Final Rough Draft

Dominic Broderson

English 102

Sonia Begert

December 1, 2015

Smoking Kills More Than Yourself

I can imagine living in a luxurious life. I have a wife and six kids who go to private schools because I can afford it. My house has five bedrooms and I can even hire a maid. But simple actions such as pressing the brake puts me in pain. When I go to the doctors they open me up and then they close me back up with sickening news. The doctors say a heart wrenching line similar to, Dominic there is nothing we can do. You have six months left with your family and life. It will all be taken away from you because of smoking cigarettes. Cigarettes are harmful, addictive, expensive, and even deadly. Working as a Safeway courtesy clerk I will frequently retrieve cigarettes from behind the glass case for the customer to buy. The customer always smells bad, has unpleasant oral hygiene, and looks rundown. I believe cigarettes should be illegal. They kill 430,000 Americans each year and cause numerous health defects to people and others. They are addictive, costly, and bad for people around the smoke.

Sure smoking will lower the risk for obesity which is an immense United States difficulty when we have high fat and high sugar foods available to us. Also because of low weight the chances of knee replacement surgery is slim. Nicotine (which is found in cigarettes) contains an anti-inflammatory agent, which can lower chances of having an inflammatory disorder. Smoking also provides a relaxant; many stressful people smoke to relieve stress. However, what is the point of avoiding the benefits of smoking when smoking will kill people sooner.

In an article titled, “Effects of first exposure to plain cigarette packaging on smoking behaviour and attitudes: a randomized controlled study,” by Olivia M Maynard, Ute Leonards, Angela S Attwood, Linda Bauld, Lee Hogarth, and Marcus R Munafò state that, “Plain cigarette packs reduce ratings of the experience of using the cigarette pack, and ratings of the pack attributes, and increase the self-perceived impact of the health warning, but do not change smoking behaviour, at least in the short term.” Which means that current ways to detour smoking are not changing people’s attitude to do so. Their quote is based off a lab experiment they conducted.

With cigarettes being addictive they will kill people. It is hard to quit. People fall into the conviction that it is easy to quit. If I smoked then (in addition to cigarette purchases) I should set money aside for my wake. It may start with one cigarette a day, but then it is impossible to stop. Instead I will want more until it is a pack a day or more. When people become addicted to smoking then the addiction might progress to worse drugs. Cigarettes are widely accepted as a gateway drug.

Gateway drugs are drugs that might lead to other more perilous drug addictions. With daily smoking cancer development is high and many other health defects. At Safeway I have met many people who have no voice, use a white board to communicate, have a hole in their neck, or sound like a robot. I ask myself is it really worth it? Not only would I lose my money but also my health all for a temporary satisfaction.

Before I say goodbye to my life I need to say goodbye to my wallet. Cigarettes in Washington State are at $8.98. If I smoke a pack a day for a year that is $3,277.70, looks like no annual vacation. Now many people who smoke a pack a day are around the age of 26 and older. A pack a day for the next twenty-five years accumulates to $81,942.50 if the price of cigarettes stays the same. With this new knowledge I can ask myself, should I pay the $82,000 to die agonizingly or should I find a cliff and jump? Quick, painful, and free. If I really wanted to spend the money I would spend it on something that is good for me. A fast car, or a getaway cabin in the woods next to a lake. I understand that quitting can be difficult. So instead of wasting that money in the long run spend it on rehab to survive.                                                                                                                    

Cancer caused by smoking is a definite way of making family spend thousands and thousands of dollars on treatment that may or not work. Treatments are expensive and rough. Why would I leave my loved ones in debt because I had get that excitement of a cigarette? Do not leave family and friends with a hindrance. Also smoking around others can give them secondhand smoke.

The yearly death toll for victims with secondhand smoke is at 53,800. An example of secondhand smoke affecting others is provide by a man named Nathan. Nathan used to be a marine and was athletic. He belongs to the Oglala Sioux tribe and never smoked a cigarette, but because of his employment in the tribe’s casino where everyone smokes, he can no longer take a few dance steps without getting tired.

