Kyohei Baito
2B Writing
December 9, 2010
Opinion Essay
People Should Not Smoke
Do you smoke? Recently, the dangers and problems associated with smoking have become increasingly clear all over the world, and antismoking laws are becoming stricter and stricter. Consequently, the number of smokers is becoming smaller and smaller. According to a survey of our class, the percentage of smokers in this class is only 8%. Also, smoking manners, such as not smoking in public places and smoking only in smoking places are becoming more necessary. Statistics of our class show 100% of our classmates think that smokers need more smoking manners, moral, and rules. However, we can often see people who are smoking as we walk outside, even on university campuses, who don’t obey the smoking manners and rules. When I see the people like them, I am displeased and worry about the consequences of their actions. I believe that people shouldn’t smoke for three reasons.
The first reason not to smoke is that smokers cause harmful effects on other people. For example, second-hand smoke is more dangerous than first-hand smoke. Second-hand smoke is more likely to cause lung cancer than first-hand smoke. Also, smoking in public spaces make other people feel uncomfortable because almost all nonsmokers dislike the smell and smoke of tobacco. According to a survey of our class, 91% of nonsmokers are felt uncomfortable by smoke. In addition, JT, one of nonsmokers in our class, said, “After my father stopped smoking, my house’s air became much clear, so I feel comfortable now.” Finally, the children of smokers often see their parents smoking, so they will be more likely to smoke than the children of nonsmokers.
The fact that smoking exposes smokers to some serious risks is another reason that people shouldn’t smoke. As many people know, smokers have a heightened risk of getting cancer. Another example of why smoking isn’t a wise decision is smokers can’t exercise hard like nonsmokers because smoking makes people lose stamina to exercise, and it may cause smokers to grow fat. Aziz, one of smokers in our class, said to me, “Exercise makes me easy to be tired. For example, if I walk for only one hour, I will be tired.” In particular, some female smokers have a problem getting pregnant, and children in their bodies are sometimes negatively affected before they are born.
The final reason people shouldn’t smoke is smoking makes smokers waste much money. For instance, it is very hard to stop smoking for smokers because of their dependence on and addiction to nicotine, so many smokers pay money for tobacco forever. Aziz also said, “It’s really hard for me to stop smoking.” Also, the price of tobacco is increasing more and more, and smokers and their family suffer from the expenses of tobacco. Statistics data of our class prove that, 83% of countries represented in this class are increasing the price of tobacco. Moreover, smoking makes one’s walls and furniture dirty, and it sometimes causes dangerous fires. Walls, furniture, and houses are really expensive, so if these items are damaged, smokers and their families will waste too much money.
To summarize, smoking has no advantage but has many disadvantages. Not smoking doesn’t bother other people, doesn’t harm one’s health, and doesn’t waste money on tobacco. Because of these reasons, people shouldn’t smoke and should stop smoking even if it is hard and takes a long time to stop. I hope that the number of smokers will keep decreasing, and society will be more comfortable for everyone in the future.
