Should Tobacco Products be Banned?

Jordan Todd
English Composition 1
Self Argument Essay Should tobacco products be banned? I believe they should because they kill about 400,000 prematurely every year. Tobacco products kill more people than illegal drugs do such as cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine. People get arrested for having marijuana in their possession and they don’t have to be smoking it but studies show that cigarettes are more harmful to a person’s health. I say they should make tobacco illegal as well because in my opinion tobacco is also one of the worst drugs out there. In states like California to New York there are many restrictions on when and where people can smoke cigarettes. Bars, restaurants, and some universities have banned smoking. Now someone can be fired from their job because they cannot quit, now in some cities it’s nearly impossible to smoke anywhere besides someone’s home, so doesn’t it make sense that tobacco should be illegal also? The only reason why it is not is because even if it becomes banned it’s not going to stop people from doing it, it’s the same as people who smoke marijuana they still do it even though it’s illegal. There would be people hiding in alleys afraid of being caught smoking cigarettes because they cannot quit, the overcrowding of prisons would increase with people who are addicted to cigarettes. If tobacco becomes illegal people would be doing the exact same thing as people who smoke weed do to get their fix, they would go through drug dealers. We have tried to ban tobacco products in state prisons, like in California, but tobacco users still continued to smoke. Thank God that there’s no one trying to outlaw tobacco products because it would be horrific. People who smoke start smoking because of many different reasons such as peer pressure, social rewards, risk-taking behavior, parental influence, misinformation, genetic predisposition, advertising, self-medication, media influences, and stress relief. Peer pressure is one of the biggest reasons a person will start smoking. People usually start when they are a teenager because teens are most willing to give into peer pressure when someone asks them to try a cigarette. People who start smoking due to social rewards, which is also related to peer pressure. Social reward are like gifts that people feel they receive when they are participating in a group, smokers who go on breaks at their job go out and have a cigarette usually at the same time tend to bond and it starts just as simply as one asking if they someone has a lighter. When someone starts by a risk-taking behavior it’s because there’s a thrill that one gets from breaking the rules by smoking underage which gets a teen to push the limits of rules by school, parents and communities. Smoking gives that thrill of excitement and sense it’s illegal for minors to purchase tobacco, teens find a way to get their hands on cigarettes either through someone who is 18 or older that is willing to get them cigarettes or they may even steal from a family member who smokes. Parental influence is another major reason why someone may start smoking because studies show that children of active smokers are more likely to start smoking than children of nonsmokers. Misinformation can get people to start smoking because of advertising cigarettes that are considered “light” cigarettes but are no different than regular cigarettes.