October 25, 2016

Dear Next President:

There are countless health complications facing the United States and the rest of the world. Ones that can be prevented are health problems related to tobacco use. Smoking and chewing tobacco should be made illegal for purchase and use. It is harmful to the smoker and anybody that is around the smoker.

Cigarettes can harm the body in multiple ways. according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), smoking can contribute to the occurrence of up to sixteen cancers. It can harm the optic nerve cells, which can lead to eye problems or even blindness. Furthermore, smoking can cause a decrease in bone density, and, if it is decreased, bones can be harmed easier and heal slower.

Cigarettes are not the only tobacco-containing products that can harm the user. Cigars, pipes, and chewing tobacco/snuff are all harmful in their own ways. Cigars and pipes are not thought to be as harmful as cigarettes, but it is shown that they are actually worse if somebody were to breathe in their smoke as much as smokers do with cigarettes. Chewing tobacco does not damage the lungs like cigarettes do, but it still affects the body negatively. A study by the HHS shows that holding an average sized piece of chewing tobacco in the mouth for about thirty minutes gives as much nicotine as smoking four cigarettes.

Smoking not only harms the smoker, but it also corrupts the health of the people around him/her. Young children and pregnant women are particularly at risk of some diseases when breathing in the smoke from a cigarette or cigar. Children can have underdeveloped lungs, and are more likely to have asthma or allergic reactions to smoke. Accordingly, pregnant women exposed to secondhand smoke can have a child that has these problems, or they can possibly have a stillborn baby.

Tobacco should not be legal for people to utilize, whether it is in cigarettes, cigars, or chewing tobacco. It is harmful to the person smoking or chewing, and the smoke is damaging to the people around him/her. It can cause many health problems, or it can cause the person to have a higher risk of becoming physically harmed.