A free country, America, gives citizens the right to do what we want with our bodies which may include smoking. As citizens, we are legally allowed to smoke, as harmful as it may be. The habit should not be taken as far to the point where other people may be harmed. Cigarettes are responsible for killing unborn babies, causing illnesses, and secondhand smoking is actually worse than actually smoking. Many lives would be saved if only smokers were limited to smoking only in private. The rights of non-smokers are being taken over by those who choose to cloud their lungs with cigarettes.
When in a public area, non-smokers are being exposed to secondhand smoke, cigarette smoke present in the environment that may be inhaled by nonsmokers. This is not fair to the non-smoker who is being forced to inhale this toxic air only because the place allows smoking. Those who do smoke may argue that being sent out is unfair. However, they are putting in danger not only their own life, but also the lives of those around them. Many public places now issue designated smoking sections. This idea may fool some but does not guarantee the non-smokers the clean air they deserve. Smoke travels and may put the non-smokers’ lives in danger without them even aware of what is happening.
Other than the fact that smoking puts everyone’s lives in danger, it is an enormous waste of money and time. Imagine how much time and money is wasted in a smoker’s life buying and smoking cigarettes. Not only does smoking shorten lives, but wastes what is left of it. Having such an addictive effect, cigarettes are purchased by smokers constantly. All of the money spent on the worthless cigarettes adds up. Knowing that so much money is put into something so useless is a true disappointment. Instead, the money could have been used to save lives rather than endangering them. There are so many innocent, helpless, poor and sick people in the world whose lives could be changed with this money. Smoking is only a filthy habit.
Others are encouraged to join, seeing the joy of smokers. Nowadays, when people see someone doing something, they want to join in. Their minds foolish, smoking may look new and exciting, but the cruel effects of it are not realized until much later on. Generally, most smokers are influenced by others to start. They were most likely influenced by peer pressure, trying to impress their friends. Smokers are more likely to spread since they are allowed to smoke in public places. When smoking in private, the smoker can only harm themselves without influencing others.
Many smokers may argue that they have the right to smoke freely which is true up to a certain point, but they must ask themselves if this statement is still true when taking away the freedoms of others. Everyone should be able to go out in public without needing to even worry about their air being polluted with toxins. The smoker has the choice to endanger their own lives but they have no right to influence anyone’s but their own.