Smoking

419,000 Americans die each year from the deadly habit called smoking. The reasons why there are so many deaths is because the federal government is not doing enough to prevent smoking, kids are going down this deadly path, and secondhand smoke still continues to affect the non-smokers. Most of secondhand smoke comes from smoking in public places, the work place, and from living with a smoker.

The government is doing the most it can to prevent people from smoking. Senator Edward M. Kennedy is suggesting a bill to raise the cigarette tax up 20 cents per pack. This twenty cents per pack will raise approximately $15 billion over the next five years. This money will go to insure the uninsured children. Kennedy says "say no to Joe Camel, say no to the Marlboro Man, no to the tobacco lobby, and yes to the nation's 10 million uninsured children." The president also says there are 5 key steps into preventing youth from smoking.

1. a comprehensive plan to reduce teen smoking, including tough penalties if reduction targets are not met
2. full express authority for FDA to regulate tobacco products
3. changes in the way the tobacco industry does business
4. progress toward other public health goals and
5. protection for tobacco farmers and their communities.

The government has also found that if we raise the price of cigarettes by 10% then there is a 7% drop in teen smoking. The president's proposal limits vending machine sales, mail orders, free samples, and self-serve displays. Clinton says "we already limit access to other items such as pornography and alcohol sales through vending machines; we should not allow tobacco to be sold there too". The president wants to put a limit on the advertising of the companies. The government has many different organizations to prevent teens to smoke such as D.A.R.E., NO Tobacco For Kids, Tobacco Free Kids, and the Smoke-Free Environment act.

Many teens light up for their first time each day. In fact each day 3,000 teens start to smoke. At least 1,000 will die early from smoking related illnesses. With 1,000 teens starting smoking across America in one day, that means that 1,095,000 will start a year. Already three million children and adolescents smoke cigarettes and one million adolescent boys use smokeless tobacco. Unfortunately teenage smoking continues to rise between 1991 and 1994 the percentage of eighth graders that smoke rose by nearly one third. For the same time period, the percentage of tenth graders that smoke rose 22 percent. Many people at my school smoked at once. I have seen some of them. Most of them smoke because they want to be some one or they want to show that they are cool. After they smoke they turn out to be someone that they thought they wouldn't be.

Secondhand smoke will kill 53,000 Americans annually from them breathing in other people's tobacco smoke. Secondhand smoke is mostly from smoking in public places, the work place, and from living with smokers. Breathing tobacco smoke can hurt anyone, but it is especially harmful to the elderly, the very young, and those with existing respiratory problems. California has a law that prohibits smoking in restaurants and almost all other workplaces. In addition, 281 California communities have passed their own local smoking restrictions to help prevent secondhand smoke. Every time someone smokes, poisons such as formaldehyde, benzene, and carbon monoxide are released into the air. Everyone is breathing in all of these chemicals. Studies now show that secondhand smoke can cause diseases such as lung cancer and heart disease. A seven year study shows that never-smoking spouses have more than a 20 percent greater chance of death from heart disease than those who have never smoked and live with non-smoker(s).

R.J. Reynolds claims to be innocent because that it's cartoon is just like any other cartoon such as Snoopy, Mr. Clean, Rusty Jones, and the Michelin Man. However those cartoon characters don't smoke! Joe camel does and that's why he isn't getting very many good comments. The tobacco companies claim that the bottom line is that Joe camel is plain old innocent but he isn't. Cigarette companies say that republicans are the ones that support the smokers rights

There are many things that you can do to help prevent smoking. One way is letting friends, coworkers, and others know that you mind if they smoke. Asking to be seated in a non-smoking sections when you dine or travel is another way. Ask your dentist to eliminate smoking in their waiting rooms and to help enforce nonsmoking regulations in all health-care facilities, including hospitals. You might want to encourage management and unions where you work to establish a policy to protect nonsmokers on the job. And most of all you should support legislation to restrict smoking.

Soon the amount of smoking related deaths will be significantly reduced and less kids will be smoking. Then the world wouldn't have to worry about secondhand smoke and all of the other illnesses. So, with the help of the federal government and the cooperation of everyone we can reduce and maybe even stop smoking one day.

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