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Terrell John English 1- block 2 Mrs. Knowles 20 March 2014

Smoked out Lungs Smoking here, smoking there, Smoking happens everywhere even though it is the leading preventable cause of in the U.S. today. Smoking is the cause of more than 480,000 deaths a year in the U.S. alone. Along with how it affects your health it also affects your childs health. Smoking can cause defects like SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) and preterm. Along with that it can make it harder for a woman to get pregnant, and if she does get pregnant it can affect her babys health before and after it is born. One out of every three cancer deaths are caused by smoking alone. The amount of damage smoking causes is not fair to those who dont want to breathe in the destructive poison. The amount of damage smoking causes is not fair to those who dont want to die early. The amount of damage smoking causes isnt fair to the infants and children who are dying faster than they should at a young age. Smoking turns your lungs into an erupting volcano burning like fire but full of smoke. Full of ash and dust making you cough and wheeze while making you look like an old man having a seizure. Smoking violates non-smokers rights because whether they smoke or not their health is still affected by second hand smoke, and smokers can badly influence non-smokers. Health effects pg.2, 3

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why should individual air pollution, as a result of cigarette smoke, be the last hold out in the realm of public rights(counterpoint 1). The irresponsibility of one shouldnt cause a negative impact that affects all. When one person smokes it reduces the health of the environment, people around them, and it reduces air quality. Why should people with asthma and breathing problems have to suffer due to the carelessness of others? Kids at a young age are also affected by the poison puffed out by others. Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking explains that Smoking can cause lung disease by damaging your airways and your small air sacs (alveoli) found in your lungs(3). Also stated by this article smoking causes 9 out of 10 of every lung cancer deaths in men and women (2). Based on this information smoking can make the world a very dangerous place to grow up in, and you can develop these problems just by being a victim of second hand smoke. How fair is it that an innocent person who doesnt smoke has to have health issues due to the recklessness of others. Smoking out Leviathan asserts that Fully 22 percent of Americans support and outright ban on smoking, according to a recent Gallup poll (1). Smokers not only ruin the environment and destroy your good health, they also can be a leading factor in causing new people to start smoking. Barbra Branson acknowledges that According to the American Lung Association, 68 percent of adult smokers started at age 18 or younger, and every day almost 3,900 children under 18 try their first cigarette. This is just proof of how peer pressure can be a leading factor in causing not only young people to start smoking but to do anything unsafe or wrong. Most kids try to fit in with the crowd and do what the cool kids are doing or they try to be like their friends to fit in. By doing that it causes young people who never wanted to smoke to start smoking and even get addicted, and then it turns into more than just fitting in but having a bad habit. Thomas Valente states that, popularity is a strong predictor of smoking(1). I agree with that statement because I have seen kids doing things that I

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know they dont want to do and act a certain way around their friends just so they wont be an outcast. Popularity can play a big role in the things you do and are pressured to do. Famous people are expected to act perfect all the time, and the moment they make a mistake all their haters pass a judgment. Young People feel this way when it comes to smoking, doing drugs, and other unsafe or bad things. They feel if they dont smoke like their friends or do things like their friends then everyone will judge them and treat them badly. Resources can also be a factor in younger people getting influenced to smoke. If young people can easily acquire a pack of smokes from their friends, family, and neighbors whether there underage or not it can raise the chances of them smoking but especially if they can legally smoke. All though smoking is bad for the environment, your health, the air, and childrens health some smokers feel making smoking illegal in public places violates their rights of freedom and the first amendment. Also some people could care less if smoking is legal or not. Taking away their right to smoke in public places does violate their right to smoke. It is somewhat unfair to make it illegal in public places. Some smokers also feel that smoking is a way to relax calm down and relieve stress, but honestly is it fair to kill off and give other people heart problems just so a few can relax or relieve stress ? Is it right to sacrifice the environment and put others health on the line so others can puff poison into our air. All humans share this world and its unacceptable that non-smokers have to suffer because of the negative effects smokers cause. Smoking in general is a problem that needs to be solved but probably never will be. For now we need to vote to make smoking illegal in public places, or the government needs to pass a law to stop smokers. If it is illegal it will not only reduce the amount of smokers in public due to fear but it can also break smokers habit of smoking which in the long run will stop the reduction of their health and allow them to somewhat recover. I also recommend there be a pretty pricy

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fine for people caught smoking peoples lives are nothing to joke around about. The most extreme price to pay for smoking would be jail time, but I think it should be the last alternative for uncooperative smokers. There will be no future for our great, great, great, great, great, great, great grandkids if we allow this toxic waste to continue to enter our atmosphere. There may not even be a far future for us if we keep breathing in the smoke released by cigarettes. With the number of humans growing so does the number of smokers. More smoke means a greater impact which will cause more health problems for people and more death. When we die our lungs will look like a dusty dried out raisin. So many lives have been already lost because we continue to hold back. Clean air is healthy air which is everyones right, we shouldnt have to be the ones forced to pay the price for breathing in unclean air.