A significant population in the world smoke cigarettes, which is a harmful behavior. Various studies have indicated that smoking is among the leading but preventable causes of death and diseases around the world. Apart from health issues produced by smoking, financial issues also prevail and they are among the main predictors of quitting smoking. For instance, Sindelar and O'Malley (2013) found out that quitting smoking could help an individual to save about $3000 per year. Despite the financial, environmental, and health problems created by smoking cigarettes, many people argue that smoking provides various benefits, and they cannot imagine the world without cigarettes. For example, some people argues that smoking reduces the risk of obesity, Parkinson's diseases, and knee-replacement surgery. However, in the long run, smoking cigarettes have become a huge global problem. Cigarettes have been destroying our finances and our environment. However, in my research, I will try my best to view the optimistic and pessimistic things about cigarettes and new ways to stop smoking as soon as possible. This study indicates that although the optimistic perspective of smoking includes economic impact, reduce the risk of some diseases, and release stress, the pessimistic side includes health, financial, and environmental impact, which outweigh the optimistic side.
Cigarette smoking has adverse health impact to the humans. For instance, smoking causes diseases such cancers to the lungs, throat, esophagus and mouth. Smoking cigarette also accelerates the development of other cancers such as the bladder, cervix, pancreas, and kidneys (McNeil, Piccenna, & Ioannides-Demos, 2010). Lung cancer was first cancer to be linked to cigarette smoking, and the disease has become the leading cause of cancer deaths of people across the world. Besides cancers diseases, cigarette smoking has also led to causes of cardiovascular diseases such as heart diseases, diseases of the blood vessels and stroke. In 1958, the epidemiological study showed a strong relationship between cardiovascular disease and smoking (McNeil, Piccenna, & Ioannides-Demos, 2010). Therefore, cigarette smoking has been among the main contributors of the prevalence of diseases worldwide.
The cost of smoking is not only attributed to the financial cost only but also to the high cost of life and health insurance. Other costs involve increase in the health care costs because of the prevalence of diseases that are related to smoking. As the smokers, exhale the cigarette smoke they expose the people around them to harmful chemicals emitted from the cigarette, and consequently affect their health adversely. Therefore, helping the cigarette smokers to quit smoking will improve the health of the population and will additionally reduce the impact of poverty on the society. Therefore, it is evident that smoking is not only expensive to the smokers but also the people regarding health and financial loss. Sindelar and O'Malley (2014) suggest that the financial loss can be used as motivation to help the smokers stop smoking.
Many people argue that there are purported advantages of a smoking cigarette to produce a sense of calm as well as relaxation after smoking a cigarette. They forget to imagine the world without cigarettes. According to many studies, one of the most disregarded issues smoking creates is the damaging impact, the use, and subsequent disposal of cigarettes has on the environment (Wilson et al. 2012). Despite health beneficial to the smokers such as lowering the risk of Parkinson's disease and obesity, smoking has been a killer of our environment. This calls for cooperation to lessen this impact, and restore the planet to health. One major impact of cigarette is it contributes to environmental pollution due to the cigarette butts and the remnants of smoked cigarettes that are discarded in environments.
The butts are carried as runoff to drain into the water bodies, and hence water pollution. According to many studies, second-hand smoke contains carcinogens, poisonous gasses, and toxic metals. Therefore, the substances have an adverse impact on human health as well as affect our environment. Another huge impact of smoking is polluting the air, this damage of air pollution do not end there, the manufacturing and farming process for cigarettes also highly pollutes the air. Pollution through smoking introduces two toxic gasses, methane, and carbon dioxide. Environment pollution ideally, would best be solved by reducing the number of people who smoke, worldwide.
Various studies indicate how smoking cigarette reduces the risk of obesity. Precisely, the nicotine in cigarettes is an appetite suppressant. For instance, in America, the cigarette companies were targeting women to try to lower obesity. According to Wanjek (2011), the relationship between body weight control and the smoking cigarette is multifaceted. Nicotine acts as both an appetite suppressant and stimulant, which triggers behavior modification that stimulates smokers to snack less. Additionally, nicotine also might make food less tasty, which consequently curb the appetite. However, in the long-run smoking cigarette results in various health problems as illustrated above, which outweighs the advantage of reducing the risk of obesity. For instance, nicotine in the body results in increase in heart rate and blood pressure (Gene Therapy, 2012).
Several studies conducted illustrate that smoking cigarettes have positive impact on the economy, but the relationship is complex. Many people can argue that smoking can be of no benefit to the economy. However, they do not withstand the attempts that have been made to quantify the financial benefits and the costs brought to the community by cigarette smoking (Sindelar, & O'Malley, 2014). The financial benefits of smoking cigarette are primarily assessed regarding the financial contribution that is made by the cigarette industry to the economy. Smoking falls excessively on people with low income and low education. However, in the end, smoking is not only a health problem but also a financial drain for low-income people.
Could smoking less be safe? Logically, if something is not good for ourselves and used less, it would help to reduce the harmful impact on our environment as well as on our health. According to Myth Buster (2007), “those who cut their consumption from 20 cigarettes a day to 10 had the same death rate from heart disease and lung cancer than those who continue to smoke a pack a day.” To curb the impact and problems associated with cigarette smoking is to stay smoke-free. It is not an essay decision, but with financial perception, quitting become easy and ensure a healthy platform for the people. Summing up, the world would be a better place without cigarettes smoking, and that is why smoking should be regulated and minimized (Wilson et al. 2012). However, the choice as to whether to smoke or not should be based on the individual decision. On the other hand, the benefits of cigarette smoking should be substituted with other forms of medication such as medicinal nicotine.
In conclusion, it is clear that although the optimistic perspective of smoking includes economic impact, reduce the risk of some diseases, and release stress, the pessimistic side includes health, financial, and environmental impact, which outweigh the optimistic side. The paper have indicated that smoking is among the leading but preventable cause of death and diseases around the world. Therefore, cigarette smoking is a global epidemic among people and harmful not only to our health but also the surrounding environment. Generally, every part of the human body is essential, and everyone should take care of these organs. It is very vital to maintain our health, and this requires individuals to take an extra mile of stopping smoking. The evidence is satisfactory to conclude that school-based programs should be enhanced. In addition, policy makers should develop policy that use financial, health, and environmental adverse impacts as motivators for smoking cigarettes.
References
Gene Therapy. (2012). Quit Smoking with a Shot. Research Highlights, 487.
McNeil, J. J., Piccenna, L., & Ioannides-Demos, L. L. (2010). Smoking cessation–recent advances. Cardiovascular drugs and therapy, 24(4), 359-367.
Myth Buster. (2007). Could smoking less be safe. Women's heart advisors supplement.
Sindelar, J. L., & O'Malley, S. S. (2014). Financial versus health motivation to quit smoking: A randomized field study. Preventive medicine, 59, 1-4.
Velicer, W. F., Prochaska, J. O., Rossi, J. S., & Snow, M. G. (1992). Assessing outcome in smoking cessation studies. Psychological bulletin, 111(1), 23.
Wilson, L. M., Avila Tang, E., Chander, G., Hutton, H. E., Odelola, O. A., Elf, J. L., & Apelberg, B. J. (2012). Impact of tobacco control interventions on smoking initiation, cessation, and prevalence: a systematic review. Journal of environmental and public health, 2012.
