So much more could be said in order to help rid people of diseases and health related issues, however the only thing that could save lives is the removal of this filthy habit – which is currently not illegal.
Peer pressure and being socially accepted are only two of the excuses used by smokers who would reason that a smoking ban is a breach on their civil rights. Although the government cannot legislate against morality, it can, however, pass laws designed to improve public safety and health.
If you believe I am simply attacking the civil rights of smokers though, and turning my nose up at them, think again. We all like money, don’t we? Well, the Australian economy suffers dramatically as Australia spends a total of 32.9 billion dollars annually with healthcare relating to smoking. Yes, I said billion.
You’d think, well, hope that the presence of cancer, heart attacks, strokes and emphysema would be enough to stop smokers in their tracks. Sadly, it’s not. Even packaging cigarettes with bland colours and signs alarming potential buyers of the disgusting effect of a history of smoking doesn’t quite seem to do the job.
Not only are non smokers and the Australian economy suffering from the deadly toxins implemented by smokers, children in particular are as well, in more ways than one. Because it is ‘socially acceptable’, at least 3 million adolescents are smokers. This means that teens are 3 times more likely to use alcohol, 8 times more likely to smoke marijuana and 22 times more likely to use Cocaine.
But perhaps this isn’t just a standard of social behaviour? Considering over 10 million young people aged 12-18 live in a household with at least one smoker, the rate of likelihood for a child to smoke increases instantaneously.
Of the 3,000 teens that started smoking today, nearly 1,000 will eventually die as a result from smoking. These may be very alarming facts if you are unaware of the damage that smoking causes and have children in their adolescence, nonetheless, you may as well hear it from me now and protect them before it’s too late.
If you are struggling to keep up with the facts, try this on for size. Imagine a passenger airplane crashes in Australia every Wednesday. This appears to be a huge tragedy, with many fatalities, but this is approximately the same number of people who die from smoking every week. Wake up and smell the not-so-fresh air!
So, when will Australia see a total smoking ban? As long as we keep lighting up the facts, breathing in the information, and more importantly doing something about it. Keeping everyone aware of the dangers of smoking will lead to a sure end to this ongoing issue.
This is purely about the health and safety of our own country. Protecting ourselves against what is the largest single cause of death and disease in Australia. This is certainly one ban that doesn’t stink.
