Cedar Hill Prep School

My name is Shivam Singh and I am completely for cigarettes becoming illegal. My reasons are the following:

Cigarettes are a major health concern to smokers. They can cause multiple fatal diseases such as cancer, periodontitis, peptic ulcers, and many more harmful diseases. Latest research has determined that cigarette smoke also influences the process of cell division in the cardiac muscle and changes heart's shape. Cigarettes also cause many oral problems such as black lips, burnt tongue, and throat damage. Smoking cigarettes can cause halitosis, tooth loss, and cavities. In 2014, cigarettes were the cause of 6 million deaths, 450,00 of which were underaged smokers. The projection for 2015 is off the chart, it is projected that there will be 300 million deaths because of cigarettes at the end of the 21st century.

Cigarettes are also, though, a significant cause of harm to the natural environment. Cigarette manufacturing consumes scarce resources in growing, curing, rolling, flavouring, packaging, transport, advertising and legal defence, but also causes harms from massive pesticide use and deforestation.Cigarettes also cause air pollution. Cigarettes cause 10 times more pollution than diesel according to medicalnewstoday.com. Environmental tobacco smoke produces fine particulate matter, which is the most dangerous element of air pollution for health.This air is breathed by many other people and it causes second hand smoking. Not only is the smoker harming his/her self but also the people around him/her.

Finally, cigarettes are also very expensive. An average smoker smokes 2 packs per week in the United States, the average price for cigarettes around the United States is approximately $6. This means an average smoker would pay about $2000 yearly. That is $2000 wasted on something that is completely unnecessary and has an overall negative effect on you. Also, cigarettes cost the United States over 300 million dollars yearly. 175 million dollars to care for care for adult smokers, and 150 million for premature deaths and second hand smoking deaths. Lastly, non-smokers have to pay taxes because of cigarettes.

As you can see, cigarettes have nothing but negative effects. I think cigarettes should be illegal for the reasons above

I completely agree, but to clarify manufacturing and actually smoking cigarettes cause air pollution.