Keoni Buenavista
Date: 05/09/2022
Should smoking and the sale of tobacco or nicotine-related products be banned from the United States? Yes or No. State your opinion on this matter and give reasoning and/or examples to support your argument.
As a result of the multiple health-related risks due to tobacco and nicotine products, I think that the sale and recreation use should be prohibited in the United States. Currently within the regulations in the country, and state by state, there are smoking bans or smoke-free zoning laws that have restrictions on smoking in certain public or private places. Places that are most common to have a smoking ban in the country are indoor office buildings, workplaces retail stores, hospitals, restaurants, bards, libraries, government buildings, and other indoor facilities. Additionally, smoking has some restrictions in outdoor areas like beaches, parks, malls, and University campuses.
To successfully stop the use of smoking in the United States, there needs to be a ban on the product being produced. There are already many places that prohibit the use of tobacco products and other nicotine-related products as well. The main reason, in my opinion, that smoking restrictions need to be more heavily enforced is because of the health effects, even on those who don’t smoke, of secondhand smoke. Secondhand smoke is essentially where an individual inhales tobacco smoke from another or others who are smoking and even though they are indirectly inhaling the smoke, they can still get diseases related to smoking. Some of the major smoking or tobacco-related diseases include heart disease, mouth cancer, lung disease, and other respiratory cancers or diseases.
Historically, the number of bans on smoking had a substantial increase during the late 20th century and the early 21st century because of studies that showed the health risks of using tobacco and nicotine-related products. When it comes to the health and quality of life of the public, smoking has been a major negative influence. Most establishments such as bars and restaurants have bans on smoking as it has been shown to improve the air quality and therefore allow customers to have a more enjoyable experience. To add to this, it also allows for a cleaner, more pleasant work environment, which can enable employees to work more efficiently compared to places that do not have smoking bans.
Regarding the specific studies that have found smoking to be harmful or that smoking bans are beneficial, a report by the Institute of Medicine in 2009 concluded that heart attacks ad coronary heart disease were reduced when smoking bans were further implemented. In addition, the report found that bans on smoking in public places were involved with a large reduction in heart attack incidences. Other countries, aside from the United States have also reported a cleaner environment and better public spaces when smoking-free laws have been established.
Now, despite what others may say about how restricting the sale or use o tobacco/nicotine-related products is a breach of freedoms in the United States, it is a health risk for the public. Others who do not want to use the product still may face health issues through second-hand smoking. I believe that these types of products have no benefit at all to the American public, and taking them away, would not have a tremendous impact on the economy.