Logical Fallacies and the News - Essay Example

Smoking-A Social Issue Smoking-A Social Issue Smoking remains one of the major social problems in the world today (McVeigh and Wolfer, 2004). The origin of tobacco can be traced back to about 1500 CE, when it was first introduced by the Spanish sailors in the U.S. shores. Since then, tobacco smoking has remained a big issue all over the world as one rarely finds a house not afflicted by smoking in the modern times (McVeigh and Wolfer, 2004). There has been a growing concern regarding the addictive nature of smoking prompting some people to argue that smoking should be prohibited in public places.

Currently, smoking remains legal in many countries the world over. Smoking is a social problem because research has shown that smoking causes a number of diseases to the smoker. Among the diseases, include heart problems, liver cirrhosis, and deadly cancers that claim the lives of many all over the world today. With regard to the environment, the smoke produced from tobacco contains carbon that pollutes the environment and, therefore, its is a problem to nature. Smoking has also said to affect the thinking and mind power of a smoker.

This in most cases makes the smoker not think as rationally as he or she should (McVeigh and Wolfer, 2004). Therefore, McVeigh and Wolfer (2004) note that smoking remains a big social issue in the world that need to be solved even if it means introducing laws burning smoking. This is because if the trend is left to continue, then probably the entire society will become unhealthy because of the effects of cigarette smoking. However, introducing the ban has received mixed reactions from different people citing varying merits and demerits of smoking.

For instance, according to writefix.com (2012), the author agrees with the argument that smoking is harmful to human health. Nevertheless, the author is of the opinion that the ban should not be completely and the right to smoke should be left to the individual to choose. His arguments are mainly based on issues he consider advantageous because of smoking. Firstly, the author cites that smoking helps smokers relax (Writefix.com 2012). He also continues to argue that smoking also improves some smoker’s concentration level.

This argument appears a complete fallacy as far as scientific research is concerned. There has been no scientific proof that smoking makes one relax. This is because researches that have been conducted on smoking show that smoking reduces an individual’s mind power and increasing anxiety level. The anxiety created by smoking reduces an individual’s concentration level as these people became very restless. In this regard, it is not in order for the author to assert that smoking makes one relax and improve the concentration level of an individual.

The author of the article also takes issue with the fact that smoking generates a lot of revenue to governments that allows smoking from the taxes imposed on the cigarettes. In addition, he notes that the industry creates employment opportunities to tens and thousands of people across the globe. This is evident in countries like India and Zimbabwe where cigarette industry contributes hugely the countries gross domestic products. As such, the author argues that imposing a ban on cigarette will mean making thousands of people employed in cigarette industries jobless, which is not good for a country.

The author also argues that smokers should have a right to choose whether to smoke or not. This is right as far as the constitution is concerned. Dealing with smoking addition has also been a major challenge to many who find it difficult quitting. This is because those smokers who try to quit smoking tend to experience a relapse few days after quitting the act. In this regard, several publications and news articles have been written advising smokers on what they need to do in order to stop the smoking habit.

According to BBC (2012), a smoker needs to inhale less in order to stop smoking. The report was in reference to a research conducted by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), which indicated that an individual is likely to stop smoking by reducing his smoking frequency. Nonetheless, this argument appears to be a fallacy particularly as far as hardcore smokers are concerned. For instance, there are certain individuals who are hardcore smokers and hardly take more than a minute before lighting up a cigarette.

For such individual’s it is certainly very hard to use such a strategy to make them quit smoking. In conclusion, despite the varying opinion on whether smoking should be banned or not, it is certain that smoking is harmful to smokers, the family, neighborhood and the environment making it a social issue that needs an amicable solution. References BBC (2012). Struggling to quit? Inhale less smokers told. News Health. Retrieved from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-20047505. McVeigh, F.J., & Wolfer, L.T. (2004).

Brief History of Social Problems: A Critical Thinking Approach. New York, NY: University Press of America. Writefix.com (2012). Should Smoking Be Banned? Retrieved from: http://writefix.com/?page_id=1877.