Secondhand smoke also effects the future. It hurts the child exposed to the smoke. Eman Al-Sayed and Khadiga Salah Ibrahim wrote an excellent article titled, “Second-hand tobacco smoke and children,” which is about the negative health effects smoking has on children. In their conclusion they stated, “Children who are exposed to passive smoking are subjected to oxidative stress, which has been implicated in the etiopathogenesis of many disorders. Some of which occur in organs that have no direct contact with the smoke itself such as the liver. Smoking induces three major adverse effects on the liver, immunological, toxic, and oncogenic effects. ETS exposure is associated with physiologic evidence of systemic biochemical alterations in children. They have lower plasma levels of antioxidants such as vitamins C and E, B-carotene, folate and uric acid. Meanwhile, they have higher plasma levels of some pro-oxidants such as iron. The relationship between SHS exposure and markers of oxidative stress in children strengthens the proposed relationship between SHS, oxidative stress, inflammation, and diseases. It provides evidence suggesting that these pathways are integrally associated with SHS-exposure-related mechanisms of harm. Understanding these pathways may improve prevention and treatment of SHS-exposure-related diseases. A diet rich in antioxidants is important for children exposed to SHS such as those containing excess vegetables and fruits. Supplementation of antioxidants may be warranted in SHS-exposed children, but more studies are necessary to determine the optimal doses and clinical impact of the supplements. Our article provides additional evidence that children need to be protected from SHS exposure, both through vigorous efforts to encourage smoking cessation among family members and through policies that eliminate smoking in places where children exist.”

From research I know that smoking not only hurts me but others around me. It not only kills me but kills others around me. Smoking can take the money away from me that I could use to have a happy life. I do not believe smoking would make me look cool, I know it would make me look like an idiot. After many years I would look like a train wreck. Who would be selfish enough to kill themselves so that others can mourn at their painful loss?

I know that I am not alone in my thinking. A survey was taken on debate.org titled, “Should Cigarette Smoking Be Banned?” The survey concluded that 79% of people believe that smoking should be banned. A user on the site by the name of, rhianramos, states that, “Cigarette smoking damages the body gradually in a number of different ways. There are thousands of chemicals in the average puff of cigarette smoke. Despite all that, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or CDC, 26% of American adults continue to smoke, with heart-rending outcomes. Each year smoking is blamable for 430,000 deaths (one every five). Smoking is not just a habit as many people thought for many years. Some groups like Pro-Tobacco Group often claim that cigarette smokers have the right to abuse their body if they choose. They believed that all the health dangers of cigarettes will fade in a puff of smoke; when they quit, assuming that smoking from, say, age 16 to age 28 will have no long-term effects, smokers often fall back on an "I can always quit tomorrow" (next month or next year) philosophy. Recent studies show that the quitting success rate among teenagers is very low; less than 16% of the 633 teen smokers in the study were able to quit. Cigarette smoking needs to be banned because it affects the health of the smoker, the health of non-smoker (secondhand smoke) and, the environment.” Another powerful statement on the site was submitted by an unknown thirteen-year old. The child said, “Many people die from lung cancer and heart disease each year from smoking. So I honestly think it should be banned and I'm 13 years old. My grandfather died of lung cancer about 6 years back and it just causes a great sense of denial and emptiness if you lose someone close at the hands of nicotine. So yes, cigarette smoking should be banned.”

Thankfully to my knowledge I have never smoked. Smoking wastes $82,000 before death. Cigarettes will addict users; they will take away free agency. It will make people endure a painful year before going six feet under. Smoking will hurt everyone. I will not pay for the short, painful way out of this world and neither should others who are addicted and cannot stop.  Other feel the same way too. It’s not about restricting people’s freedom to be bullies, but it is about protecting fellow citizens, family, and friends. Cigarettes should be illegal to possess and smoke.

Works Cited

Chang, Cindy M., et al. "Systematic Review Of Cigar Smoking And All Cause And Smoking Related Mortality." BMC Public Health 15.1 (2015): 1-20. Academic Search Premier. Web. 6 Oct. 2015.

Mead, Erin L., et al. "The Role Of Theory-Driven Graphic Warning Labels In Motivation To Quit: A Qualitative Study On Perceptions From Low-Income, Urban Smokers." BMC Public Health 15.1 (2015): 1-11. Academic Search Premier. Web. 6 Oct. 2015.

Al-Sayed, Eman M, and Khadiga Salah Ibrahim. "Second-Hand Tobacco Smoke And Children." Toxicology & Industrial Health 30.7 (2014): 635-644. Academic Search Premier. Web. 6 Oct. 2015.

