Should cigarette smoking be banned - Essay Example

Should Cigarette Smoking Be Banned? Cigarette smoking has been an issue that many societies have discussed. Most people have always viewed it as a dangerous habit. Those people who smoke are familiar with the risks involved, but they say that it is their choice and they are willing to live with the terms. Cigarettes harm long term users in many ways. Cigarettes also harm the environment. According to Dr. Robert N Proctor, who works in Stanford University, “Cigarette smoking should be banned because it is a danger to people, society and to the environment (Proctor 1)”.

This simply means that the cigarettes disadvantages outweigh the advantages. He gives six reasons for the statement. One of the reasons is that cigarette smoking is harmful and it kills 6million people annually. The inhalable smoke that comes from the tobacco goes into the lungs and it is more dangerous than normal smoking. Cigarette smoking also brings financial burden to the consumers and the treasury. Other hidden costs are the costs of treating people with illnesses that stem from smoking.

The tobacco industry has disrupted science. It has eroded human civilization and popular media. Most media houses do not publish a lot of articles about the harmful effects of cigarettes, but they get revenue from advertisements. Cigarette smoking causes air pollution. The last reason is that smoking is not a drug that people should take for fun because it is addictive and it affects people’s decisions. Although the doctor has outlined these reasons in his research, he also points out that prohibition is not effective.

The issue of whether to ban cigarette smoking is an enigma. There is still an issue of how effective the ban will be. Some people claim that smoking has some positive aspects like relaxing people and making them feel better. However, the negative effects outweigh the positive effects.Works CitedProctor, R. N. Why Ban the Sale of Cigarettes? The Case for Abolition. Tobacco Control22.Supplement 1 (2013): i27-i30. Web.