M09134

   

Smoking is a habit which is hard to break. The fact that it is legal is rather sad knowing that the government allows people to poison themselves. Tobacco has been used for hundreds of years and has been termed “fasionable”. Now it is just another drug that New Zealand dosent need. Yes it is in fact a drug.

The fact that it is addictive makes it so dangerous because the smoker can find it extremely hard to “kick the habbit”. The cigarettes start to coat the lungs with thar and restrict the ammount of oxygen that gets to the respiratory system (heart and lungs). This often makes the smoker slower and not as fit. It also causes gum rot and is a leading cause of throat and mouth cancer. My step dad has smoked for a long time now and has had to have his teeth removed and he now coughs a lot.

It also affects those around the smoker like friends and family. Second hand smoke contains over 200 poisons which according to www.healthliteracy.worlded.org/docs/tobacco/Unit4/1whats_in.html include rocket fuel, rat poison, car exhaust, sulfuric acid, cyanide and nail polish remover. Allthough these are found in minute doses, they can do serious damage to both the smoker and those around him/her in the long run. When I was younger I got glue ear from second hand smoke. This is when there is a build up of a gluey substance behind the ear drum which compromises hearing. I had to get small drainers put in my ears.

Another reason why smoking is particularly harmful is because it is a complete waste of money. A person who smokes on average one pack of cigarettes costing $10 a day will waste up to $3,650 a year. This money could be put toward better things like paying bills, buying groceries, petrol money and more. Not for poisoning the heart and lungs. In some families where money is tight, smoking can deal a heavy blow to a persons wages.

In schools cigarettes are sold or traded for money or other goods. A cigarette being sold at a school can fetch a price of up to$1.50. boys who smoke tend to have less tolerance and/or fittness. Aftr going for along period of time without a cigarrete, a boy or young man may start to feel down or flat and can sometimes get angry a small things. This is the bodys reaction to being starved of something it is addicted to. This is why I think smoking should be banned from New Zealand.