Discursive Essay on Smoking

Smoking- Good or Bad?
Smoking is a very serious issue in today’s culture and life. Tobacco related diseases are some of the biggest killers in the world today and are cited as one of the biggest causes to premature death in industrial countries. Yet, it is a source of income for developing countries. So here the question arises “Smoking- Good or Bad?” Smoking may be seen as a negative thing to some but it does have some benefits. The sales of cigarettes are extremely profitable, at an average of 5-6 pounds for a packet of 20 cigarettes. That is an hour’s wage for a person over 18 gone and if you smoke 20 a day then you spend 35-40 pounds a week on cigarettes. Wikipedia stated that “as of 2002, approximately 5.5 trillion cigarettes are produced globally a year and are smoked by 1.1 billion people”. These staggering figures clearly show just how much on a positive effect smoking has on our economy. However, Smoking is a greater cause of death and disability than any other singled disease as classified by the World Health Organisation. This is also probably due to second-hand smoke affecting non-smokers; www.smoking-facts.net stated that “3000 non smoking adults die yearly due to diseases from second hand smoke”. Diseases linked to smoking include many forms of cancer, cardiovascular disease, respiratory ailments, cataracts that may cause blindness, birth defects to pregnant smokers’ children. In short, smoking is extremely harmful to our health and the health of people around us. Smoking may be profitable and good for the economy but without us there is no economy so smoking shouldn’t be allowed, should it?
On the other hand smoking is an escape for some from the problems that face them; many smokers say that smoking calms them down. Although there is no proof it makes sense as the smoker is taking long steady breaths their heart rate lowers therefore reducing their stress. Smoking is better to turning to alcohol or drugs as an escape from life’s problems. It is much better to smoke than to that to abuse alcohol or take drugs. No studies have shown anyone to have died from one single cigarette but it only takes one overdose or one excessive drink for you to seriously damage your health or even possible die.
Smoking may be a way to escape your problems but it is probably the most expensive way. The average smoker starts to smoke before they are 18 years old and smokes 15.1 cigarettes a day (www.idph.state.htm). Considering a pack of 20 cigarettes costs roughly £5-£6, smoking has proven to be very expensive; in fact a recent survey by Clerical Medical stated that the average person spends 92 thousand pounds on cigarettes in a lifetime. Imagine what you could buy for £92,000 in perfect health as well.
Smoking clearly has both benefits and faults to it. It helps our economy and helps people escape their problems but smoking is also extremely bad for both our mental and physical health, it is also incredibly expensive to smoke. Smoking is obviously a choice that people have, knowing fully what it does to their health and its other faults. You either smoke or you do not, simple. It a choice and no-one can change your opinion. Personally I think smoking is bad for your health but I do not judge anyone who does smoke it is entirely up to them what they choose to do.