Should smoking be illegal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Should smoking be illegal - Essay Example The most popular of which is cigarette smoking, the other being cigar and pipes. There are some variations like the strange hookah of the Middle East or the water pipes found in a specialty bar round a city corner. The popularity of tobacco, particularly cigarettes, led to some cultural stereotypes. For example, cigar is used commonly by men. Experts point to several factors why smoking is prevalent. Among young people for instance, smoking is cool and for some, it is a passport to adulthood. Some adults rely on smoking to calm their nerves. David Krogh wrote in his book that people use tobacco to normalize their feelings within the narrow band necessary for functioning within an industrial society, where energy levels have to be carefully rationed according to expectations. (qtd. in â€Å"Wikipedia par. 35†) Indeed, smoking has become a lucrative industry that markets were now identified and there are cigarette variations targeted toward the young, men, women, professionals, sporty types and so on. Today some of the most notable brands - Philip Morris, Marlboro, Camel and Virginia Slims - have transformed themselves into successful brand identities and some, cultural icons, too. The major issue against tobacco smoking is the health consequences. So far this had been the most effective detrimental to tobacco use and a cause for those in favor of total smoking ban. Again, we quote the WHO on how smoking claim lives and produce grim statistics that have been documented through the years: â€Å"Tobacco is the second major cause of death in the world. It is currently responsible for the death of one in ten adults worldwide (about 5 million deaths each year). If current smoking patterns continue, it will cause some 10 million deaths each year by 2020. Half the people that smoke today -that is about 650 million people- will eventually be killed by tobacco.† (WHO par. 1) Researches have specifically found that smoking is a major