Prevention of Smoking Essay

Can Smoking Be Prevented by Making Tobacco Illegal?

The issue of smoking plays a significant role in modern society. The problem is that using tobacco is a mass phenomenon all over the world and has raised the degree of epidemics because of the number of smokers. It is noteworthy to declare that the prevalence of smoking often pertains to the inexpensive and mass-produced manufacturing of cigarettes. Actually , the central problem connected with smoking may be the high level of mortality among smokers because of various diseases caused by this type of dangerous habit.

The chance of undergoing health damage involves not just smokers, but in addition children and the alleged “secondhand smokers, ” or passive smokers, who inhale the tobacco smoke from the environment created by active smokers. There is common worry in regards to the problem of world wide smoking about the growing statistics of death from diseases caused by smoking tobacco. There are several suggestions to solve the situation of mass smoking, such as for instance a smoking ban, which implies the illegal status of tobacco. Consequently, however , a ban on smoking would fail as a result of economic dilemmas and the increased opportunities for the black market.

A ban on tobacco wouldn't result in preventing smoking. The situation is that the establishment of laws against smoking will cause a growth in activity in the black market, which will spread the tobacco products illegally. Such prevention would create the prosperity of criminal organizations, including the mafia as well as other illegal gangs, making a make money from selling tobacco, alcohol, as well as other illicit substances to people. There is no doubt that the increasing quantity of illegal activities means the growth of the criminality rate that influences the typical situation in the united states negatively. The growing amount of illicit tobacco markets would cause competitiveness among gangs, which often contributes to violence. Consequently, a ban on smoking will not end in the prevention of smoking, but rather create profitable terms for the development of the black market.

There clearly was an example of the unsuccessful attempt from the us government to stop the spread of alcohol. The us government banned the production and sale of alcohol in 1920 in the usa (Thornton). Consequently, people had access to prohibited substances through illegal enterprises. Such legislation was repealed in thirteen years due to total failure (Thornton). Such laws had more disadvantages in several perspectives, such as the inability to prevent the spread of alcohol. It is possible to compare the intention to ban tobacco with the prohibition of alcohol by federal law. For that reason a ban on tobacco would not be an effective way to cut back the number of smokers.

An additional important truth is that the prohibition of smoking will decrease the revenue of the us government from the production and sale of cigarettes. When it comes to legislation against tobacco production, the financial system of any country would undergo significant loses (May). The closure of factories that produce tobacco and cigarettes will lead to the growth of taxes to cover the losses. Consequently, the government will have to legitimize the production of tobacco to enhance the financial status.

In conclusion, the prohibition of tobacco would not prevent smoking about the existence of black markets and the economic collapse caused by substantial losses. Ergo, if the us government bans smoking, such an approach will just lead to other problems, but in addition fail to reduce steadily the adverse effects of smoking. A much better plan is always to increase the understanding of people in regards to the negative impact of tobacco on health insurance and life, which will result in conscious smoking cessation.

Works Cited

May possibly, Caroline. “What Would a Smoke-Free America Cost the us government? ” The Daily Caller, 2011, dailycaller. com/2011/02/28/what-would-an-america-without-smokers-cost/.
Thornton, Mark. “Alcohol Prohibition Was a Failure. ” Cato Institute, www.cato.org/publications/policy-analysis/alcohol-prohibition-was-failure.