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Running head: SMOKING Smoking April 20, 2009 Smoking Cigarette smoking has become an issue of the day. According to the publicly available statistics, smoking is one of the major causes of heart and lung related diseases, premature birth and death throughout the world. Smoking causes harm to nearly every organ of human body, but, what is even more dangerous, it harms not only a smoker himself, but also causes harm to other people, if they breathe in smoke secondhand, and the environment, polluting the air. The essay examines the effects of smoking, secondhand smoking, smoking and pollution, and proves that smoking causes harm to human health and environment, irrespective of the form of smoking, whether it is a cigarette or secondhand smoking. The attitude of a non-smoker and a smoker towards smoking is always completely different. Smokers often find their habit beneficial, while non-smokers are more conscious about the negative effects of smoking.
The smokers often argue that it is their right to choose whether to smoke or not, however, irrespective of their decision, their choice affecting people around them, forcing breathe in polluted air. Secondhand smoke, also known as tobacco smoke pollution, is as dangerous as cigarette smoking, as it is a human carcinogen for which there is no safe level of exposure. According to the World Health Organization, more than 50 percent of the children throughout the world are secondhand smokers, as they involuntarily exposed to the air polluted by tobacco smoke (Smoke-free Public Places: A prescription for public health, 2009). Smoking and secondhand smoke significantly increases the risks of lung cancer by 20 - 30 percent, heart disease by 25 - 35 percent, birth defects, chronic respiratory ailments, and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) (Smoke-free Public Places: A prescription for public health, 2009). It causes ear infections and asthma in children and adults, and 80 percent of asthmatics claim that passive smoking triggers an attack.
In addition, the children, who are exposed to smoking, are at higher risk of becoming smokers in adulthood, as they are likely to follow their smoking role models. Also, those who have become regular smokers in adolescence are more likely to continue smoking for years over 50 percent of them will be still smoking at the age of 60 (Tobacco Smoke Pollution: The Hard Facts, 2009). The vast majority of non-smokers do not like the smell of cigarettes and tobacco smoke in the air and on their clothes. They are also concerned by harmful health effects of exposure to smoking.
Cigarette smoke contains over 50 cancer causing agents, 5 regulated hazardous air pollutants, over 100 chemical poisons and 47 regulated hazardous wastes. For most of these agents there is no safe level of exposure (Tobacco Smoke Pollution: The Hard Facts, 2009). Smoke-free areas and ventilation are ineffective solutions of the problem of pollution and secondhand smoking, as they cannot provide adequate protection. More than 85 percent of passive smoking is in form of odorless and invisible particles in the air, so even if the air seems to be clean, it doesnt mean that it is safe for non-smokers. Special areas for smokers and non-smokers can, to a certain extent, reduce the risk of exposure, but cannot eliminate this problem, as typical ventilation systems are not very effective. Therefore, the only safe solution is to be completely smoke free.
In such a way, eliminating exposure to passive smoking in public places and public transport should become one of the most important measures in the fight against smoking. Non-smokers have a basic human right to be protected from harm caused by secondhand smoking and environmental pollution. All people must have the right of choice not to breathe in tobacco smoke as well as the right to a smoke-free air. Therefore, smoke-free policy is the best solution to eliminate the risk of secondhand smoking and atmosphere pollution.
Works Cited Smoke-free Public Places: A prescription for public health. (2009). Retrieved April 20, 2009, from web Tobacco Smoke Pollution: The Hard Facts. (2009). Retrieved April 20, 2009, from web
Free research essays on topics related to: tobacco smoke, passive smoking, smoking causes, cigarette smoking, secondhand smoke
Research essay sample on Tobacco Smoke Secondhand Smoke
