Silent Killers
Every 6 seconds, someone in the world dies from a smoking-related disease (World
Health Organization). The production and sale of cigarettes have increased throughout the years.
In the past years, famous movie stars advertised smoking as a trend. This trend was then taken
and adopted by teens that admired these stars, thinking it made them look hip (National Cancer Institute). Today the movement has progressed into something greater that needs to be put to an end. This addictive habit impacts the user's health, character, and wallet. Not only does tobacco have an impact on the smoker, but also on the non-users that are surrounded by pollution every day. Therefore, the production and sale of tobacco should be prohibited because of the effects that is has on the smoker, but also on society.
Nowadays, there are several forms of tobacco in the United States. The different forms of
tobacco range from cigarettes to smokeless tobacco. Tobacco companies have even invented something called light cigarettes, which makes smokers think it's a "healthier" alternative to regular cigarettes because it is low in tar. Menthol, a substance found in mint plants, has also been added to cigarettes, cigars, hookah, etc; to fool users into thinking that it's a "safer" form of tobacco. But according to the United States Department of Health & Human Services, menthol helps decrease the harshness of the cigarette, which gives it a more appealing taste to children and Sanchez 2 teens. Hookah or water piping has gotten very popular these recent years, attracting teens and young adults. Water piping attracts this crowd because of the different flavors of tobacco it offers. Many hookah smokers will think that hookah doesn't do the same damage as a cigarette, but no tobacco product is safe. Chew tobacco or as others would call it: dip, spit, snuff, etc. is also a deadly form of tobacco. According to Glenn McDonald, from Discovery Channel News, chew tobacco became very popular during the 19th and early 20th century, and it became widely known in the world of baseball. This links many young high schools, college, and minor league baseball players to using chew tobacco because they wanted to be like the big shots in the major league. As a result of the constant use of snuff, major league baseball players like Babe Ruth and Bill Tuttle both died from tobacco-related cancer.
As the popularity of smoking increases, so do the prices. According to the State Cigarette
Excise Tax Rates & Rankings, from Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, the overall states'
average tax on cigarettes that took effect on April 1, 2016 is $1. 61 per pack. Because the demand of cigarettes is so high from consumers the price of cigarettes are also rising. The states with the highest prices on cigarettes are; New York: $12. 85, and Illinois: $11. 50 (fairreports. net). This proves that there are many consumers who still feed th...
