You are to write an essay using proper essay form, following the 6 + 1 Trait ideals. Although you should do your best writing in all areas, for the first semester, you will be evaluated primarily upon Ideas

Diagnostic Assignments
You are to write an essay using proper essay form, following the 6 + 1 Trait ideals. Although you should do your best
writing in all areas, for the first semester, you will be evaluated primarily upon Ideas, Organization, Sentence Fluency,
and Conventions. Although there is no specific length requirement, you must complete the idea of the assignment.
That should require at least 500 words, and probably will take more to do a really good job. Section 3 of this unit shows
you exactly how you will be evaluated.

If the paper is not of sufficient length for the teacher to evaluate your writing, it will not be scored!

Remember: This essay evaluates your writing; if your essay is primarily a collection of quotes of the facts
provided to you, then you have not met the requirements of the assignment.

Grade: You will get 100 Points for doing this assignment. You will get all of the possible points provided that you
submit an honest attempt at an essay that is long enough for the teacher to evaluate.

Assignment Topic
You are to support an opinion related to the use of tobacco by teens in America. On the next page of this unit, you will
find supporting facts to use in forming your argument. You will find more facts there than you really need. Part of your
assessment will be your ability to pick out the supporting facts you need and disregard the ones you don't need.
Although the sources for your facts are identified for you, you are not required to use any research paper-type
documentation for this assignment.

Make sure you hand in your essay in a word processing format your teacher can read. To be safe, you are advised to
use RTF when in doubt. The introductory materials in this course explain how to create an RTF file from any word
processing program in the world.

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# Read: Diagnostic Assignment

## Information and Facts for Diagnostic Essay

You will find the following facts useful in writing your essay. The sources for all information are identified.

From **The American Heart Association**
http://www.americanheart.org

In the United States, an estimated 25.5 million men (24.1 percent) and 21.5 million women (19.2 percent) are smokers.
These people are at higher risk of heart attack and stroke. The latest estimates for persons age 18 and older show...*

* Among non-Hispanic whites, 24.3 percent of men and 21.2 percent of women smoke (2002).
* Among non-Hispanic blacks, 25.5 percent of men and 18.3 percent of women smoke.
* Among Hispanics, 22.1 percent of men and 10.3 percent of women smoke.
* Among Asians (only), 17.5 percent of men and 6.5 percent of women smoke.
* Among American Indians/Alaska Natives, 42.0 percent of men and 37.3 percent of women smoke.
* Studies show that smoking prevalence is higher among those with 9-11 years of education (35.4 percent)
compared with those with more than 16 years of education (11.6 percent). It's highest among persons living
below the poverty level (33.3 percent).

\*National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), 2003, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for
Health Statistics

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From The American Lung Association
https://www.lung.org/quit-smoking/smoking-facts
* Cigarette smoking during childhood and adolescence produces significant health problems among young people,
including cough and phlegm production, an increase in the number and severity of respiratory illnesses, decreased
physical fitness, an unfavorable lipid profile and potential retardation in the rate of lung growth and the level of
maximum lung function. An estimated 440,000 Americans die each year from diseases caused by smoking.
* Each day, nearly 6,000 children under 18 years of age start smoking; of these, nearly 2,000 will become regular
smokers. That is almost 800,000 annually.
* It is estimated that at least 4.5 million U.S. adolescents are cigarette smokers.
* Approximately 90 percent of smokers begin smoking before the age of 21.
* If current tobacco use patterns persist, an estimated 6.4 million children will die prematurely from a smoking-
related disease.
* According to a 2001 national survey of high school students, the overall prevalence of current cigarette use was
28 percent.
* Nearly 20 percent of 12th graders, 12 percent of 10th graders and 5.5 percent of 8th graders smoke cigarettes
daily.
* Adolescents who smoke regularly can have just as hard a time quitting as long-time smokers.
* Of adolescents who have smoked at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetime, most of them report that they would like
to quit, but are not able to do so.
* Cigarette advertisements tend to emphasize youthful vigor, sexual attraction and independence themes, which
appeal to teenagers and young adults struggling with these issues.
* Tobacco use in adolescence is associated with a range of health-compromising behaviors, including being involved
in fights, carrying weapons, engaging in high-risk sexual behavior and using alcohol and other drugs.