Cigarette smoking is not only a pursuit for pleasure performed by many individuals, but it has become a form of addiction that must be satisfied in order to get through a typical day. People today have become accustomed to the idea of a "cigarette break" to appease their cravings for nicotine. There are many debates to whether cigarette smoking should be kept legal or made illegal. Taking a closer look at the effects that cigarette smoking can have will help one to see that it should be made illegal.
There is an estimate of 1.1 billion tobacco smokers in the world. Cigarette smoking can cause serious health conditions that may lead to death. About 3 million deaths occur annually worldwide due to tobacco use. The problem continues to rise as more and more young people begin to smoke. The effects that cigarette smoking can have on the body vary. Some examples include chronic lung disease, coronary heart disease, stroke, peptic ulcer disease, or many types of cancer. Smoking during pregnancy not only causes health problems for the mother, but can have damaging effects on the unborn child. It can lead to low birth weight, prematurity, and even sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
The actual smoker is not the only one at risk for health problems. People around smoking are also at risk. Secondhand smoking can be very harmful. Those who inhale cigarette smoke on a regular basis are at risk for the same health problems as the smokers themselves. Adults have an advantage in that they can choose to walk away from such an environment. On the other hand, most infants and children do not have that freedom. They are stuck in a situation beyond their control that may cause them to acquire health complications for the rest of their lives.
Besides having a harmful effect on the human body, tobacco use also causes the government to spend a lot of money each year. Huge sums of money are spent on health care resources.
