Smoking in the United States

Smoking in the United States

if cigarettes were banned in the United States, the government could apend the money currently used to pay medical bills, on more necessary causes. Instead of this money being used for diseases which were knowingly brought upon by the smoker him or herslf, this money could be used in finding a cure for diseases that are not preventable. Perhaps the saddest effect of smoking is that on pregnant smokers and their babies. When pregnant women smoke, their babies are being forced to smoke, too. many women begin smoking at an early age and find it hard to quit even during pregnancy. Information given from Health Watch discribes smoking as a harmful gas and deadly substance thats passes throughout baby's blood from mother's blood (2). This selfish act on the mothers part can result in miscarriage, stillborn (SIDS).When a pregnant woman smokes, the various chemicals, including nicotine and carbon monoxide , also affect the baby. "These chemicals have a direcct effect on the growth of the fetus. The more the mother smokes during pregnancy, the lower the weight of the newborn infant. Smoking increased the risk(by more than 50% in light smokers and well over 100% in heavy smokers) taht the baby's weight will be less than 2500 grams," (Tye 6). Such babies are more likely tio be stillborn, to need intensive care in the hospital, or to die in infancy. Not only does smoking gave dangerous and fatal effects on the baby, but the mother is at risk as well. The more a pregnant womean snokes, her risk of placenta abnormality and excessive bleeding increases. Also, nicotine may decrease mild production and make successful breast feeding more difficult, (Taylor 8). So if a mother would knowingly endanger her life an...

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...ch prevent against heart disease, as compared to children in non-smoking homes, (Rumph 20). Also, " girls with parents who smoke have a lower ability to carry oxygen in the blood, while boys had a lower testosterone level than children living in non-smoking homes," (Houston 121). Although some progress has been made to reduce secondhand smoke in public places, it is not enough. There are no laws to protect people on the street or innocent children in their homes. The only way to protect innocent non-smokers is to ban the sale of cigarettes, so there would be no second-hand smike at all. Cigarettes are harmful to everyone. They result in addiction, fatal illnesses, birth complications, and death. Cigarettes create economic problems because of the high costs the government must pay for medical bills. cigarettes benefit no one, they only cause harm.