Smoking is a major cause of serious illness and death throughout the world today. In the interest of the public health, governments should ban cigarettes and other tobacco products. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Many today are calling for a complete ban on

tobacco

-related products due to their

health

effects. In my opinion, since

tobacco

offers few tangible benefits,

such

a prohibition would be justified. Opponents of

such

a policy argue that it conflicts with individual and economic freedom.

Firstly

, individuals should have the right to live their life as they wish as long as they are not harming others.

This

is the basic tenet that underlies most democratic societies and smoking

cigarettes

falls firmly within

this

sphere of an individual’s rights.

Secondly

, there is an economic factor.

Tobacco

companies produce billions of

cigarettes

a year, providing employment and paying significant taxes throughout the process. If these companies were suddenly forced to declare bankruptcy and shut down, it would have catastrophic short-term effects on the economies of both developed and developing nations. The economic downsides alone could, temporarily, do more harm than good.

However

,

tobacco

is an almost entirely harmful product in its effects.

In contrast

to other narcotics,

such

as caffeine, alcohol, and cannabis, there is no discernible sensation produced by smoking

cigarettes

or chewing

tobacco

.

Tobacco

contains nicotine, which is highly addictive and engenders a chemical dependency, and

that is

the reason it has become

such

a common habit.

Moreover

, there are meaningful

health

problems that for smokers as well as unintended parties through

second

-hand smoke. It is common for long-time smokers to suffer from a weakened immune system, conditions like emphysema, and an increased risk for lung cancer. These maladies place an added burden on the

health

system and hospitals. The limited benefits of

cigarettes

compared with the massive potential

health

costs for individuals and society justify the ban. Individuals have always had to sacrifice elements of freedom in order to ensure greater security and

this

issue is only viewed differently for historical reasons.