Why we should ban smoking

Lily Yoder 

Mr. Bender


Language Arts 7-O


31 January 2020


Ban Smoking


More than 480,000 people die each year because of smoking the deadly sticks we call cigarettes.


Cigarettes don't just cause harm to the people that smoke them, but they also cause harm to the surrounding people, killing 41,000 nonsmokers just from inhaling the smoke. Cigarettes cause damage to the cell lining in your lungs, and they can also give you diabetes which proves my point of why the government should ban smoking completely to save around 521,000 people each year!


First, cigarettes can give the people around you cancer from just inhaling the smoke.


“nonsmokers who inhale second-hand smoke are affected by chemicals contained in the smoke,” said Cherney. The smoke does not only harm you but harms the people around you.


Secondly, smoking can cause lung cancer and cancer in different parts of your body. “Research has shown that for every 15 cigarettes smoked there is a DNA change which could cause a cell in the body to become cancerous” smoking turns your lungs black and causes you to get cancer from smoking for a long period of time, sometimes people get a hole in their throat, so they can breathe better again.





Some may say the government should not have a say over what you consume because it is your choice but the smoke from your cigarette could affect others. People who choose not to smoke could still get harmed which would not be their choice since they are not purposefully consuming the smoke from the smoke.




Keeping cigarettes away from kids and teens is a must, therefore, sales to anyone should be made illegal. Teens can get cigarettes from a person who is of age and able to buy these products. They usually do not stop until they get their nicotine fix. Things we can do to get cigarettes banned is to start protesting to have these dangerous stick removed from our store.





“How Does Smoking Cause Cancer?” Cancer Research UK, CRUK, 7 Feb. 2019, www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/causes-of-cancer/smoking-and-cancer/how-does-smoking-cause-cancer. Accessed 30 Jan. 2020.





Singer, Peter. “Should We Ban Cigarettes? | by Peter Singer.” Project Syndicate, 30 Aug. 2017, www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/should-we-ban-cigarettes. Accessed 28 Jan. 2020.





Cherney, Kristeen. “Is Secondhand Smoke as Dangerous as Smoking a Cigarette?” Healthline, Healthline Media, 10 Jan. 2018, www.healthline.com/health/secondhand-smoke-facts#1. Accessed 29 Jan. 2020.