Smoke of the Motherland

When the school bell rings, 15-year-old Lida Serbina and her classmates all rush out for a break. And a smoke. 

Lida [Her name has been changed to protect her identity. – Ed.] is like any other girl her age. She has long hair, wears jeans and is a bit shy when meeting new people. She wants to be a doctor when she grows up.

Lida started smoking when she was 12. The rest of her friends were doing it and she would have been an outcast if she had not, she said. Now half of her classmates smoke, Lida said. For her, smoking is a social trap.