Topic: Smoking
Purpose: To persuade
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"Persuasive Speech Preparation Outline".
Specific Purpose: To persuade my audience that smoking is a dangerous habit.
Thesis: My audience should stand up against smoking because smoking is very dangerous and addictive, standing up against smoking is a great way to prevent people from even starting.
Attention Step
I.) [Attention Getter] There are 8.5 million Americans who are dealing with a tobacco-related illness.
A. You can’t go to a bar, restaurant, or even mall without seeing someone outside smoking.
B. How would you feel if you had to spot throughout the day to step outside to smoke?
II.) [Credibility Statement] I know many people who smoke and I have seen first-hand the effects that it has on their lives.
Individuals who are addicted to smoking always have to plan their day around their much needed smoke breaks.
Smokers always smell of smoke and it can be overwhelming for those who do not smoke.
III.) [Topic Justification] The majority of young adults have tried smoking at least once.
Smoking is a growing issue that needs to be addressed.
It is estimated that current 42 Million people smoke in America.
IV.) [Preview Statement] I want you to leave here today wanting to put an end to smoking.
First, you should leave here understanding that smoking is a disease.
Second, you should leave here knowing the best way to put an end to smoking it to never start.
Finally, you should leave here confident that you can you influence others of the real dangers of smoking.
Transition: First, I will talk about the problem of smoking and its growing problems.
Problem Step
I.) [Statement of Problem] Smoking is a very serious disease in American and it seems to be getting worse instead of better.
A. Smokers are dependent on the habit to get through the day.
1. Many smokers increase their dependency, they can start with a few cigarettes a day and work their way up to several packs.
2. Smokers find they have to take several breaks throughout the day just to get some nicotine.
B. They also won’t stop unless they have help and a personal reason to.
1. Even when smokers are faced with health issues, many continue to smoke because it is too hard to stop.
a. Smokers can experience external effects of smoking like yellowing nails and teeth, rougher skin, and an odor.
b. Smoking can cause a raspy voice and coughing.
2. Smokers are addicted to the nicotine and their body and attitude is affected by withdraw.
II.) [Extent and Seriousness of the Problem] Statistics show that smoking is not only dangerous, it can be very deadly.
A. A significant amount of teenagers and young adults smoke or are influenced to smoke.
According to QuitSmokingSupport.Com Smoking kills over 400,000 people a year — more than one in six people in the United States (What are the Risks).
a. Americans spend over fifty billion in smoking-related health problems.
b. Smoking is considered to be more dangerous today than it was in the past because of tar and nicotine levels.
It makes smoking more lethal than AIDS, automobile accidents, homicides, suicides, drug overdoses, and fires combined (What are the Risks).
a. “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says cigarette smoking is responsible for 151,322 cancer deaths annually in the United States” (What are the Risks).
b. Of those cancer related deaths, it is estimated 116,920 are from lung cancer.
B. Becky started smoking in 1976.
1. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Becky was a teenager who an exchange student in Germany.
2. She started smoking to fit in with her host family and friends, but she found it was too difficult to quit.
a. Peer pressure is a common reason for most people who start to smoke.
b. They want to fit in with the ‘cool’ kids, so they smoke even though they normally would not have chosen to smoke.
3. At the age of 45 she was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
a. Despite her diagnosis she continued to smoke, one day she could not breathe and ended up in ICU.
b. She now lives on oxygen just to be able to smoke.
C. Smoking is a danger that could be prevented.
1. According to the American Heart Association “The highest percentage of people who smoke are between the ages of 21 and 34” (Smoking).
a. It is estimated that one-third of the deaths from coronary heart disease are credited to smoking and second hand smoke.
b. Smoking not only affects the people who choose to smoke, it affects people who are around smoke from second hand exposure.
2. “Smoking is the most preventable cause of death in the United States” (Smoking).
a. Smoking is linked to ninety percent of lung cancer in the United States.
b. On average, people who smoke typically die ten years earlier than nonsmokers.
3. Millions of people stop smoking every year. It can be done, but it will require dedication and determination to stop the addictive habit.
III.) [Audience Involvement] When I asked the class “How many of you realize that smoking is an issue?” The majority stated they realized it is an issue.
The majority of the class has also been pressured to try smoking.
However, only a small percentage felt that it was difficult to stop smoking.
Transition: Now that you understand that smoking, we will see how visuals aids in the process.
Visualization/Projection Step
I.) [Positive Visualization] You can change someone’s perception of smoking.
A. Make it a positive thing to say no to smoking.
B. If you take away the cool appeal, others will follow your lead.
II.) [Negative Visualization] The government has taken a role in addressing and preventing smoking.
A. According to Time, the commercial uses Amanda who was 30 years of age, and she gave birth to a three pound baby. (Sifferlin).
B. This clip from the commercial shows the mother standing in front of an incubator where her premature baby will spend weeks because she chose to smoke.
Transition: The following steps are what you should do to stop smoking.
Conclusion/Action Step
I.) [Summary] Today I have tried to persuade you to stand up against smoking.
A. First, I talked about the fact that smoking is a disease.
B. Second, I talked about the best way to put an end to smoking it to never start.
C. Lastly, you should feel confident that you can you influence others of the real dangers of smoking.
II.) [Action Step] Next time you see someone being pressured into smoking, do you part to discourage it.
A. First, inform the individuals of the real dangers of smoking.
B. Then reach out to smokers and offer help to get them to stop.
References
Becky’s Story. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. 20 Jan 2016. Web. 22 Apr 2016.
Sifferlin, Alexandra. The Government’s Super Scary New Anti-Smoking Campaign. Time. 24 Jun 2014. Web. 23 Apr 2016.
Smoking: Do you really know the risks? American Heart Association. 2016. Web. 23 Apr 2016.
What Are the Risks of Cigarette Smoking. QuitSmokingSupport.Com. 2016. Web. 23 Apr 2016.
Audience Analysis
How many of you realize that smoking is an issue?
How many of you have been pressured to try smoking?
Why do you think people start smoking?
Do you think it is hard to stop smoking?
What is appealing about smoking?
What can we do to stop others from smoking?
Enthymemes
Hypothetical
Major Premise: If we don’t take a social stand against smoking, more people will become victims of smoking.
Minor Premise: Amanda (the character in the commercial) continued to smoke and her baby suffered from it.
Conclusion: Amanda did not think about the consequences of smoking and she gave birth to a three pound baby.
Test: The two conditions are causally related and the minor premise affirms the antecedent.
Categorical
Major Premise: Society has a responsibility to do their part in ending smoking.
Minor Premise: My audience has all been exposed to smokers.
Conclusion: My audience has the possibility to see the dangers of smoking and do something about it.
Tests:
Yes, only three terms appear; they are in the right place
Group term: Anyone who is exposed to smoking
Claim: They have the opportunity to influence people to never start or to quit.
Specific term: My audience
Yes, each term is only used twice
Yes, the middle term is applied universally
Yes, the middle term is used again in the minor premise
Yes, at least one of the premises is affirmative
The minor premise is affirmative
Emotional/Motive Appeals
1. I used statistics of the danger of smoking as an emotional appeal to my audience. The statistics shows the real consequences that come with smoking.
2. I also appealed to the audience’s emotion with the attention getter that makes it personal to the audience. Smoking is a real issue with young people and the motivation is to never start smoking in the first place.
Stylistic Devices
1. Metaphor: Smoking is addictive, one cigarette turns into a costly lifestyle habit.
2. Personification: A smoker feels that the potential dangers will never happen to them and that they can quit smoking whenever they want.
