The dangers of smoking are well known, yet many people continue with this habit. What are the causes of this? How can we reduce smoking in society?

In today's world,

although

it is well known that smoking has a devastating impact on human's health,

people

still continue doing so.

Firstly

,

this

essay will discuss possible reasons for

such

a development and,

secondly

, it will analyse how the problem can be solved.

To begin

with,

first

of all, the main reason for

people

to continue smoking is irrational behaviour, namely one part of it which is named habitual behaviour.

This

concept in economics means that

although

smoking does not maximize

people

's utility since it is harmful to their health they are likely to continue smoking since it is an extremely strong habit.

Therefore

, smokers do not consider quitting even though they know the possible consequences of their actions.

However

,

on the other hand

,

this

problem can be solved by government intervention. The most powerful tool may be subsidies given to alternatives of

cigarettes

that do not have

such

a harmful effect on our organism.

Hence

, not only will companies which produce these alternatives be able to lower their prices but

also

this

may increase the demand from customers.

For example

, a reduction in prices for nicotine-free

cigarettes

in Ukraine has led to a 15% fall in the demand for

cigarettes

. Eventually, to conclude, the major cause why

people

continue smoking is the habitual behaviour which is so strong that consumers cannot stop and quit

this

devastating habit.

However

, if the government intervene and provide subsidies to firms that produce not harmful alternatives to

cigarettes

it may increase the demand for a given product and decrease the consumption of

cigarettes

.