Final Copy Essay Week 12



Cigarette Smoking And Other Tobacco Products Shall Be Outlawed

Tamica Steward-Smith

Cigarette Smoking And Other Tobacco Products Shall Be Outlawed

Introduction

Smoking is the primary source of tobacco consumption. Smoking refers to the inhaling tobacco through cigarettes, cigars and other tobacco products. Tobacco consumption can have many direct and indirect disadvantages and advantages. However, the disadvantages surpass the advantages for those who consume or are in proximity to those who consume it. The effects on the use of tobacco and smoking are known by most who consume it, however, the persistence and use of cigarettes especially do not suffer decline. Tobacco is by large blamed for taking lives, causing grave diseases, and harming the environment. It is also noted that smoking is an expensive habit and those who purchase it are in reality buying a slow death for themselves. Tobacco is one of the leading causes of preventable deaths around the world. Although many countries to seek to ban the use of tobacco due to its effects the proponents of its use relay that deaths cannot be used an argument to avert the use of tobacco as deaths occur due to accidents and diseases all the time. While smokers argue that smoking helps them relax and helps them cope with stress. Cigarettes contain nicotine which is an addictive substance and hence it is difficult for them to stay away from it. Considering the dire impacts of smoking on the consumers and the environment, many propose the substance shall be banned.

Discussion

Why tobacco products should be outlawed

Many argue if something has such severe effects on the health and environment on the environment there is no rationale that its consumption and sale shall remain legal CITATION GMA92 \l 1033 (G. MARTIN, 1992). The rationale argued upon by those who support a complete ban on tobacco suggests that smoking has a severe impact on the people's health i.e. pulmonary and gum diseased which can lead to cancer CITATION All96 \l 1033 (Allen S. Lichter, 1996). Smoking tobacco does not only affect the smoker but those around them making them into passive smokers this affects children mostly exposing them to sudden death syndrome, asthma, bronchitis, and pneumonia. The Center for Disease Control US reports that an increase in deaths i.e. 36,687 deaths in California was observed from 2000 to 2004. However, the report also suggested that there was a significant decrease in deaths in areas where smoking was reduced or banned. Consuming tobacco is not a cheap business it significantly expenses and the costs incurred is approximately around 193 billion dollars as reported by the CDC annually. Not only does it cost the consumer physical health issues, but nicotine in the cigarettes also leads to addiction and manipulates the brain into thinking that the only way to deal with stress is by smoking through it. The impact on the environment is also nevertheless minimal CITATION Geo08 \l 1033 (George Thomson, 2008). The deforestation is widely done to plant tobacco and frequent use of chemicals all effect on the environment CITATION Gar10 \l 1033 (Gardiner, 2010)). Moreover, the disposal of cigarette buds and the packaging also pollutes the natural habitat. Therefore researcher who keeps mindful conscience of the overall impact of tobacco suggests that it should be outlawed.

Benefits of banning Tobacco products

Banning tobacco comes with a lot of benefits that reduce the level of risk involved. Although tobacco cannot be banned entirely, however in order to reduce its impact the use of tobacco can be reduced publically. This leads to a decrease in the number of passive smoking that effects those who do not smoke themselves, decreasing the level of passive smokers, who would otherwise suffer from lung and other diseases CITATION Dan06 \l 1033 (Daniel Menzies, 2006). It is also noted that banning tobacco consumption publically leads to a lesser development of diseases such as lung cancer, heart disease, and emphysema. Smoking ban in public spaces helps improve the health of the general population in the area. The cost incurred to manage healthcare is also significantly decreased. Banning smoking can help those consuming tobacco too, by making them aware of the health risk s they are exposed to as they smoke. It also decreases the intensity and frequency of smoking of habitual chain smokers as they can no longer smoke in public. The cigarette buds as mentioned earlier pollute the environment since they are non-biodegradable and can block water systems and can leak chemicals into the environment or choke the habitat to death would become less. This would lead to a healthy and cleaner environment CITATION GTF06 \l 1033 (G T Fong, 2006).

Why Tobacco products should not be outlawed

Many legislators argue that smoking shall not be outlawed since it is a clear infringement of people’s lives and as to how they should live their lives. Many smokers find this an interference and enforced legislation upon them as smoking is not a crime, therefore the government or any other agency shall not limit to exercise their right to freedom of choice CITATION Car08 \l 1033 (Carolyn Dresler, 2008). Many at times the goals which support the tobacco ban are not met with effective and optimistic results. The ban can backfire and as a result, people may avoid public places which ban smoking. Another factor that makes it difficult for the state to ban smoking is that the smoker's do not really care about going against the ban due to the lower and payable penalties involved CITATION Ann12 \l 1033 (Ann McNeill, 2012). It is also noted that the tobacco companies have huge investments supporting politicians and financing their campaigns, therefore, it is difficult for them to implement bans on tobacco consumption keeping in their mind their future political prospects of re-election CITATION CCe15 \l 1033 (C Cenko, 2015). The tobacco companies have huge investments within the governments hence it is difficult for the state to impose or outlaw tobacco consumption CITATION RAK01 \l 1033 (RA Kagan, 2001). Since lower levels in sales of tobacco would lead to a lower level of tobacco industries business and hence lower tax returns on which the government runs. This would eventually lead to an economic rise in inflation and a significant rise in the prices of other products in the market. The stakeholders in the tobacco business have direly affected this situation in case a ban is imposed. The tobacco companies may resort to redundancies and take away the effective jobs from the market leading to unemployment which is yet again another burden on the economy.

Conclusion

The question of whether tobacco products shall be outlawed or not state that it would ideally benefit the society as a whole and contribute in making the society a healthier place to live, by plummeting the efficacy and productivity of the individuals within the society, reducing health risks and costs and the factors that affect the environment. While many argue that the situation can further deteriorate and create more issues than tobacco alone creates. The tobacco consumers who are at the core of using tobacco argue that it helps them gain peace of mind even if outweighs the disadvantages and financial costs for them. However, the devil of smoking carries horrors of death and disease, unlike the tobacco industry shows. The ban on tobacco consumption suggests that these industries would no longer exploit the vulnerability of fragile economies in Africa and Asia. Although the ban on tobacco products is a comprehensively required need of the time the goal is far from achievable due to a number of reasons most importantly the decrease in taxes which would reduce revenues and create burdens for the economy. The tobacco industry is so deeply rooted in the social setup that removing it would require an essential and complete transformation of the system. Hence it can be concluded that although tobacco products cannot be completely outlawed their influence and impact can be significantly reduced by applying effective strategies and legislation