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... Evidence shows a drop in smoking among youths until 1980, when it eventually reached a plateau. For more than ten years the number of teenagers who smoked stayed basically in the same range, however, in the early 90 s the percentage increased by thirty. Regulations restricting the use of alcohol are long existent. Early governments such as those of the ancient Greeks, Egyptians, and Romans established laws to limit the use of alcohol in order to prevent its abuse. Only a decade after alcohol was initially introduced to America by European explorers, a law was passed in order to restrict excessive drinking.
This law punished whomever was caught drunk, and the severity of the punishment depended on the number of similar offenses a person had previously committed. Nevertheless, these efforts were futile in their attempt to moderate the use of alcohol. During the period of time between the 1600 s and the 1800 s, a series of laws were passed, in order to regulate and control alcohol abuse, yet were not successful in solving alcohol problems in America. By the 1800 s, temperance movements had risen and drinking was associated with corruption and problems.
Thus, in 1826, the first national temperance organization was founded. The laws which attempted to steer people away from alcohol were inefficient and punishments were not severe enough to keep people from drinking. In 1830, society and its leaders were not as concerned with wine and beer as with the prohibition of "distilled spirits. " One of the first attempts at prohibition of tobacco was recorded when the taxation on tobacco was increased by 4000 % in England by King James I during the 1700 s. " Because people would pay almost anything for tobacco, the government soon learned to benefit from the product. Taxes on tobacco were put into effect and soon enough, governments became "dependent on the trading of tobacco. " Eventually, countries such as England, Italy, France, Russia, Prussia, and finally, the United States of America began to give-up on prohibition and place heavy taxes on tobacco in order to make a profit. Although the governments of various countries were benefiting from the sale of tobacco, anti- smoking campaigns have been around since the late 1800 s. For example, the Anti- Cigarette League of America, founded by former schoolteacher named Lucy Page Gaston, promoted laws to ban smoking.
Businessmen and organizations much like the Anti-Cigarette League of America worked in conjunction with the League in order to get several antismoking laws passed. The campaigning was successful and in 1890 already twenty-six states had restrained anyone under-age from buying cigarettes (the ages for a person to be regarded as under-aged varied). In addition, rigid laws were placed to on women smokers to keep them from smoking. As time progressed, all alcohol was seen as evil, and in 1919, people began to demand the prohibition of alcohol. In 1920, the 18 th amendment was passed, prohibiting the manufacturing, shipping and sale of alcohol. Nevertheless, the sale of alcohol was not successfully thwarted, efforts to control drinking through prohibition failed.
During the "roaring twenties" temperance movements soon resulted in illegal manufacturing and sale of the substance... Nightclubs called "speakeasies" were established to covertly traffic alcohol. In 1933, the 21 st amendment was passed, repealing the 18 th amendment. Through the years, different forms of "scare tactics" have been employed to steer people away from drinking. The government is not the only organization that has made efforts to regulate drinking. For years, even decades, numerous campaigns against alcoholism, have failed.
The 1980 's was evidently a decade that campaigned and advocated against illegal drugs. In 1988, for example, Congress passed a resolution that proposed an alternative to achieve the goal of a "drug-free America by 1995. " A new policy known as the "harm reduction" policy was devised and spread. Instead of taking a tough stance on punishment of illegal drug users, it focuses on preventing crime and calls for protection of public health, for safety, and for human right. This policy is one of common sense that is hoped to succeed in making matters better by taking a logical advance to this issue. Like alcohol, smoking has been a prevalent issue through time. When President Kennedy came into office, he faced a major problem: the American people did not regard cigarettes as an important problem.
By the 1960 's the truth about smoking was discovered and announced by the Surgeon General: lung cancer could be a result of cigarette smoking. In the year 1966, cigarette companies were required to warn smokers of the possible dangers of cigarette smoking by putting a stamp on all cigarette boxes. In the late 60 s, further studies found that smoking not only caused lung cancer, but could possibly result in heart disease, respiratory diseases (emphysema), and other forms of cancer. Public concerns regarding the environmental and health issues surrounding cigarette smoking, increased in the 70 s. The promotion of cigarettes by means of the media was prohibited by 1971. Additionally, people began promoting non-smokers' right and lobbying to protest pollution caused by the carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke.
From the late seventies to the nineties, hundreds of laws have been passed in order to conform to smokers' rights as well to those of non-smokers. An organization by the name of the Environmental Protection Agency, in 1993, studied and proved that second-hand smoke is a toxic substance concluding that it on average kills three thousand people per year due to lung cancer. The tobacco industry subsequently battled their claims, yet were not triumphant in doing so. The discovery that cigarette smoke, otherwise known as "ETS" is very hazardous to the health, was soon followed by laws and regulations that protect people from being inflicted by cigarette smoke which created the non- smoking policy in most public places.
The "Smoke-Free Schools Act" was passed by the Clinton administration in 1994 outlawing smoking in public areas assessed by the government which provide programs to minors. For example, smoking was banned in public schools and apparently it decreased teenage smoking. Other facilities open to the public such as hospitals, stores, and restaurants also became smoke-free zones. Bibliography:
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Research essay sample on 18 Th Amendment Sale Of Alcohol
