ENG215-034 Research and Writing |
Banning Cigarette Smoking |
|
Christine Dominique
10/21/2010
|
The question of whether or not the government should ban cigarette smoking has been up for a long time. Is cigarette smoking that bad for your health that they should warrant a ban? Yes. Is it questionably unfair? Depends. Should they, or will they change it? Probably not. A ban on cigarette smoking could go one of two ways: Successfully or go the way of the Prohibition. Forget the questions and what-if’s. We as Americans should lead the way in banning of cigarette smoking to start a chain which would slowly clean up the streets and move towards greater progress all around the world.
The prohibition happened in the United States between the period of 1919 and 1933. During which time the manufacturing, sale, and transportation of alcoholic beverages was forbidden by the 18th amendment. It failed to stop people from bootlegging and making their own speakeasy clubs to continue selling and making alcoholic beverages. As crime increased the popularity of the prohibition went down. It eventually led to the ratification of the 21st amendment which repealed the 18th amendment. Many people blame the fact that even though it was a good idea and supported by a lot of people it was just too hard at the time for the government to enforce the law. A ban on cigarette smoking could go the same way.
The Term Paper on Cigarette Smoking Among Teenagers
Whether they choose to light up their first cigarette on their own or are unwitting victims of passive smoking, Filipino youth are increasingly at risk from tobacco exposure. “The younger a child starts to smoke, the greater the chances of becoming a regular smoker,” said Dr Maricar Limpin, executive director of the non- government group Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Alliance ...
There is no question as to whether or not the government can ban cigarette smoking like they did alcohol. The federal drug regulations operate under the authority of the Commerce Clause which is in Article I, Section 8, Clause 3 of the U.S. Constitution. A recent example of the government getting the last say on drugs would be the Gonzales v. Raich case. The Gonzales v. Raich case was one in which the United States Supreme Court ruled that under the Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution, which allows the United States Congress ” To regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states, and with the Indian tribes…,” Congress may ban home-grown drugs even where states approve its use. Just to emphasis again – Congress CAN ban drugs. No if’s, and’s, or but’s.
We live in a country where the right and responsibility to choose is protected. This is why I love this great country since I believe in each individual person’s right to make choices which affect only them, which is fair. As a person who does not like choices to be made for me, I choose to take my children to restaurants that are smoke free. I would never allow my children to suffer because of some else’s poor choices. I’ve known many people who have died because of cigarette smoking, from friends to close relatives. Even people who didn’t smoke, like my aunt, but was just near a person who smoked a lot eventually developed some problems. Those who tried to couldn’t even stop because of the nicotine addiction. Yes, it’s great that we get to choose whether or not to smoke a cigarette but look at how controlling it is. You can’t simply choose to stop once it gets a hold of you and a simple person can’t avoid the inevitable exposure to somebody else’s chose to smoke. Nicotine and other smokers are infringing on the rights of people around them. If nothing else, think about the children who won’t be able to escape unless a ban is put up.
The health arguments against smoking are well known. Smoking has been shown to be dangerous to health. Heart disease, bronchitis and lung cancer have all been linked to smoking. Another one of the dangers of smoking is that smoking not only diminishes the health of the smokers but also diminishes the health of the non smokers around them through secondhand smoking. Over 443,000 Americans, which is over 18 percent of all deaths, die because of smoking each year. Secondhand smoke kills about 50,000 of them. The list of information and statistics just goes on and on. Even with all of this we allow smoking to slide. With our current stance we will just continue to lose more and more friends and family to smoking each year. People try and defend it by the tobacco industry helps give jobs and the taxes help to pay for hospitals and such. When looking deeper you see that even though it helps create jobs it is keeping people unsatisfied by leaving them with little to no pay in many places. Furthermore, smoking costs governments and the people who smoke lots of money because of the large number of people and cost for treatment in hospitals for smoking related problems. Funny how the tobacco industry helps build hospitals and helps to put people in.
The Essay on Smoking People Smoke Tobacco
... United Sates are now banning cigarette smoking in restaurants. In College Station, you are not allowed to smoke in a restaurant from ... is one organization that promotes ways to help people stop smoking. They offer countless pamphlets, and brochures with steps ... 1998). The article also stated that international tourism was up significantly in two localities with smoke-free restaurant laws (Charlesworth, ...
In general, the world would be a better place without cigarettes. For our friends and family to live as they rightfully should. It may not be fair to ban the right to smoke from the individual but it is also unfair to have our family and friends die by a choice somebody else has made. The government should and will step up as it has done in the past. It is just too important that people won’t ignore this issue for too long. In the end the people will make the right decision to ban cigarette smoking.
