Sayonara Smoking!
Every form of smoking is detrimental to the human body
Smoking is an increasing problem not only for the youth of our generation, but also people who grew up around cigarettes and can’t quit. The tobacco industry spent 9.3 billion dollars in 2017 on cigarettes and smokeless tobacco in the US. Does the need for tobacco really trump the well being of humans?
The debate surrounding “which is healthier: cigarettes or vapes?” has plagued media in recent months, causing a flavored vape ban, and the increase of the age required to purchase tobacco products. No matter what side you argue for, the question should be “why do we need this stuff in the first place?”
When looking at the pros and cons of smoking, a common trend would be the momentary gratification that you get from the cigarette or vape, but in reality, there are no other benefits. Addiction is never healthy, no matter what it is, and tobacco companies know the addiction is what keeps their business booming.
The crackdown on vapes is unfair compared to the damage of cigarettes
In the recent months, vaping has been the forefront of controversy towards companies aiming their “safer than cigarettes” alternatives to teenagers, but the root of the problem isn’t the vapes, it’s the idea that there needs to be an alternative to cigarettes in the first place.
Cigarettes kill 480,000 people on average every year, but for some reason the three dozen deaths that have occurred from vaping was enough to cause a flavor ban and an age raise. It is the profit from cigarette companies that leave politicians pointing their fingers toward vapes.
The easiest solution to the plague of tobacco addiction would be an all-around ban. There are already other ways to receive nicotine such as patches and gum, but to believe that you still need to smoke something to get nicotine is absurd.
In reality, there is no form of smoking that is good for you. The human lungs are designed to process one thing: oxygen, and anything else you put into your lungs does more harm than good. The question I want to raise is: Is that momentary gratification you get from smoking really worth the longevity of your life?
The blame needs to be shifted on to not only vape companies but on the entire tobacco industry as a whole. It is the american citizen’s addiction that fuels the fire to such a harmful business.
