Smoking Ban

Meaning of smoking: the act of smoking a cigarette, cigar, etc.and the meaning of ban: to forbid people from using (something) : to say that something cannot be used or done. (Credit for meaning of words goes to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary).Clarification: I admit I should have been clearer. I believe banning smoking in general is the best thing to do. I am PRO on this standpoint. Maximum of 12,000 characters. I believe everything else to be covered in Round 1. If not, I tried my best. Thanks Juris, for accepting this debate. I am honored to have my first debate with someone as highly qualified as you. I really look forward to it. As this is my first debate, my apologies if I misinterpret anything. Without further ado: My Thesis: My main arguments will revolve around the idea that putting a ban on smoking will better air quality, the health of the smokers, the health of those around the smokers, and will simply be overall beneficial to society in virtually every way possible. I will try to shorten my arguments as much as possible since I have a tendency to babble. ;) Argument #1: The Health of the Smoker: Some may say that smokers should be able to make stupid decisions on their own. Despite me initially agreeing with this claim, I think it would be more reasonable to take away a stupid decision so it doesn't have to be made in the first place. Yes, we are supposed to be able to make our own decisions at our own risk. However, smoking does nothing but give the smoker countless lung and heart problems. Most people know this is stupid, but they do it (smoking) anyway either out of peer pressure or using it as a stress relieving technique (though it eventually starts giving more stress than there was to begin with). What does smoking accomplish? Nothing. Nothing at all. For example, we don't allow adolescents to have shotguns in their school lockers. Why? Because nothing positive will be accomplished. It has a high chance of ending the child's life (or those around them) as well as many other problems. Does this sound familiar? It does to me. It sounds like smoking. It (smoking) can also harm things such as your vision, breathing, blood vessels, your liver, so on and so forth. Some health effects and diseases caused by smoking include: Heart attacks: one of the leading causes of death in the United States Lung cancer (death rate within five years: 83%) Throat cancer (death rate within five years: 83%) Strokes: another leading causes of death in the United States Pancreas cancer (death rate within five years: 94%) Stomach cancer (death rate within five years: 72%:) Liver cancer (death rate within five years: 84%) Many respiratory diseases: again one of the leading causes of death in the United States Cancer in general: one of the leading causes of death in the United States Many, many more. Smoking causes 1 in 5 deaths in the United States each year. Doesn't sound very beneficial at all, does it? Smoking causes more deaths than HIV, Illegal Drug Use, alcohol use, motor vehicle accidents, and firearm-related incidents COMBINED. Smoking is the worst drug of all. I believe that this should suffice my first argument. Source(s): http://www.cancer.org... http://betobaccofree.hhs.gov... http://www.cdc.gov... http://www.cdc.gov... http://en.wikipedia.org... Footnote: Generally when I think about topics such as this, I think: “It does more harm than good.” While in this case, I have to say that it does all harm and no good. Argument #2: Secondhand Smoking: Up until this point, plenty of people are probably still thinking, "Let them choose. I'm not a smoker. If they want to smoke and get all those health problems, so be it."However, smoking effects nonsmokers almost as bad as the smokers themselves. Although secondhand smoking is generally and understandably associated with children, also take into account that other adults are affected by smokers poor choices as well. Secondhand smoke, as for the smoker, does nothing but harmful things. An example for this argument will be the fact that secondhand smoke causes approximately 3,400 deaths from lung cancer and 22,700 to 69,600 deaths from heart disease each year. Bear with me is that this is killing people who don't even smoke. Some aren't even around smokers often. A: How it effects children: Other facts to keep into consideration: A child exposed to secondhand smoke can be at risk of getting the following: Asthma More frequent and severe asthma attacks Respiratory harm (shortness of breath and coughing, for example) SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) Bronchitis and Pneumonia (150,000-300,000 cases per year for pneumonia alone) 7,500-15,000 annual hospital visits, the root cause being secondhand smoke At this point I ask you: is your right to choose more important than your child(ren)'s life/lives? B: How it effects adults: Heart Disease For nonsmokers, breathing secondhand smoke has immediate harmful effects on the cardiovascular system that can increase the risk for heart attack. Affects towards those with already existing heart disease are even more severe. Nonsmokers who are exposed to secondhand smoke at home or work increase their heart disease risk by 25–30%. Secondhand smoke exposure causes an estimated 46,000 heart disease deaths annually among adults who don't even smoke per year. Lung Cancer Nonsmokers who are exposed to secondhand smoke at home or work increase their lung cancer risk by 20–30%. Secondhand smoke exposure causes an estimated 3,400 lung cancer deaths annually among adults who don't even smoke. All of these figures are true for the United States only. Golden Rule: “Treat others how you want to be treated.”I certainly don't want to get any of those secondhand ilnesses and eventually and probably death. Alas, I am still at risk because of the sheer amount of smokers. This is infringing on my rights as a citizen and completely against my will. Source(s): http://www.cdc.gov... http://www.lung.org... Argument #3: Smoking is the Leading Preventable Cause of Death: Title says it all. I have to admit I don't have to say much for this one. “Let others choose to make stupid decisions!” they say. We have the right to make our own decisions unless it harms or infringes on others. Take into consideration that all these deaths are distributed into both the smoker's and secondhand smoking. Makes you rethink the common free choice rebut, doesn't it? Pro-choice is great 99% of the time, but this is an exception. The terror of smoking is, in fact, an exception to many things. Source(s): http://www.cdc.gov... Argument #4: Air Quality Another baffling statistic that shows smoking is 100% harmful and does zero good for anything is the fact that smoking is worse than exhaust for air pollution. Jacked up air quality, like smoking, does nothing but bad things for the environment and for the health of people around the air. Cigarette smoke produces 10 times more air pollution than diesel car exhaust! This proves my point to a great extent considering all the flack that car pollution and its dangers have been getting lately. http://www.webmd.com... Smoking is worse than air pollution from cars. We don't endorse air pollution from cars “so people can make their own decisions.” I feel it appropriate to kill off that potential rebuttal before CON has the chance to say it. Hopefully that doesn't contradict my rule that rebuttals are in Round 3. (I intend rebuttals in round 3 to be only of arguments said by me or you). Source(s) for Argument #4: http://www.webmd.com... http://www.medicalnewstoday.com... Before I come to a complete stop think about this: Argument #5 The Cost of Money: Think of the cost! I haven't even covered the cost of smoking, not only to the smoker and his/her family, but also to everyone else! Smoking gives unneeded insurance to the taxpayers! Think of all the smokers who have no insurance! Taxpayers (such as my parents and grandparents) get stuck with their completely preventable medical expenses. Summary: An overall summary of my arguments would be as follows:Argument 1: Generally increases overall stress to smoker/user. Effects health. Almost always is involved in the death of the smoker.Argument 2: The fact alone that secondhand smoke kills and hurts so many people each year shows infringement on our (nonsmokers) rights as citizens. Argument 3: Title says it all. We shouldn't endorse the leading cause of preventable death (leading cause of death period) if it can be prevented.Argument 4: Smoke from cigarettes messes up and pollutes the air worse than anything else. It can carry on forever and the smoke can effect someone who doesn't even know the smoker. Nothing positive is gained through this. Argument 5: Infringement of the rights of others.Smoking does not do anything good. Everything about it is negative.Sorry if I made rookie mistakes, and I apologize if I got sloppy near the end as I did this all in one sitting. I am eagerly awaiting your response, CON.