world, resulting in an elevated risk of developing diseases and other health issues for non-smokers. Even though it’s someone’s choice to smoke, it’s not someone else’s choice to breath it in.

# data[].attributes.body
Although there are many signs the prevent smoking in specific areas, and despite the high percentage of non-smokers in our society, some people continue to smoke and expose others to these toxic chemicals through second hand smoke. Second hand smoking, or also known as passive smoking or involuntary smoking effects many non-smokers of all ages in our society on a daily basis. The more second-hand smoke a non-smoker breathes in, the higher the levels of these harmful chemicals in their body. Other than the general public, young children, mainly with parents who smoke, are the most vulnerable to these major health issues from second-hand smoke. Studies show that children whose parents smoke are more likely to get sick more often, have more lung and ear infections and can even develop asthmatic and respiratory problems. Even though it’s someone’s choice to smoke, it’s not someone else’s choice to breath it in.

Reference:
Australian Government. (2012) Second-hand Smoking: Impacting those around you. Retrieved from: http://www.quitnow.gov.au/internet/quitnow/publishing.nsf/Content/impacting-those-around-you

# data[].attributes.body
There is a huge focus on keeping the environment healthy and yet people regardless leave heaps of cigarette remains anywhere, becoming an eyesore and damaging the environment. This image captures the physical border between green grass of the city botanical garden ends and where the heaps of cigarettes begin, evident of a number of people damaging themselves and the world around.

# data[].attributes.body
Society strongly encourages helping the natural environment by picking up pieces of rubbish and other litter, however it is rare to see an individual picking up cigarette stubs from the ground - the majority of people will disregard them on the ground, considering them dirty and unhygienic - despite the fact we put them in our mouths in the first place. Not only is the image of the heap of cigarette stubs an obvious depiction of a huge number of people discarding them in an unclean way, it is a representation of how smokers transfer their toxic fumes and unhealthy waste to the world around them and other people will ignore them for the sake of their own health because of the strong association drilled into the world cigarettes are something to be disgusted by. When we begin to pattern our thinking to believe that if something if on the ground it is unhealthy, we associate people such as the homeless that live on the dirty streets society creates and can distance ourselves from that aspect if we simply ignore what’s below eye level.

# data[].attributes.body
It’s evident that cigarettes are all the hype for young adults. Acting as an exciting new form of social interaction, adolescents feel the need to engage in smoking in order to conform to what their peers are doing.

# data[].attributes.body
A report compiled by Scollo and Winstanley (2017) found that majority of Australian adult cigarette smokers begin in their adolescent years. The study also found that in 2014, 13% of males and 11% of females aged 17-years were current smokers. It is therefore evident that smoking is currently prevalent in the Australian adolescent population. One contributing factor to this statistic is the portrayal of cigarette use in youth culture. Teenagers are known to take risks in order to pursue new experiences, therefore placing smoking on the top of their to do lists. It can also be observed that smoking is used as a form of social interaction for teenagers and is still considered as something that the ‘popular kids’ do. This therefore pressures young adults to take up the habit in order to conform to their peers.

Reference:
Scollo, M., & Winstanley, M. (2017). Tobacco in Australia: Facts and issues (Chapter 1). Melbourne: Cancer Council Australia. Retrieved from http://www.tobaccoinaustralia.org.au/chapter-1-prevalence/1-6-prevalence-of-smoking-teenagers

# data[].attributes.body
Cigarettes bring buzz and relaxation to many lives but also the risk of addiction as it creates constant urge to smoke that controls your life. This picture depicts the repeated routine of a young lady enjoying her compulsory daily relaxation, inhaling puffs of smoke.

# data[].attributes.body
Addictions are a real thing, all it takes is one puff of nicotine. An alarming 26% of youth report signs of loss of control over continued smoking after 3 to 4 cigarettes, rising to 44% after 5 to 9 cigarettes.This drug changes the brain improving moods and concentration whilst decreasing stress and anger. Adults believe they need their daily smoke to be happy. They’re wrong. They’ve trained themself so well that they think they depend on this cycle. They’ve experienced happiness before smoke, they can experience that again.

Reference:
Polito, J.R. (2010). Addiction to Smoking Nicotine a Mental Illness. Retrieved from http://whyquit.com/pr/041210.html

# data[].attributes.body
Stricter laws and regulations have been implemented to prohibit cigarette smoking in public places. As palliative care is an approach associated with life-threatening illness, this photo exhibits an unsettling contrast; a "no smoking" sign outside of a facility that potentially provides treatment for terminal diseases associated with tobacco usage.

# data[].attributes.body
Smoking is the leading preventable cause of death and disease in Australia, with a tobacco-related death occurring every 28 minutes. Lifetime smokers face increased risks of coronary artery disease and stroke, tobacco smoke contains over 60 chemicals that are known to cause cancer, and life-threatening lung diseases including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or emphysema, are most commonly caused by tobacco smoking. Whether it be heart disease, cancer, or chronic lung disease, smoking can be directly responsible for increased risk in each illness, with more deaths being associated with tobacco usage than that of alcohol or illicit drugs in almost every age group. While these illnesses are daunting, quitting smoking can dramatically reduce risk of potentially lethal health problems, highlighting the importance of fighting the urge rather than lighting it.

References:
Australian Government Department of Health. (2012, May 30). Smoking - A Leading Cause of Death. Retrieved from Quit Now: http://www.quitnow.gov.au/internet/quitnow/publishing.nsf/content/warnings-graph

Department of Health & Human Services. (2016, August). Smoking - effects on your body. Retrieved from Better Health Channel: https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/smoking-effects-on-your-body