Smoking Argumentative Essay

Topic: Smoking should be banned in the Philippines Thesis Statement: All cigarette smoking in public places should be banned because of the adverse effects of “passive smoking” on non-smokers PRO 1: Helps relax the user. PRO2: Will give a “cool appeal” among the peers. CON 1: Cigarettes contains harmful substance that will cause disease CON 2: Cause harm to the environment

Smoking should be banned in public places

As a popular saying goes by, smoking is dangerous to your health. But why does it seem that many people are still smoking? Smoking is the inhalation of gases and hydrocarbon vapors generated by slowly burning tobacco in cigarettes. The chemicals in cigarettes and tobacco smoke make smoking harmful. Cigarette contains over 4,000 different chemicals, at least 50 are known to be carcinogens and many are poisonous. In lieu with this, I believe that smoking should be banned in public places in the Philippines due to the negative effects and disease it causes to the smokers and non – smokers and also the harmful things it does to the environment. Many people smoke because smoking makes them relax lessen stress, and improve concentration. People would smoke before exams or during office breaks. It helps them cope up with different situation and gives them confidence. Some people do it when they feel bored. Smoking gives people a feeling of satisfaction and relief that people find it hard to give up. Many teenagers start smoking due to peer pressure. They feel the need to do that in order to be cool or feel more mature because smoking is part of socializing as well. Many people who smoke do it as a way to interact with friends at parties. For some it is a perfect combination to liquors and beers during a night out or bonding session. However, despite the positive sensation associated with smoking, the arguments against it are strong. Smoking is proven to be harmful to health; many diseases are associated with it. Anyone with a smoking habit has a higher percentage of having lung and other types of cancer; respiratory diseases such as emphysema, asthma, and chronic bronchitis; and cardiovascular disease, such as heart attack, high blood pressure, stroke, and atherosclerosis (narrowing and hardening of the arteries).Smoking also can damage fertility and impotence to some men. The World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated that tobacco consumption kills 10 Filipinos every hour, due to the disease brought on by cigarette smoking. Non – smokers are also exposed

to the harmful effect of smoking because second hand smoke is as bad as the active smoke, World Health Organization warns that second-hand smoke causes hundreds of thousands of deaths to non-smokers due to the same smoking-related diseases. Cigarettes have a huge contribution to environmental problems of our country. Smoking pollutes the air and causes a lot of litter. Because of lack of discipline, people usually throw their used cigarettes everywhere, in the streets, out of their car window etc. It will also damage the quality of water and contaminate it. Marine ecosystem can also be harmed, for some cigarettes butts are found in the fish’s stomachs. Because smoking does not only bought harm to humans but also to the environment and animals, smoking should be banned in the Philippines.