Should Cigarettes Be Banned in the U.S.? Tobacco has been around in the world for over 2.5 million years. It was not until a few hundred years ago when the tobacco industry decided to put these crops into use and conjure up tobacco products for the community. A popular tobacco product in society is cigarettes, as they are cheap and simple to use. As long as one is over eighteen, acquiring cigarettes is a straightforward process for a reasonable price, albeit the sin tax. It was not until recently when cigarettes became widely controversial due to the plant containing nicotine, an addictive drug to the body. Aside from containing nicotine and other hazardous chemicals to the body, cigarettes also cause a whole host of health implications …show more content…
For example, obesity affects approximately one-third of the population in the U.S. Obesity also causes many health implications such as heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and so on, similar to cigarettes. Foods that cause obesity could also contain addictive ingredients such as MSG, sugar, fat, and salt. These foods can be wrapped into one category: junk food. Since junk food causes health implications and hold addictive traits, then by logic, junk food must also be banned. This is not the case, however. Cigarettes indeed are a major factor in causing health complications to people. However, this is common knowledge everyone is aware of. It does not give people the rights to strip away cigarettes only because it causes cancer. Since junk food is a major factor to obesity, it does not mean junk food should be banned. In both situations, people free willingly decide to smoke or consume junk food. Another reason people would want to ban cigarettes is the effects of second hand smoking and the dangers. According to the University of Minnesota, there are two types of smoke emitted from cigarettes: mainstream and sidestream smoke. Mainstream smoke is the type that is exhaled by smokers. Sidestream smoke is the one burning off at the end of a cigarette. The type that second hand smoking recipients
Tobacco is the leading cause of illness and death in the United States. Tobacco companies should be banned. In other words, tobacco companies hire people who are ill of smoking tobacco and their illness gets into the product, most tobacco companies have lawsuits on ill consumers, and some factories that make tobacco were well aware that their product was lethal but hid it from the public.
Tobacco has been around in the world for over 2.5 million years. It was not until a few hundred years ago when the tobacco industry decided to put these crops into use and conjure up tobacco products for the community. A popular tobacco product in society is cigarettes, as they are cheap and simple to use. As long as one is over eighteen, acquiring cigarettes is a straightforward process for a reasonable price, albeit the sin tax. It was not until recently when cigarettes became widely controversial due to the plant containing nicotine, an addictive drug to the body. Aside from containing nicotine and other hazardous chemicals to the body, cigarettes also cause a whole host of health implications to the user and the people around him or
Tobacco products have been used for chewing and smoking in the North American continent for over a thousand years. Tobacco products have been a part of United Stated history since its colonization. However, although tobacco products have been used for centuries there have been studies done in more recent years that have linked tobacco products to widespread health problems. This has caused controversy in the world today on whether or not tobacco products should be banned in this country. There are many people in favor of keeping tobacco products in production due to monetary concerns. Conversely, there are many people very concerned with the health problems associated with tobacco products. Therefore, one must interpret for themselves if the production, sale, and use of tobacco products is something that is harmful to society and should be banned for its betterment, or something that is helpful to society and not worth getting rid of.
To begin with, the first possible explanation for tightening anti-tobacco policies is that tobacco use has a detrimental effect on the users individually. In fact, the smokers jeopardize themselves by absorbing poisonous substances, which are active when ones are smoking. For instance, the chemicals in cigarettes include some in removers such as acetic acid and arsenic. The former is used to remove nail polish and hair dye, whereas the latter can be found in rat poison. Furthermore, methanol, tar and carbon monoxide, which are usually in vehicles’ released fumes, will be active in the smoker’s windpipe and lungs while he or she smokes. It is ironic, but literally the people who smoke are fumigating their respiratory system. Due to such poisonous chemicals, having a regular smoking habit will run higher risks of circulatory, respiratory and mental diseases.
Some effects include increased risk of: coronary heart disease, stroke, death by chronic obstructive lung diseases, innumerable types of cancer, etc. (Disease Control and Prevention, 2013) The chemicals used in tobacco products are deadly, and are responsible for one in every five deaths in the United States. Tobacco products have been proven time and time again to cause devastating health effects, and even loss of the individual’s life, yet people still continue to purchase and use tobacco products. Proper warnings are posted with the Surgeon General’s approval on every tobacco product package that is marketed to the public. Tobacco products are one of the most addictive substances in the world, which is why people may disregard health warnings, and choose to continue to use tobacco products against the Surgeon General’s warning. The chemical nicotine in tobacco products is the primary cause of the strong addiction to the products.
