About smoking

People have their own preferences for food. They may be coffee, alcohol, chocolate, cigarette, and so on. Some people drink coffee by habit, or others drink alcohol to reduce their stress. However cigarette is quiet different from others because it is more harmful than others. It affects not only smokers themselves, but also people around them. Even smoking often causes a big fire. A luxuriant forest or historical monument can be spoiled by a cigarette at a moment. To protect our health and environment, the laws and punishments related with smoking should be more strengthen than now.

10% of people die by smoking worldwide. It means that cigarette takes lives from 5 million people every year. WHO designated every May 31st as World No Tobacco Day to pursuit “smoke free society”. To prevent smoking, our government tries in several ways. There is a law to prevent smoking in certain facilities and buildings. Another law regulates to selling liquors or cigarettes to teenagers. Seoul Metropolitan Government reported recently that smoking will be ban at bus stop in Seoul. However Korea’s situation is still serious. According to the OECD Health Data (2007), the ratio of Korean male smoker is 46.6% which is 2nd grade following Turkey.

It is well known that smoking causes a lot of disease such as lung cancer, larynx cancer, heart disease, bronchitis. Besides, indirect smoking is also dangerous to health. However, smoking causes social problem as well as individual health problem. National Emergency Management Agency reported that 14.8% of fire accidents were occurred due to cigarette in Korea last year. In spite of restrictions, teenagers are able to buy cigarettes easily. The ratio of male smoker is 4.6%, which is significantly lower than man, yet woman smokers are increasing. Even young woman’s smoking may give bad influence for an embryo.

Though there are laws and regulations on smoking, many smokers still enjoy their fancies inside buildings or while on walking. In the morning, on busy street, a brave smoker ruins a lot of people’s physical health and mental health. One careless smoker destroys beautiful mountain to a bare one and make historical monuments bunt to ashes. Fines and penalties have to be severe and heavy to prevent smoking against law. Education for teenagers to prohibit smoking should be intensified from middle school.

Smokers say that smoking is an individual right. If that so, why do many country make laws against smoking worldwide? The answer is that it is not only an individual problem, but also a social one. A preference of smoking is important to everyone, but it is more important to respect other’s right to breathe clean air and stay healthy. The stronger laws and regulations are needed to reduce law breaking smokers. Also, education for teenagers will prevent them from smoking in the future.