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A case for banning cigarette sales Ashley Clark, 14, Lawrence Jr. High School Copyright © 2004 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc. | ||
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It is a fact that there are more than 400,000 deaths in the U.S each year from smoking related illnesses, so why do cigarettes even exist? If one product causes approximately 2,100 adults in Maine to die each year from smoking, why do we even allow it in Maine? Millions of packs of cigarettes are sold in Maine each year and if the distribution of cigarettes were illegal in Maine then we would be improving and saving thousands of lives. Such a law is certainly not unrealistic. If the distribution of cigarettes was illegal, it would be harder for smokers to obtain cigarettes. This law would make the distribution of cigarettes illegal but wouldn't take away the right to smoke. smoking should one day be totally abolished and this law would be a step in that direction. By making it harder for Mainers to get cigarettes it would be the boost many people need to quit smoking and would hopefully decrease the average amount of people who start smoking. You may say that such a law wouldn't pass because so many people in Maine smoke that it would never even be considered, but how many smokers do you know that actually deep down want to keep smoking? Those who do smoke probably wouldn't be completely against such a law because they would know that it would only help them. If stores did not carry cigarettes, wouldn't that provide incentive for people to quit? You may also say that not allowing cigarettes to be distributed in Maine would be negative for those who make a profit from them. That is true and it probably would decrease their sales. You can either make money and sell people a product that could kill others or you can lose a little cash and save a person's life by not distributing such a product. Aren't we losing more money in health costs than profits from cigarettes anyways? The number of deaths alone is good enough result to stop the distribution of cigarettes. Over 50,000 people and 6,000 children every year die from second hand smoke alone. That is over 56,000 people in America that die just because someone else chose to smoke around them. Did you know that second hand smoke triggers up to 26,000 new cases of asthma each year and Maine has the highest rate of asthma in the nation? Smoking is a very casual thing now even for teens. According to the partnership for a tobacco-free Maine, there are 3.4 million packs of cigarettes sold or bought by kids every year. If you have kids or are you close to any child; do you want them to have anything to do with those 3.4 million packs of cigarettes? It is a fact that 33,000 kids in Maine 18 or younger will prematurely die from smoking? Do you want a child you know to be one of those 33,000 dead children? I strongly believe that if such a law was passed it would be a step towards a smoke free state. Wouldn't it be wonderful if to know that the future generation of Maine would be less exposed to smoking than are today and therefore would be less likely to smoke? |
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