Banning Cigarettes

By: Farah Hussein

Smoking will cut 13 years from your life expectancy. If you have HIV, that
number will increase to 16 years (American Cancer Society, 2018). As mentioned,
smoking has harmful health effects on both the smoker and the people around
them. It also increases the pollution in our environment. Due to these negative
impacts, I believe cigarettes should be illegal.
 
First of all, smoking cigarettes is one of the major causes of deaths. About 443,
000 people die out of cigarette smoking-related illnesses in the U.S. every year
(Centers for Disease Control and prevention, 2020). Cigarettes contain many
harmful chemicals that are known to cause cancer. In addition, smoking can
greatly increase your risk of coronary heart disease and stroke. Not only does the
smoker experience health issues, but the people around them do as well as
secondhand smoke. Of the 8 million smoking-related deaths reported around the
world each year, 1.2 million are the result of secondhand smoke (WHO, 2020).
Despite what some may tell you, there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand
smoke.

Furthermore, cigarette smoking causes environmental pollution by releasing toxic

air pollutants into the atmosphere. The cigarette butts also litter the environment.
Contrary to popular belief, cigarette butts are actually made out of plastic, not
paper. This makes them the most abundant form of plastic waste, with about 4.5
trillion individual butts polluting our global environment (Research Gate).
Moreover, cigarette manufacturing increases global warming. Tobacco industries
release huge amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year which
greatly contributes to global warming.

Although, even if the welfare of others and our environment is in danger due to
smoking, people claim that the government will receive less income if cigarettes
were banned. Studies show that smokers actually save the government on health
care costs. Smokers – who pour millions extra into government funds by
purchasing cigarettes – cost the government the least because they tend to die
younger (Tax Foundation). Though this is correct, the government shouldn’t rely
on smokers to increase revenue. The safety of others and Earth has more weight
than money.

In conclusion, smoking cigarettes should be illegal because of the negative health

consequences that the smoker faces. It also affects the people around them and
contributes to pollution and global warming. Even though the government will
receive fewer earnings, they shouldn’t be letting misguided people destroy their
health. Well-being comes first, not income.