Essay On Why The Smoking Age Should Be Raised To 21

I propose that the smoking age should be raised to 21 for the following reasons.
Many teens start smoking before they are 18. Most start in their mid to late teens. I believe this law should be reconsidered for our well being. The age to buy any form of cigarettes, cigars, and electronic cigarettes as well as chewing tobacco should be 21. Currently it is at 18 and giving teens a longer period of time to consider the choice of whether to smoke or not, at such a young age is crucial. Raising the age to 21 will have a significant impact on children and youth and their health. It has been said in health class that the younger you start smoking the easier it is to become addicted. That being said tobacco companies target youth towards smoking.
Tobacco companies advertise their products using bandwagon. Especially when advertising specifically to women. They use slim figures in their advertisements trying to encourage them to smoke. One of their motto’s is, “ An addicted person is another customer.” As older smokers pass away or perhaps quit, the smoking community declines forcing tobacco companies to advertise. They like to call new smokers backup smokers. For example cigarette companies add filters to their cigarettes which makes them look safer to smoke, but in reality filters do not work as much as they seem to be. Many people agree the age to smoke should be raised.
I personally have spoken to teachers about this topic and they agree that raising the age to 21 is ideal and if possible to ban tobacco. “I just see no point in smoking” they say. All they see is a faster route to the graveyard. Which makes no sense why people want to end their lives at such in an unhealthy way. Underage smoking needs stopped in order for us to become a healthier country.
Setting a new minimum age nationwide that study estimated, would result in a nearly quarter million fewer premature deaths and 50,000 fewer deaths from lung cancer among people born between 2000 and 2019 (CNN 2015). Teens have or may have older friends that help them get access to cigarettes. Raising the age to 21 would provide a wider gap in age difference between high school age children and the adult population that would impact the youth population’s access to cigarettes and tobacco
goods.
The rate of the use of electronic cigarettes has increased in last year. Even tobacco companies have switched over to the vape industry (Electronic Cigarettes). Many people say it is safer to derive nicotine from which has been proven somewhat false because scientists don't know the effects after smoking it for a long period of time. The number of teens who tried e-cigarettes and hookahs tripled in one year. The AAP policy urges the U.S Federal Food and Drug administration to regulate electronic cigarettes and other electronic nicotine delivery systems the same way as other tobacco products. (CNN 2015). Also here are some risks to electronic cigarettes, one being that the e-cigarettes use a special kind of liquid called e-liquid. Being left unattended in a reachable spot for younger siblings to get ahold of it could be fatal if ingested to the infant or child for the insecure packaging according to. Companies should create more child resistant packaging to keep curious kids from drinking nicotine used in electronic cigarettes, the AAP policy also said. (CNN 2015) My goal is to make an impact on 15 to 17 year olds. The reason for this is to promote health in younger people. Many older smokers have reported that they started smoking in their mid to late teens. In 1957 a spanish doctor named nicholas Monardes wrote a book about the history of medicinal plants of the new world.
In this he claimed that tobacco could cure 36 health problems. (wikipedia 2015) Through years of research this has been proven wrong. I believe research is way more valuable than an opinion. Same goes to electronic cigarettes that many people say it is safer than real cigarettes. During my research I came across an article on CBS news. That electronic cigarettes are mechanically dangerous because of their poor manufacturing which leads to exploding while the consumer is using the cigarette. (Wikipedia
2015)
There needs to be more education on tobacco, such as hanging posters in public places such as schools, grocery stores etc. Also, students should be given a brief refreshment of the dangers and effects of tobacco during their senior year. Murtaugh High School introduces cigarette dangers through their health classes in the freshman year of teens. Many school districts have their own teaching schedules. So displaying heavier information on public streets using billboard's would at least inform individuals more.
It is unbelievable what cigarettes companies will due to make a profit. According to (“what's in a cigarette, 599 ingredients in a cigarette” 2014 ) tobacco companies began to add filters in cigarettes. This makes the consumer believe that their cigarette is safer to smoke. Although they do help a bit but not enough to save someone's health. Which caused a bitter tasting cigarette. So the companies idea was to hire some chemists to add several chemicals into the cigarette to make it taste not so bitter. Also there a few other chemicals added not just for taste but in the aid of ignition. A chemical similar to rocket fuel helps the tip of the cigarette to burn hotter in order to absorb nicotine more easily. Give ammonia to a regular citizen and he/she will know that ammonia is known as a general household cleaning product. Give it to a tobacco company and they will add this to a cigarette in order to make it easier for your lungs to absorb the addictive nicotine.
Secondhand smoke also has a tremendous effect on children, especially birth to elementary age children, which leads them to develop terrible symptoms of asthma, lung cancer, respiratory infections, cardiac diseases, and a host of other medical issues. Policy protecting children from tobacco products is one of the most important things a society can do. (CNN 2015)