Smoking cigarette causes illnesses and deaths. Therefore, we should raise cigarette taxes to reduce smoking in the US
Introduction to smoking and disadvantages of smoking
The fact that smoking is injurious to health is a known fact all over the world. Yet the number of smokers in the world is growing at an alarming rate. Smoking causes several health issues. Smokers include addicts, chain smokers, casual smokers and several others. The main objective is to ensure that they are aware of the harm that they are causing to themselves as well as to others in the process of smoking (Roberts, 1994). Moreover, they also need to be aware of passive smoking. Smoking has a typical attribute to make a person addictive. The fact that the society faces several problems like cancer and breathing allergies, complications in pregnancies, higher levels of stress and growing levels of pollution and addiction has led to it having become extremely important that social organizations come forward to the rescue of smokers and ensure that they are able to not only curb smoking but are also able to spread awareness and help inform people about rehabilitation and giving up of smoking (Dwyer, et al. 1986). All of these will help in the process of ensuring a healthier society. There have been several community programs but their effectiveness is questionable. In case of smoking, the people who smoke too much are immensely satisfied and search for the next opportunity to consume or smoke the same. It is crucial that severe measures be taken in order to discourage smoking and just spreading awareness on a small scale is not sufficient. It has not proven to be effective so far (Pierce, 1999). In this way it is possible to change the trends in smoking (Anemona, 2013).
Increasing taxes as a solution to discourage smoking
Smoking is a vice that does cause illness in the society. Smoking is categorized as to have tremendous negative effect on the society. Yet, as an industry it is one of the biggest contributors to several economies. So, governments do not take the decision of banning cigarettes completely. Yet, in order to restore the health conditions in the nation, it is important to discourage smoking (Roberts, 1994). Taxes helps increase the price of cigarettes and other Tobacco products. A significant increase in the prices of cigarettes makes them unaffordable and thus leads to a reduction in the demand for cigarettes (Powell, 2013). There are several barriers to the audience in adopting the desired behaviour as attitude and behaviour are psychological concepts (Pierce, et al., 2007). A step like increasing taxes on tobacco can help ensure that the money earned from these taxes is further utilized on reducing or rectifying the ill effects of smoking which include pollution and illnesses. The money earned from these taxes can be utilized for creating awareness and other programs that curb smoking. In this way it is extremely important to increase the taxes on cigarettes and other tobacco products in order to discourage smoking (Anemona, 2013). Smoking is definitely injurious to health and it becomes important for the government to try and reduce the ill effects caused by smoking in order to maintain the ecological balance as well (Powell, 2013). The rising rate of smokers in the world is growing at an alarming rate and so it is extremely important to implement measures like increasing the taxes on cigarettes and other products. It helps ensure effective reduction in the demand for cigarettes and it helps in forming effective changes in the smoking trends as well (Pierce, 1999).
Recommendations and conclusion
It is recommended that the taxes on cigarettes be increased significantly in order to discourage smoking. Smokers, even if they wish to smoke would not be able to get rid of this addiction easily and so need help. Yet there are several new smokers that get into smoking every day. High taxes help reduce this significantly. Information can help them overcome the barrier of ignorance (Pierce, et al., 2007). Moreover the barrier of inability to change due to addiction can come only through rehabilitation and this firms an essential element of the anti smoking program which works towards creating the right kind of access to information as well as medication and treatment for smokers to quit smoking and lead a healthier life (Roberts, 1994). In this way it is possible to help remove barriers ad help the audience develop an understanding about hazards of smoking and the process of quitting smoking. These measures are slow and take a lot of time, effort and money (Pierce, et al., 1996). So increasing taxes on cigarettes can help form an immediate solution and significant reduction in smoking based on the price and demand economic relationship or equation. In this way it is extremely important that taxes be imposed on tobacco products and these taxes be significantly high so that it is difficult to afford a cigarette and whoever smokes pays a heavy price to the government with which they can try and undo the ill effects caused by their act of smoking (Dwyer, et al., 1986). It become crucial to take such steps which support the reduction in smoking and its ill effects (Pierce, 1999).
References
Anemona, H. “New York raising age to buy cigarettes to 21”. New York Times, 31 October 2013. Web. 01 December 2013
Dwyer T., Pierce J.P., and Hannan CD. “Evaluation of Sydney "quit for life" antismoking campaign: part II. Changes in smoking prevalence”. Med J Aust., 144 (1986) : 344- 347. Print.
Pierce J.P. International trends in cigarette smoking. AMJ Public Health, 79 (1999). Print.
Pierce J.P., Dwyer T. and Chamberlain, A. “Targeting the smoker in an antismoking campaign.” Prev Med, 16 (2007) : 816-824. Print.
Pierce, J.P., Dwyer, T. and Frape, G. “Evaluation of the Sydney "quit for life" antismoking campaign: part I. Achievement of intermediate goals”. Med J Aust., 144 (1996) : 341- 344. Print.
Powell, Michell. “In pay to play Albany, Contributors win favors” New York Times, 31 October 2013. Web. 01 December 2013
Roberts D.F. 1994. “Maccoby N. Effects of mass communication”. In: Lindzey G, Aronson E, eds. Handbook of Social Psychology, 3rd ed. Reading, Mass: Addison Wesley, 1994. Print.
