Shoplifting

From working in retail the past few years, I have realised just how big a problem shoplifting is to companies. I never knew that shoplifting is a very regular occurence in many shops - it makes you wonder how many dishonest people there are in society. In the past, when I had heard of people stealing from shops, I thought it was quite a rare thing to happen, and that it would mainly be petty theft by youngsters. However, there are many devious thieves who don't fit the stereotype at all - middle-aged women stealing leather jackets worth £100 for example. It is not always the youth who are to blame, although stores are more wary of their presence and focus their attention on the younger people, expecting them to be the next culprits.

Personally, I think that theft of any kind is wrong - it's committing a crime against other people, because whatever store you steal from, whether it be the local corner shop or a department store, it still effects the company, and therefore the staff and their wages. The less profit made in a shop due to theft, the less bonus the staff receive, despite it being no fault of their own.

However, I do not necessarily think it is wrong for a starving person for example, to steal a loaf of bread from a shop in order to survive. If 32p worth of stolen food saves a person's life, then I do not think it is as bad as someone stealing a pair of jeans to sell on the streets to make a bit of extra money. Shoplifting is stealing, and one of the Ten Commandments is "Do not steal," and by doing so, you are breaking this. By stealing, you are sinning and living a dishonest life.

Puffing Your Way To An Early Grave...?

Personally, whilst drunk, I am a social smoker, although I do not know why, because when sober, I think it is a disgusting habit. It's also a very expensive habit, and I could not justify spending £5 on 20 little sticks that I burn in my mouth - it is quite literally setting fire to money, only affecting your health at the same time.

If people want to smoke, that's their choice, but I cannot stand it when they smoke right next to non-smokers and subject them to breathing in the air full of nicotine, as passive smoking massively increases the risk of lung cancer and heart disease. The chemicals found in cigarettes are extremely harmful, causing illnesses that can be fatal, such as cerebrovascular disease, chronic obstructive lung disease, ulcer of the stomach or duodenum, and many different forms of cancer.

Recent studies have shown that smoking can have an affect on one's IQ. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4078841.stm

It is VERY dangerous to smoke whilst pregnant, as it can cause defects to the foetus, such as growth abnormality and immune deficiencies.

However, I do think that the recent "Quit Smoking" advertisements are pretty powerful in putting their message across, and I hope that they have encouraged many people to give up the habit. Showing the harmful effects can help show the frightening reality of smoking.

Drugs

Like infidelity, taking drugs begins because of the thrill of secrecy and fear of being caught. Quite frequently, people who take drugs are those who smoke, or have smoked in the past, and the thrill of getting a nicotine rush can often start to fade, and they may want to get stronger "kicks," which can lead to experimenting with drugs.
It may begin with softer drugs like marijuana, but this can soon lead to cocaine and heroin. In order to fund such a habit, many people have to resort to acts of theft or prostitution, and this can lead to an unbreakable vicious cycle.
Taking drugs can lead to crime, poor attainment in education, thus resulting in unemployment and very often poverty. Being addicted to drugs destroys the individual's happiness, body, mind, dignity, and very often can lead them to their grave. Anyone can be a drug addict, not just the stereotypical mid-20's male living in a council flat; as soon as you start experimenting a little, you may get a taste for more, and then the drugs can take hold of your life - not all drugs are medicines, you can only be "cured" by not taking them in the first place.

Infidelity

Infidelity nowadays seems to be a fact of life. Switch on any soap opera on TV and you will find infidelity. It is a common occurence in today's society, with most people having either had first-hand experience, or knowing someone else who has been the victim of it, but it's not a new development - Albert Einstein for example was a favourite of extramarital affairs! http://news.independent.co.uk/world/science_technology/article1171410.ece
However, I don't understand WHY people just seem to accept it when they hear about people having affairs. They may be shocked when they hear of such scandal, but unless you have been cheated on yourself, or a close family member has, most people do not understand just how destructive it can be - not just for the individual, but for their children and families also.
Reading some of the articles given out in the lecture, I realised that the people who embark on an affair tend to blame their partners for one reason or another; and that affairs generally tend to occur when a couple have been married for a few years, have a couple of young children and the sex life dies down a bit. They may get sexually frustrated and so find satisfaction elsewhere, but this is a problem on the individual's behalf, not the partner's. However, many of the partners of the unfaithful feel like it was their fault they first resorted to having an affair in the first place, as they say they didn't give their partner enough attention, or that their sex drive was lacking, etc.
Personally, I could never stay with someone if they had been unfaithful to me - if they have done it once, they could do it again. You have to have total mutual trust in relationships, and if this breaks down, the relationship has ended. To live in constant paranoia that your partner is lying and cheating is not living in happiness, which is what love and marriage should be all about.