Should Smoking be Banned? (Essay Sample)

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Should Smoking be banned?
In the modern world, people are struggling with different type’s additions most of them arising from lifestyle choices, addictions arise from continuous indulgence which leads to consequence dependence on the activities or substances of abuse. Addiction to smoking is among the most prevalent addictions in the world today as well as in the United States (US) (Kohn, 11). Tobacco smoking is ranked as the most prevalent type of smoking addictions in the US with reports from the center for disease control (CDC) showing that more than 46 million Americans aged 18 and above smoke tobacco (Kohn, 17). This signifies that a large percentage of the US population is hooked to smoking and thus implying that there is possibility of these numbers growing in future as youth below the age of 18 account to almost a third of the population (Ennis, 52). Based on the current prevalence of smoking among their elders, we can be least be assured that a significant number of youth who are currently below 18 will end up indulging in cigarette smoking. An analysis of the merits and demerit of smoking will help inform the decision as to whether smoking should be banned in the US.
Smoking has various delimits among them, adverse effects on the population. Close to 400,000 smoking related deaths occur annually in the US; this shows that smoking affects the quality of health in the US with most of these deaths arising from different smoking related health complications (Kohn, 19). People also pass time taking smoking breaks which consequently affect’s their levels of production at work and thus consequently slowing economy production and the population at large. The high cost of tobacco leaves smokers spending significant amounts of their incomes to purchase cigarettes; and thus they are left with little to cater for other essential needs (Eysenck, 29). Second hand smoke can arguably be considered as the worst threat to population as it directly contaminates the environment. Children are more affected by second hand smoke than adults due to their growth and development stages thus leading to infant deaths, and increased cases of asthma and bronchitis infections in children below the age of five (Ennis, 57).
Cigarette smoking also amounts to preventable deaths; this can be attributed to the high cases of lung cancer among cigarette smokers which is also among the leading causes of death in the US. Cigarette smoking also increases the risk of pneumonia which is equally a deadly disease if not diagnosed on time (Eysenck, 37). Smoking directly affects lungs and thus leading to increased rates of bronchitis infections among smokers. Abuse of tobacco also leads to other indirect side effects such as reduced sexual performance and increased risks to heart infections (Cox, 27). All the infections associated with smoking can be reduced with reduced abuse of tobacco; these health complications are mainly because of the various chemical substances present in cigarettes such as nicotine which lowers the body’s immunity to diseases and thus leading to preventable deaths.
Costs associated with cigarette smoking are on the rise which adversely affects the dependents of the smokers who spend parts of their incomes to purchase the cigarettes. 193 billion dollars is used annually on cigarettes in the US which shows how expensive the habit is for the users (Kohn, 21). The US government on the other hand spends 10 billion dollars annually to cover medical costs that arise from second hand smoke whereas a further 5 billion dollars is spent annually on tobacco addict rehabilitation (Kohn, 29). Cigarette smoking also affects appearance; as it has been proved to cause premature aging among the smokers. These changes in appearance are characterized by skin wrinkling mainly in hands and face, discolored teeth, stinking clothes as well as bad breathes (Cox, 32). The shift in appearance consequently lowers one’s self-esteem and may lead to isolation in places where people condemn smoking. Cigarette smoking consequently exposes smokers to higher risk of indulging into other forms of drug abuse such as smoking of marijuana, alcoholism or other narcotics such as cocaine (Eysenck, 41). Smoking can be categorized as a social buzz and thus people can influence and lure others into other hardcore drugs through such social interactions.
Smoking also adversely affects the environment and leads to destruction of property through smoking related fires. Research has shown that smokers are 7 times more likely to cause home fires as compared to non-smokers. Annual reports indicate more than 1000 lives are lost in the US due to smoking related home fires (Maysilles, 78). Smoking has also been categorized as the leading cause of wildfires in the US as careless smokers drop their lit cigarette remains to the ground or throw them out through windows while driving leading them to re-ignition by the wind. Wild fires lead to destruction of private property as well as loss of natural vegetation and wildlife; which adversely affects the environment and the economy at large due to costs of reconstruction as well as costs associated with controlling and containing of such wildfires that last for days or weeks (Maysilles, 81). Smoking also leads to increased road accidents among smokers that consequently put at risks lives of both the smoking and non-smoking road users. Research has shown that smoking drivers are at higher risk of distraction on an average of 12-13 seconds while fumbling with a cigarette as they consequently control the vehicles (Kohn, 37). Smoking while driving has been seen to cause more deaths through road accidents as compared to the use of mobile phones while driving which put the driver on an average risk of distraction of up to 10 which much less than the average duration of distraction caused by smoking (Kohn, 27). This finding can be supported by the fact that if a driver drops a cigarette on their lap, they will be more keen and urgent to trace the cigarette due to the burning effect as compared to having dropped a mobile phone.
Cigarette smoking on the contrary has benefits; among these benefits is that it constitutes to government revenue. The US government collects large amounts of revenue from tobacco tax annually. Annual tobacco tax collected has been indicated as above 43 billion dollars since 2013 (Pakko, 43). The government consequently incorporates the revenue to the national budget and thus the nation reaps from the smokers. The economy is also dependent on cigarette smoking as we have several tobacco plantations that are sources of income to the plantation owners and their employees. It is estimated that cigarette manufacturing companies in the US employ close to 14,000 workers each having an annual average compensation of up to 59,000 dollars (Pakko, 48). The US also exports cigarettes worth north of 1 billion dollars which in return earns the country foreign exchange (Pakko, 52). These foreign markets can consequently be taken by other countries if tobacco planting and manufacturing was burned in the US. Some religions associated with native Americans also use tobacco in religious ceremonies, this shows a connection between tobacco and religion which means that if we were to ban the use of tobacco in the US we would infringing on their religions practices which are provided for by the constitution and thus leading to conflicts. On the other hand, we can observe cigarette smoking as pursuit of happiness among the smokers which according to the declaration of independence, people are at liberty to pursuit happiness on condition they do not infringe on other people’s rights (Ennis, 33).
The fact the close to 47 million Americans are smokers means that if we banned smoking a majority of the smokers will be left to suffer withdrawal effects which in return will affect their health as well as their economic productivity. Some tobacco addicts have...