Maynard, Olivia M., et al. "Effects Of First Exposure To Plain Cigarette Packaging On Smoking Behaviour And Attitudes: A Randomised Controlled Study." BMC Public Health 15.1 (2015): 1-9. Academic Search Premier. Web. 20 Oct. 2015.

Chien-Min, Kung, Wang Hai-Lung, and Tseng Zu-Lin. "Cigarette Smoking Exacerbates Health Problems In Young Men." Clinical & Investigative Medicine 31.3 (2008): E138-E149. Academic Search Premier. Web. 20 Oct. 2015.

     

Fan, Guo-Biao, Pei-Lan Wu, and Xue-Min Wang. "Changes Of Oxygen Content In Facial Skin Before And After Cigarette Smoking." Skin Research & Technology 18.4 (2012): 511-515. Academic Search Premier. Web. 20 Oct. 2015.

Mathers, M., et al. "Consequences Of Youth Tobacco Use: A Review Of Prospective Behavioural Studies." Addiction 101.7 (2006): 948-958. Academic Search Premier. Web. 20 Oct. 2015.

Tidey, Jennifer W., Suzanne M. Colby, and Emily M. H. Xavier. "Effects Of Smoking Abstinence On Cigarette Craving, Nicotine Withdrawal, And Nicotine Reinforcement In Smokers With And Without Schizophrenia." Nicotine & Tobacco Research 16.3 (2014): 326-334. Academic Search Premier. Web. 20 Oct. 2015.

CALLISON, KEVIN, and ROBERT KAESTNER. "Do Higher Tobacco Taxes Reduce Adult Smoking? New Evidence Of The Effect Of Recent Cigarette Tax Increases On Adult Smoking." Economic Inquiry 52.1 (2014): 155-172. Academic Search Premier. Web. 20 Oct. 2015.

NADEEM, Farkhunda, Amin FAHIM, and Saira BUGTI. "Effects Of Cigarette Smoking On Male Fertility." Turkish Journal Of Medical Sciences 42.S2 (2012): 1400-1405. Academic Search Premier. Web. 20 Oct. 2015.

Azagba, Sunday, and Mesbah F. Sharaf. "The Effect Of Graphic Cigarette Warning Labels On Smoking Behavior: Evidence From The Canadian Experience." Nicotine & Tobacco Research 15.3 (2013): 708-717. Academic Search Premier. Web. 20 Oct. 2015.

Vincent, Irena, and Harvey R. Gilbert. "The Effects Of Cigarette Smoking On The Female Voice." Logopedics Phoniatrics Vocology 37.1 (2012): 22-32. Academic Search Premier. Web. 20 Oct. 2015.

Domier, Catherine P., et al. "Effects Of Cigarette Smoking And Abstinence On Stroop Task Performance." Psychopharmacology 195.1 (2007): 1-9. Academic Search Premier. Web. 20 Oct. 2015.

Karcaaltincaba, D., et al. "Cigarette Smoking And Pregnancy: Results Of A Survey At A Turkish Women's Hospital In 1,020 Patients." Journal Of Obstetrics & Gynaecology 29.6 (2009): 480-486. Academic Search Premier. Web. 20 Oct. 2015.

Herbert, Mireille, Jonathan Foulds, and Chris Fife-Schaw. "No Effect Of Cigarette Smoking On Attention Or Mood In Non-Deprived Smokers." Addiction 96.9 (2001): 1349-1356. Academic Search Premier. Web. 20 Oct. 2015.

Vani, G., K. Anbarasi, and C. S. Shyamaladevi. "Bacoside A: Role In Cigarette Smoking Induced Changes In Brain." Evidence-Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine (Ecam) 2015.(2015): 1-16. Academic Search Premier. Web. 6 Oct. 2015.

Kadhum, Murtaza, et al. "A Review Of The Health Effects Of Smoking Shisha." Clinical Medicine 15.3 (2015): 263-266. Academic Search Premier. Web. 6 Oct. 2015.

"What Kinds of Illness and Death Are Caused by Smoking Cigarettes?" What Kinds of Illness and Death Are Caused by Smoking Cigarettes? American Cancer Society, 20 Feb. 2014. Web. 06 Oct. 2015.

"Should Cigarette Smoking Be Banned?" Should Cigarette Smoking Be Banned? Debate.org, 2015. Web. 06 Oct. 2015.