by Emalee Mounts

Created on: January 29, 2009

I come from a big family. My little sister is a severe asthmatic. She can not be around someone who is smoking without choking and throwing herself into an extremely critical state. Many times she has had to be rushed to the hospital via emergency vehicles because of her asthma. There is nothing in the world that irritates me more than going to a public place and having to deal with people smoking in front of my siblings and I. By lighting that cigarette they are not only harming their own selves by blackening their lungs with the tar inside of that cancer stick, but they are also interfering with my health and my siblings health.

When the tobacco companies advertise their product they have only one thing in mind; filling their bank accounts. They do not realize what kind of thoughts they are putting into the minds of this countries youth. Children want to fit in. In a child's life it is the sole purpose for them to have friends and to be cool. If the tobacco companies are advertising this on the television shows that they are watching, then they are going to think that, that is what is cool to do.

Tobacco is the leading cause of lung cancer in our country. Without the advertisement of these products this would not be so.

However, we can not put all of the blame on the tobacco companies. The people who buy these dangerous products are the ones to blame for this. They have put out billions of dollars to cause harm to their own bodies. What baffles me is that every single person who lights that cigarette knows the harm that they are inflicting upon themselves. Not one individual is clueless to the millions who have died because of the exact same decision.

If the tobacco companies were not permitted to advertise their deathly product, the rate of lung disease would plunge. According to the American Lung Association Site, 430 deaths are caused in infants each year. These helpless infants have no control over the decision that is being made about their health. Unlike the rest of us, infants can not get up and walk away when and individual lights up one of their infamous cancer sticks. They CAN NOT prevent their death. Four hundred and thirty infants will die this year due to second hand smoke. Four hundred and thirty souls will never have a chance at life. All because of second hand smoke.

It comes down to being as simple as this: Stop the advertisement. Stop the murders of helpless children.

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