Smoking. Why do people smoke? What drives someone to smoke? Generally the answers to both theses questions are simply addiction.

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Richard Fagan

Smoking

Smoking tobacco had been popular since the Elizabethan times and at this point in time thousands of people are still killing themselves by doing something that simply is lighting tobacco wrapped in paper and inhaling the smoke - yet people continue to do it, why? Peoples rights – to and not to smoke? And the money that’s involved in this multimillionaire business, these are some of the points I will be covering in this essay.

Why do people smoke? What drives someone to smoke? Generally the answers to both theses questions are simply addiction. I feel a major percentage of smokers are purely addicted to the nicotine in the cigarette. Once someone has become a smoker, they become addicted and as nicotine is said to be more addictive than cocaine its almost impossible to give up. But how do they get started in the first place? There are many different reasons why certain people might smoke. One main reason why a younger person may start smoking is to do with “The Look”. Younger people can be lead to believe that smoking is “cool” and can make them look and seem older. Peer pressure can also drive people to start smoking as teenagers sometimes smoke to fit in to a certain group or gang. Reason for an adult to start smoking can involve work related pressure or simply stress.

Along with people’s right to smoke burning tobacco wrapped in paper, non-smokers also have a right to avoid smoke. Passive smoking is inhaling the smoke from other inconsiderate smokers. The effects of passive smoking at a serious level can include a mild form of lung cancer. An example of someone who died of passive smoking is Roy Castle. He died of lung cancer through inhaling smoke whilst playing the trumpet in a nightclub, he never smoked himself. Nowadays in this society we go to great lengths to avoid smoke – if we chose. In restaurants there’s non-smoking areas, but in places like cinemas, football grounds and airports it’s strictly ‘no smoking’. This is not only for health reasons but also safety reasons.

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On average over one thousand two hundred pounds is spent by every smoker every year on cigarettes. This blistering fact is the reason why the cigarette business is one of the largest in the world. Its not only the cigarette companies that are making millions off the suffering and even death of others, but the government makes substantial amounts of cash from 17.5 % tax on every packet of cigarettes sold. This is why they don’t do anything to cut down the sale of cigarettes as they make too much money from them. Advertising is also a way in ...

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