Cigarette smoking

Smoking is an extremely bad thing to get hooked on. It not only affects the people that are smoking but also the people around them that breathe that same air. Smoking is harmful to your body and it makes you look and smell bad. Who wants to get breathed on by an ashtray or see those nasty yellow stained teeth… Not Me.. Some people say that smoking is just a bad habit and nothing more. They couldn’t be more wrong. Tobacco use is an addiction. According to the U. S. Public Health Service Clinical Practice Guideline, ” Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence,” nicotine is a very addictive drug. For some people, it can be as addictive as heroin or cocaine. Some actually place it in a category 10 times more addictive than heroin. Smoking is also a very expensive habit. I was just at Wal-Mart and a carton of cigarettes is $40. Assuming a carton a week, that’s $2, 080 a year. Is that insane or what? Myself I would much rather spend that money on shopping or something. More than 450, 000 Americans die each year from smoking. Smoking causes illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, problems with pregnancy and lung disease. When you quit tobacco, your chances of getting sick from smoking will decrease appreciably. You will have more energy and you’ll be able to breathe much easier You don’t have to be a smoker to be seriously harmed by the fumes either. If you life with someone that smokes or maybe you just sit by someone smoking on the bus. Your lungs are going to be harmed. Second-Hand smoke is just has serious as smoking. The amount of second-hand smoke inhaled by the typical nonsmoker is equivalent to one cigarette smoked a day. Smoking causes more deaths every year than accidents, alcohol and suicides. Some governments have completely banned smoking in public places. There are many disadvantages of smoking. Many smokers don’t realize they are hurting innocent people. Toronto is one of the cities around the world where the ban is currently being forced. The smoking ban is Toronto is fair. Smoking hurts people through second-hand smoke, it drives up the costs for health programs for the government, and smoking hurts the environment.       Smoking hurts many people through second hand smoke. Smokers are not just hurting themselves but they also a pose a risk to non-smokers. Many smokers argue that second-hand smoke presents “ little danger” however; the research done by leading doctors proves that the risk is more significant than if a person was to be in a smoke free environment. There is a direct relationship between the smoke from a cigarette or cigar and a person sitting nearby to develop a disease like cancer. Second-hand smoke exposure during pregnancy doubles the risk of low birth weight babies. People with asthma can also experience attacks if they are close to smoke. Second hand-smoke was the single most compelling reason for implementing the ban in Toronto.       Smoking drives up the costs of health programs maintained by the government. Smokers through out their life suffer through different diseases like lung cancer and heart attacks. They require regular check ups with doctors to keep them updated about their health. A smoker requires immediate care if he or she has developed a disease which could be deadly. This influences the government to raise the costs for health care programs. The costs get reflected on non smokers who also have to pay the extra sum for health programs. Smoking takes money from the pockets of consumers who could spend it on things they deserve or like.       The smoke released from the burned cigarettes and cigars damages the environment. The filters used in cigars and cigarettes are often dropped in the parks which are then absorbed by ground. These filters are hard to collect and often contain dangerous compounds. Filters often contain benzene and formaldehyde which are deadly to humans and bad for the environment. Benzene can sink in sand and water and contaminate both the fruits and the water supply. Formaldehyde can also damage the trees causing them to die over time. This decreases oxygen levels and increases the carbon dioxide which ultimately hurts us, humans.       Smoking has many disadvantages over its pretty slim advantages shared by a few who are either addicted or in cigarette business. The city of Toronto is huge city with people travelling at about any given time. The smoking ban reduces their risk of developing a harmful disease. The ban protects pregnant mothers and their babies who are more vulnerable than any other person. It increases the amount of oxygen we can inhale everyday while protecting our environment from harmful chemicals. Tobacco smokers should consider the overall consequences before choosing a side. After all, they are mostly hurting the ones whom they love dearly.