Unfortunately smoking is something in which we still cannot escape, even today. It was in 1929 when statistical evidence first appeared that proved strong connections existed between smoking and lung cancer yet people still choose to smoke.
The good news is that in the last 60 years the percentage of people who smoke has been in constant decline (Cancer Research UK). I appreciate that quitting something that contains addictive substances will never be easy.
One of my biggest gripes with smoking is when teens start smoking. Particularly if it is for social reasons, I just don't understand why teenagers decide to start smoking. Putting a short stick in your mouth and inhaling the fumes and toxins that are inside, where is the fun in that?
Is it a cool thing to do because of celebrity endorsement and adverts? I’m glad the government is, if rather slowly, reducing the incentive to smoke. Increasing excise tax levels for cigarettes, I don’t think there is any more that can be done to persuade people to stop smoking. It has to be a personal choice, making cigarettes illegal would just mean people would start resorting to ever more dangerous and ‘underground’ ways of obtaining and smoking cigarettes.
Stop smoking schemes are important, especially for young people to prevent it before damage is done. If people are fully informed of the dangers and still choose to smoke then they’re a lost cause.
Laws regarding smoking in public places came in force in England in 2007 to protect employees who work in smoky environments (in particular pubs and clubs). Cigarette smoke has been shown to be just as dangerous for people within the same space.
Parents of small children who smoke have the responsibility to provide a smoke-free environment for their child. If they don’t they shouldn’t be allowed to have the child in their care. It’s just as bad as physical violence in my eyes.
Smoking is one of the few things in the world that I see no beneficial reason for its existence. To all those reading this who continue to smoke, give up before time runs out.
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