This argument analysis examines the article “Raise the Smoking Age to 21” written by Kruzel. The article is about raising the tobacco sales age across the United States because the state of New York has raised the minimum sales age from 18 to 21. Overall the article argues that over half of cigarette sales go to people between the ages of 18 and 21, consequently this is effecting adolescents’ behavior and their physical and/or mental health. It focuses mainly on the everyday struggles young adults go through with the temptations of tobacco products, using statistics and persuasive real-life scenarios to persuade the audience. Kruzel makes three main claims supplying evidence to support the argument that the tobacco sales age should be raised
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The first main claim is that smoking has become a major bandwagon around an average of 4,000 American teenagers will pick up a cigarette before they turn 18, and 1,000 of these teenagers will continue to smoke. “Most adolescents who have smoked more than 100 cigarettes have reported that they’d like to quit but can’t.” (Kruzel). He presents the information with a logos argument to support his claim. He responses by giving the readers a quick statistic referring to how many cigarettes, which is 100, an adolescent will smoke to know when they would want to quit. Kruzel also uses the term “most adolescents”, this is a type of propaganda known as hasty generalization. Hasty generalization is a conclusion made based on a small group rather than looking at an average statistics of a situation. This is easily acknowledged as a generalization because young adults are known for being trouble makers. Not all young …show more content…
It doesn’t matter what the side effects of the product may be as long as the company is making money. Commercials and celebrities try to make the product seem more enjoyable, cigarettes are portrayed as something the cool kids do. As these advertisements continue to increase in popularity, so does the retail sales, that is why over half the sale of cigarettes go to young adults between the ages of 18 and 21. “If a man has never smoked by age 18, the odds are three-to-one he never will. By age 24, the odds are twenty-to-one.” (Kruzel). By stating these statistics, we are able to physically see what changing the tobacco sales age would be like for the younger generation. The older a person gets, the more mature, they tend to grow. At age 18 the maturity level is wild and crazy, but by 21 the young adult is ready to settle down but still enjoy life just not the immature good times they use to have. Kruzel makes an analogy relating smoking to something interesting. Kruzel states that once they reach 21, it’s no longer an interesting vehicle for rebellion. Kruzel’s analogy is using a comparison of relating a mature young adult’s life to a smoking habit that brings a short amount of pleasure, which is another type of propaganda called false analogy. Smoking at 21 would not be a cool thing to do anymore because there are bigger and better activities to partake in as an adult. He acknowledges that smoking may be cool
The first main claim is that smoking has become a major bandwagon around an average of 4,000 American teenagers will pick up a cigarette before they turn 18, and 1,000 of these teenagers will continue to smoke. “Most adolescents who have smoked more than 100 cigarettes have reported that they’d like to quit but can’t.” (Kruzel). He presents the information with a logos argument to support his claim. He responses by giving the readers a quick statistic referring to how many cigarettes, which is 100, an adolescent will smoke to know when they would want to quit. Kruzel also uses the term “most adolescents”, this is a type of propaganda known as hasty generalization. Hasty generalization is a conclusion made based on a small group rather than looking at an average statistics of a situation. This is easily acknowledged as a generalization because young adults are known for being trouble makers. Not all young …show more content…
It doesn’t matter what the side effects of the product may be as long as the company is making money. Commercials and celebrities try to make the product seem more enjoyable, cigarettes are portrayed as something the cool kids do. As these advertisements continue to increase in popularity, so does the retail sales, that is why over half the sale of cigarettes go to young adults between the ages of 18 and 21. “If a man has never smoked by age 18, the odds are three-to-one he never will. By age 24, the odds are twenty-to-one.” (Kruzel). By stating these statistics, we are able to physically see what changing the tobacco sales age would be like for the younger generation. The older a person gets, the more mature, they tend to grow. At age 18 the maturity level is wild and crazy, but by 21 the young adult is ready to settle down but still enjoy life just not the immature good times they use to have. Kruzel makes an analogy relating smoking to something interesting. Kruzel states that once they reach 21, it’s no longer an interesting vehicle for rebellion. Kruzel’s analogy is using a comparison of relating a mature young adult’s life to a smoking habit that brings a short amount of pleasure, which is another type of propaganda called false analogy. Smoking at 21 would not be a cool thing to do anymore because there are bigger and better activities to partake in as an adult. He acknowledges that smoking may be cool