Banning Smoking & Its Fight on the Hill - Research Paper Example

Banning Smoking & Its Fight on the Hill I. Introduction Whether smoking should be banned or not, is a controversial topic that is debated in nearly all forums and health meetings worldwide. Activists and opponents against smoking have intrepidly declared the pessimistic effects of smoking, and edified the society to cease it. There is a myriad of substances smoked such as “tobacco”, “cannabis sativa” and “opium”, but tobacco is the main substance being smoked globally. Thesis The subsequent issues including history of smoking, supporters against and of smoking, the negative effects of smoking, smoking demographics, smoke free laws, and policies and legislations in their way from smoke free laws are discussed aptly. II. 1st Body History of Smoking Tobacco, the main substance smoked was grown largely in America according to archeologists. It was discovered in 6000 BC and smoked 5000 years later by the Mayans. The Mayans chewed the plant to curb their appetite during the lengthy hikes. Evidence that proofs existence of smoking being practiced is a pictorial of Guatemala smoking at around 800 AD. Europeans began smoking when Caribbean natives introduced to Columbus. In his adventures, he visited Spain and also initiated smoking of tobacco at the region. From that reason, smoking drastically spread across the European countries, particularly from Spain to other countries worldwide (Gilman & Zhou, 2004). The Americans began smoking during the Great Migration that involved British inhabitants moving to American land. It is established that smoking experienced many metamorphoses before cigarettes were introduced in the 1832. Smoking was practiced via pipes by the first European smokers, which later advanced to snuffing (Gilman & Zhou, 2004). Paper rolled cigars were majorly concentrated in the 20th century and were invented by the Turkish. The British tobacconist Phillip Morris popularized it and manufactured them in a large scale worldwide (Gilman & Zhou, 2004). It was in 1950, when the smoking tobacco was related to lung cancer and the government of US initiated a policy of removing the advertisement from the television. It was earlier understood that tobacco was gracious and beneficial to one’s health. Supporters/ Lobbyists for Smoking Supporters of smoking have demonstrated against the strict laws discouraging the habit such as increasing the price of cigarettes by raising the tax revenue imposed on them. An example of smoke lobbyists, Dan Donovan, once argued that he did not choose smoking because of the colored packed cigars, but chose it because he enjoyed the practices. Supporter’s point of view is that the government should consider responsiveness in smoking to stop them from smoking. Supporters of smoking argue that smoking is socially tolerable when the society changes the negative attitude against it. The benefits of smoking include relaxing the nerves and making a person in comfortable mood, hence making him/her productive. Lobbyists/Activists against Smoking An example of an activist against smoking is Patrick Cleveland Reynolds whose family founded a thriving tobacco company. He has initiated a non-profit company that aims at reducing the number of causalities of tobacco and edifying the society on the bad effects of smoking. He is a speaker spreading the hazardous effects of tobacco and stating how it killed his father and brother. Ahron Leichtman is an activist and the president of ‘Citizens Against Tobacco-Free Society’ (CATFS). His central message was to protect the non-smoker from the smoker and ensure the environment was conducive to everyone. The activist’s core message to the society is making them aware of the hazardous effects of tobacco. They request the government to ban tobacco and make it illegal to stop the number of deaths and diseases of people globally. III. 2nd Body Negative Effects of Smoking Smoking results in innumerable detrimental effects in the body system of a smoker. Smoking causes cardiovascular diseases characterized by hardening of arteries, hence making it difficult for blood flow. Example of cardiovascular diseases is coronary thrombosis that is characterized by blood clotting in arteries and often leads to heart attack. Secondly, smoking results in cerebral thrombosis that causes a collapse, stroke, and paralysis. Smoking also causes gangrene and amputation and occurs when the legs are not supplied with blood. The kidney may fail to function properly when the arteries connected are affected (McCay et al., 2009). The habit can cause fertility complications to smoking partners compared to the non-smoker couples. Many families face the risk of living a childless life or giving birth to children with complications when involved in smoking. Impotence in men is caused when the vessels that direct blood on top the penis are damaged. For a penis to erect, blood should be able to flow freely; consequently, male smokers face the risk of having erection complications. Smoking can be associated with stillbirth, children born with low weight and SID. Smoking affects the susceptible blood vessels located in the eye and easily dented by smoke. The practice causes blood hot appearance and itchiness in an individual. It is established that smoker’s appearance is affected since they have paler sin and wrinkles. Smoking also causes yellow teeth to a person when smoking for a long time, which makes them stop smiling (Haustein & Groneberg, 2010). Cancer is a core disease that results