Everyone knows at least one person who smokes cigarettes. If not, then everyone has inhaled the foul odor of the toxic smoke leaving the addicts body. With nearly 42.1 million people in the United States smoking cigarettes, this addiction has become a problem to say the least. “For decades, the public health community in the United States has asserted that cigarette smoking is the most deadly epidemic of modern times” (Verheij 1). According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, every one in five million Americans will die from a cigarette smoking-caused illness. Why is this problem never addressed? Simply because victims of this addictions refuse to give up what they believe is vital to their lifestyle. Considering the clear addiction,
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Secondhand smoking is a major health hazard to nonsmokers. The proper definition of secondhand smoke is “smoke inhaled involuntarily from tobacco being smoked by others”. Therefore, the dangers that cigarettes bring to the addict are also dangerous to the citizens are them. “Since 1964, approximately 2.5 million non-smokers have died from health problems caused by secondhand smoker”. Since there is no risk free level of secondhand smoke exposure, the amount of health issues can range from minor illnesses to cancer. Children can retract ear infections, respiratory infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia. “As many as 300,000 children and infants experience pneumonia , bronchitis and other respiratory infections as a result, and up to 15,000 are hospitalized each year” ("Secondhand Smoke”). Adults are also susceptible to problem like heart disease, lung cancer, and stroke. All of these issues are receptive simply by being exposed to secondhand smoke. Like smoking addicts, people with lower income have a higher rate of exposure to secondhand smoke exposure. Babies unfortunately are subject to the most dangerous plights of secondhand smoke. The 2014 Surgeon General’s report states that over “one hundred thousand babies have died from parental smoking” (Health Consequences of Smoking). Also concerning pregnancies, women exposed to secondhand smoke are at a greater risk of depression during pregnancy. These problems caused by secondhand smoke bring the question, how incredibly awful is cigarette smoking for people? Horribly so. Cigarette smoking is detrimental to not only the smoker, but also the citizens surrounding them. Because of this, cigarette smoking should be illegal because of the harm it could do to the
Secondhand smoking is a major health hazard to nonsmokers. The proper definition of secondhand smoke is “smoke inhaled involuntarily from tobacco being smoked by others”. Therefore, the dangers that cigarettes bring to the addict are also dangerous to the citizens are them. “Since 1964, approximately 2.5 million non-smokers have died from health problems caused by secondhand smoker”. Since there is no risk free level of secondhand smoke exposure, the amount of health issues can range from minor illnesses to cancer. Children can retract ear infections, respiratory infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia. “As many as 300,000 children and infants experience pneumonia , bronchitis and other respiratory infections as a result, and up to 15,000 are hospitalized each year” ("Secondhand Smoke”). Adults are also susceptible to problem like heart disease, lung cancer, and stroke. All of these issues are receptive simply by being exposed to secondhand smoke. Like smoking addicts, people with lower income have a higher rate of exposure to secondhand smoke exposure. Babies unfortunately are subject to the most dangerous plights of secondhand smoke. The 2014 Surgeon General’s report states that over “one hundred thousand babies have died from parental smoking” (Health Consequences of Smoking). Also concerning pregnancies, women exposed to secondhand smoke are at a greater risk of depression during pregnancy. These problems caused by secondhand smoke bring the question, how incredibly awful is cigarette smoking for people? Horribly so. Cigarette smoking is detrimental to not only the smoker, but also the citizens surrounding them. Because of this, cigarette smoking should be illegal because of the harm it could do to the