Smoking

Smoking ought to be totally prohibited worldwide. As a result of this addictive habit, millions of people all over the world die annually. As The World Bank (2003) informs, not only is smoking the death cause for over 4 million people each year, but also by 2030, this number is forecasted to increase up to 10 million (p. 1).

The number of women smokers is growing even more rapidly than that of men (p. 17). There is hardly an organ in the body system that is not affected by the cigarette smoke. Most heavily, smoking damages the pulmonary, cardiovascular, and reproductive system by causing such diseases as lung cancer, many other types of cancer, heart disease, and pneumonia, out of long list of illnesses (Lewis, 2010,p. 9).A smoker is not the only person who experiences the negative consequences of smoking.

Secondhand or passive smoking appears to be even more harmful than active one. There are more carcinogenic chemicals in the smoke coming from the lit end of a cigarette than in the smoke inhaled through the filter (Marshall Cavendish, 2006, p. 790). It is the interest of tobacco companies that is at stake rather than people’s health. Despite advertising restrictions, the cinema is saturated with cigarettes, influencing children’s outlook in the first place. The tobacco industry makes its way primarily to children, because children are most likely to try smoking between the ages of 11 and 15, and by the age of 18, the regular habit has been shapedd, making it harder to quit (Marshall Cavendish, 2006, p.

789). Up to now, we have been witnessing the same picture: partial regulations are implemented, but neither advertising bans nor tobacco taxation do not prevent people from smoking, whereas cigarettes are legally sold in stores. Thus, to protect the younger generation and reduce the epidemic of smoking, governments should declare it illegal.To sum up, smoking should be forbidden throughout the world, because the spread of this addiction has become global; health implications of smoking are wide-ranging and severe; non-smokers suffer from smoking-related diseases to the same extent as active smokers; and the health of individuals is not reckoned for by the policy of the tobacco industry.