after smoking heavily for a period, and examples are “lung cancer”, “throat cancer” and “mouth cancer.” Lung cancer is caused when a person smokes for long duration, and patients diagnosed with it are mostly heavy smokers. Smoke breathed into the respiratory structure has an element that causes black soot in lung surfaces. The element is known as tar and is the core reason for the lung cancer diseases. Smokers also face the risk of getting other organ cancers such as “bladder cancer”, “cancer of the esophagus”, “cancer of the kidney”, “cervical cancer” and “cancer of the pancreas” (McCay et al., 2009). Smoking results in hypertension since it enhances blood pressure of an individual and can lead to stroke and death of a person. Patients suffering from asthma are strictly warned to cease smoking since it worsens their condition and makes the diseases dangerous and life-threatening (Haustein & Groneberg, 2010). Smoking causes “chronic obstructive pulmonary disease” (COPD) that is characterized by the blocking of airflow, hence making breathing a difficult task. An example is emphysema, caused by dented air sacs centered in lungs by smoke, hence making it difficult to breath. Another example of the COPD caused by smoking is the chronic bronchitis that is characterized by coughing. The coughing is accompanied by excretion of mucus that lasts two months and above. The disease occurs in a person of aged 5 to 45 and is one example of long term diseases. A patient suffering from diseases is advised to seek medical attention before it worsens since it can lead to death. Lastly, a detrimental outcome of smoking is “addiction” It is true that starting smoking can be pretty easy, but stopping the habit is not an easy thing to do. Tobacco has nicotine element that makes an individual addictive. A person’s mind gets used to smoking and develops a habit of wanting it in order to feel settled. Brief positive example of smoke free laws & Policies and legislations in their way from smoke free laws Example of positive smoke free laws prohibit smokers from smoking in public places such as work, bus station and resting park. The law disallows smokers from interfering with non-smokers at public places by limiting their freedom of smoking openly. Secondly, an example of a positive smoke free law is that it prohibits companies producing cigarettes from making advertisements of their products. The advisements are perceived to be influencing the underage in society from attempting and practicing smoking. Policies and legislations in their way from smoke free laws assist in regulating smoking in the community by monitoring tobacco use, protecting the individual exposed to smoking, providing counseling to smoke addicts and warning about harmful effects of health (Bearman, 2011). Smoking Demographics & Interesting facts or statistics In smoking demographics, it is established that knowledgeable adults have the lowest incidence of smoking which is rated as 11.3% compared to adults with less experience of knowledge that rated 36.8%. Populace living in poverty had the utmost smoking dominance of about 32.3%, compared to those wealthy persons living comfortable lives (23.5%). The US states that had the utmost number of smokers are Nevada 31.5%, Kentucky 29.7% and Ohio 27.6%. States such as Utah 13.9% and California18.7% had the lowest number of smokers. Under the category of ethnicity and race, the American Indians living in Alaska had the highest number of smokers that was about 40%. African-Americans are second with 24.7%, Caucasians 25.0%, Hispanics 19.1% and Asians 13.7%. Under the category of gender, the male gender 77.4% still smokes more than the female gender 23.6% even though the number of females is radically increasing. Interesting statistics is that the gap amid the female and the male has drastically reduced because of the increasing number of female smokers. It is approximated that 3,000 young smokers become addicts in smoking each day and according to statistics, the young populace has equal prevalence compared to adults. V. Conclusion Review Thesis and Evidence supporting thesis The history of smoking is traced many years ago in the European continent and spread to the other continent through the great migration. Interestingly, there are people who support the habit of smoking, arguing that they enjoy doing it while other persons are against the smoking, stating that it is a health hazard. The negative effects of smoking discussed are diseases such as cancer, COPD, and hypertension. America has pioneered smoke free laws that regulate the habit of smoking in the environment. Examples of such laws forbid smokers from smoking in public and disallowing advertisement shown in televisions and media houses. The smoking demographics show that rate of smoking is drastically increasing in the society. Statistics show that 3,000 young people become smoke addicts every day. I urge governments of each country to come up with effectual ways to cease smoking and prevent the society from getting diseases related to smoking. References Bearman, P. (2011). After tobacco: What would happen if Americans stopped smoking? New York: Columbia University Press. Gilman, S. L., & Zhou, X. (2004). Smoke: A global history of smoking. London: Reaktion. Haustein, K.-O., & Groneberg, D. (2010). Tobacco or health?: [physiological and social damages caused by tobacco smoking]. Berlin: Springer. McCay, W., Dingwell, H., Golden, R. N., & Peterson, F. L. (2009). The truth about smoking. New York, NY: Facts On File. Read More