Should Smoking of Cigarettes Be Forbidden?

 

Cigarette smoking has long been a topic of heated debate. Although some contend it is a personal decision, the obvious health and social consequences make it an urgent matter. Millions of deaths connected to smoking annually strain healthcare systems and affect non- smokers due to secondhand smoke exposure. Given these facts, smoking should be illegal in order to protect general society well-being and public health.

 

Undoubtedly, smoking has negative health consequences as well as an economic cost to governments and people. First, smoking considerably lowers life expectancy by being among the main causes of avoidable diseases and deaths globally. Second, the expenses of treating smoking-related diseases much exceed the income from tobacco sales. These arguments show why not only a public health but also a financial wise choice is to forbid smoking.

 

Human health suffers clearly from the detrimental consequences of smoking. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that tobacco use causes over 8 million fatalities annually; more than 7 million of these deaths are direct tobacco use related ones and over 1.2 million are caused by secondhand smoke exposure. Among the main causes of major diseases like heart disease, lung cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), smoking is the most prominent. These illnesses seriously lower quality of life and frequently cause early death. This fact alone should clearly shows the danger of smoking.

 

In addition, studies released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that smoking compromises the immune system, thereby increasing a person vulnerability to infections and disorders. Beyond smokers themselves, the negative consequences affect non-smoking people as secondhand smoke can cause comparable health issues including youngsters and pregnant women. A society-wide smoking ban should greatly lower these health hazards, therefore saving lives and enhancing general public health.

 

Another strong argument for smoking's ban is its financial influence. The earnings made by the tobacco business are significantly less than the financial expenses linked with smoking-related diseases. According to an American Cancer Society analysis, tobacco-related diseases' worldwide healthcare expenses come to around $422 billion yearly. Particularly in low- and middle-income nations where resources are already scarce, this severely strains healthcare systems.

 

Moreover, smoking results in disease and early death that reduces workforce productivity. A study by the U.S. National Bureau of Economic Research estimates that annual smoking-related productivity losses in the United States alone run at $150 billion. This is a wild amount of money. Should smoking be outlawed, governments may channel these funds toward more urgent public health projects, education, and economic growth. 

 

Those who oppose a smoking ban contend that people should be free to make their own decisions including indulging in destructive behavior. They contend that outlawing cigarettes violates personal liberties and might create a risky precedent for limiting other individual rights. According to a research in the Journal of Public Health Policy, strict policies sometimes result in the emergence of black markets, therefore complicating control and raising criminal activity. Nonetheless, public health and safety should not be sacrificed in the name of one's own freedom. The similar case may be made for narcotics and other toxic substances outlawed for their threatening consequences. 

The WHO claims that countries with strong anti-smoking policies, including Australia and New Zealand, have witnessed notable drop in smoking rates and improvement in public health. Thus, a smoking ban is more about safeguarding the larger society from the well-documented negative effects of tobacco usage than it is about thereby restricting personal liberties. So, there should be no reason for people to argue about personal liberties regarding about the rules.

 

Ultimately, banning smoking is clearly a required first step toward a better society given the serious health effects and financial load of smoking. The overwhelming scientific data validates that smoking causes life-threatening diseases and stresses healthcare systems all around. Furthermore, the financial cost of smoking much exceeds any advantages the tobacco business brings about. Although some contend that outlawing cigarettes violates personal liberties, public health should always come first over personal choices detrimental to others.

 

As cultures develop, they have to act aggressively to eradicate negative behaviors. Along with strong public health campaigns and support of smoking cessation programs, governments have to enforce thorough smoking prohibitions. Acting now will help us to build a world free from the terrible effects of smoking for next generations. It is time to give communal well-being top priority over the interests of the tobacco business therefore guaranteeing a better future for everybody.

Sources : 

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10108669/ (2018)

Immunological Insights into Cigarette Smoking-Induced Cardiovascular Disease Risk (Dahdah et al., 2022)