“Smoking is hateful to the nose, harmful to the brain, and dangerous to the lungs.”
King James I. But man continues to smoke away his life and those near him. Lung cancer due to smoking is one of the top most killers in many countries. Hence today, world over, health organizations and governments speak with increased concern, and encourages us to consider and abstain from smoking. I think a universal ban on smoking is worth being fought for.A ban on smoking is important to fight for because smoking adversely affects health. An article in the BBC details the health effects of smoking. Smoking is known to cause diseases such as cancer and heart disease. Half of all smokers are said to die because of smoking related health issues. Children born to mothers who smoke or are exposed to smoke may also have birth defects. Hence smoking is an issue that affects the health of not-only adults but babies that are not yet born.
Additionally, it is important to fight for a ban on smoking because it shortens the life span of an individual that smokes excessively. Cigarettes contain more than 7000 chemicals that if digested can be lethal to the human body. Wikipedia says that when smoked, a single cigarette can shorten a lifespan by 11 minutes this is scary because if you are a heavy smoker you might easily have an early death. There are other reports that state that smoking shortens life by about ten years.
Moreover, when a law prohibiting smoking is not strictly enforced, even younger children are liable to start smoking. An disturbing video clip in the abc news channel talks of the smoking habit of a two-year-old “smoking baby”! The post said that the baby is addicted to the cigarettes and had to be forced to enter a rehabilitation center for de-addiction . If and when lots of young children take to smoking, it would be a big health hazard and the lifespan of these young adults would be shortened and that would be a great loss of their productive years.
Without smoking, the world would be more healthier place and global life-spans would be longer than what they are today. This in turn can lead to a lot more constructive work. I found the BBC’s article on smoking inspirational because it tells me more facts about smoking, a topic I am not well-versed with, but definitely wanted to know more about. Armed with this knowledge, I now know how to deal with smoking in my own life. And in future , I can influence my friends to kick the habit if they already do smoke or refrain from making that first fatal try.
