Smoking Tobacco Cigarettes In Canada

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Smoking Tobacco Cigarettes

At today’s day in age, almost everyone knows a person who smokes cigarettes. According to the Canadian Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey (CTADS), “the overall smoking prevalence in 2013 was 15% (4.2 million smokers).” ("Summary of Results for 2013." Government of Canada, Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada. N.p., 3 Feb. 2015. Web. 06 July 2016.) Smoking is responsible for over 37,000 deaths in Canada annually. That’s six times more than the number of deaths due to vehicle collisions, suicides, murders and AIDS combined. Smoking tobacco cigarettes should be made illegal in Canada because they are harmful to the people who smoke as well as the people around them, they are bad for the environment, …show more content…

An estimate of 30% of cancer-related deaths and over 80% of lung cancers are due to smoking cigarettes. Additionally, smoking is a contributing factor to the growth and progression of cancer of the throat, mouth, larynx, esophagus, stomach, bladder, kidney, cervix and pancreas. Furthermore, second-hand smoke is detrimental to children and adults. Exposure to second-hand smoke alone resulted in 831 deaths in 2002 among Canadian adults. The only way to ensure the protection of non-smokers is to eliminate smoking in all homes, worksites, and public areas. Also, smoking poses a serious threat to pregnant mothers and their fetuses. Fetal exposure to nicotine causes an increase in heartbeat and can decrease lung and airway growth. Carbon monoxide exposure can reduce the oxygen supply to the fetus, which can result in lower birth weights. Due to the harmful effects of smoking on humans, it should be …show more content…

Tobacco companies spend billions of dollars annually marketing cigarettes, when the money could be contributed to a number of greater causes that would benefit from doing so. About $9.5 billion was spent on advertising cigarettes in the United States in 2013. This amount is equal to $26 million per day, or over $1 million per hour. As well as tobacco companies, consumers spend enormous amounts of money on cigarettes. Rather than saving the money and using it for personal benefit, smokers spend up to $8,500.00 or more each year on their smoking habits. Likewise, smoking related illnesses result in an increase in medical expenses. Smoking-related illnesses in the United States cost over $300 billion annually. This includes $170 billion for direct medical care and over $156 billion in lost productivity. Canadians would be saving thousands of dollars each year if cigarettes were

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