Cigarettes does not only affect the person smoking, it can affect the people around them also. Cigarettes contain a lot of chemicals that are harmful to humans: “Phenolic compounds are toxic to humans when consumed; for example, ingesting 1 g of phenol has been reported to be lethal and causes muscle weakness and tremors, paralysis, loss of coordination, convulsions and coma” (Pistonesi et al . 2006). People should be able to go places without having to ingest something that can be harmful to them. Some people may already have health problems such as asthma and the smoke can be very dangerous for them to intake cigarette smoke. It could also affect an unborn baby. For example, if a pregnant woman works at a place that allows smoking and inhales cigarette smoke constantly, it could be harmful to her baby and cause permanent damage. A study conducted in Ahmedabad, India to compare secondhand smoke in public place before and after a smoking ban concluded that, “ SHS exposure was significantly reduced overall in public places after enactment of the smoke- free legislation” (Jingyan et al. 31). This shows that people were exposed to
One person dies every six minutes due to a tobacco related disease, which results in a shocking amount of ten deaths per minute. Tobacco is one of the most heavily used addictive products in the United States. Tobacco contains over 4,000 chemicals; approximately 250 are dangerously harmful to humans. Nicotine is the main ingredient in tobacco that causes addiction. Nicotine activates the parts of the brain that control feelings and pleasure. It only takes minutes for the effects of nicotine to disappear causing the smoker to take another puff to keep feeling good. Cigarette smoking is held accountable for one in every three cancer deaths. (Junior Scholastic, 2006) Smoking should be banned due to the many negative and dangerous consequences such as second hand smoke related illness, health risk to the user, and the waste of money.
Smoking has many risk factors that can affect individuals lives forever even if they have never put a cigarette in their mouth. Banning cigarettes would be a positive move for society to keep people safe. Firstly, cigarette smoking leads to serious health problems that can impact one’s life forever. Secondly, second-hand smoke can affect children and the rest of the population and can harm their health. Lastly, cigarettes are expensive and are a financial burden on families that are in poverty. Smoking has many life-threatening and financial consequences that are impacting millions of individuals, which can be eliminated if smoking cigarettes became banned.
Smoking is an expensive habit. People who smoke cigarettes can spend as much as $2,500 a year on them (Singletary). Smoking is a practice in which a substance, most commonly tobacco or cannabis, is burned and the smoke is tasted or inhaled. The most common method of smoking today is through cigarettes. Cigarettes remain primarily industrially manufactured, but they can be hand-rolled from loose tobacco and paper. Today we are more aware on how bad smoking is for our well-being. Smoking causes health problems, negative effects on physical appearance, and reduces athletic performance. Smoking should be banned because it has been revealed to be harmful to the human body.
From here on out cigarettes should be banned globally, because accordingly to scientists they cause cancers and these are very long-term damages that can lead to death. Cigarettes only harm human bodies, as students, teenagers, adults, and even elders are peer pressured and develop this bad addiction. This should no longer be an acceptable environment for humankind because it is misleading and overrated and shows easily why cigarettes should be banned.
Should there be a ban on cigarette smoking in the United States? Since cigarettes were introduced to Americans, questions have been raised concerning the legality of smoking and if it should be allowed everyone, in public places, or not at all. Recently, with the increase knowledge in cost and healthcare, the controversy with cigarette smoking has significantly risen. Across the country, states have banned smoking in public areas and inside buildings. Some citizens agree with the new laws, while others feel it is a violation of rights. Continuing to ban cigarettes in public areas and buildings, but allowing smoking in designated areas, such as personal vehicles and homes, is a
Today people are debating on whether or not we should ban tobacco products. Productions and sales of tobacco need to be banned because they only cause harm. The text states,” Cigarette smoking is responsible for more than 480,000 deaths per year”(U.S. department of health and human services ). This illustrates that thousands of people die each year from smoking. Tobacco products should be banned because it causes addiction, health problems, and harms others.
Cigarette smoking is one of the biggest habits in the world at present. More than 16 million people already have at least one disease from smoking. (CDC,2015) Cigarette smoking is estimated to lead to 4.9 premature deaths per year, with this number predicted to rise to a shocking 10 million by 2020. (Novartis Foundation,2009) Cigarette smoking is a detrimental habit which leads to Cancer, heart disease and COPD. (Novartis Foundation,2009) I believe in order to improve the health of citizens and increase the population, cigarette smoking should be banned.
The next reason is the effect of secondhand smoke. Smokers know that they are putting others’ health and lives in danger, but they continue to smoke. Smoking around people impacts their health as well. Sometimes, these conditions can be even worse than those of the smokers themselves. There is no justice in that. E. Desapriya states, “Recent reports from the US surgeon general show that more than 126 million people are exposed to secondhand smoke every day in the United States, with nearly 22 million of these persons being children” (1158). This proves that eople who smoke not only affect themselves but they also affect those around them because of their habit. It’s time for smokers to understand the risks they put everyone in and take responsibility for it. Smokers argue that their rights are being overstepped if there would be a ban on smoking, but non-smokers also have rights. They have the right to clean, fresh air to breathe. India has implemented a ban on public smoking. It has become mandatory to have no smoking zones in all restaurants and recreational centers. Kirsten Bell describes, “Having conquered the city’s indoor spaces, tobacco control advocates have also pushed for the expansion of smokefree legislation into outdoor environs” (105). Bell is explaining that Canada is also a country that has adopted a smoke-free environment for outdoors. This ban may seem like it is affecting
The smoking population in London stands around 1.2 million and with such a significant percentage of this city with the habit, it is unsurprising the ban has caused such wide controversy. Without hesitation, I add my voice to the chorus of non-smokers who think this ban goes too far. However, I am not saying that smoking is in any way good as I am extremely aware of the gruesome health risks and unattractive photos of black lungs and lopsided livers that litter the media. I just ask of you Britain; can’t you be content with how far we have come? We have banned Tobacco advertising and sponsorship, banned smoking in public places like bars and pubs and banned tobacco vending machines. Isn’t that enough?