by Narnie

Created on: June 19, 2010

I believe the choice of whether or not to smoke should be up to the individual adult. As adults we engage in many more things that are harmful to our health than just cigarettes alone. To list just a few, these might include – drinking, gambling, and driving on the roads, and so on. Like most things in life there are risks and as adults I believe it should be our democratic right to choose how we live out our lives.

Cigarettes at least only kill the “user”, I’ve never heard of anyone yet going home drunk on cigarettes and bashing their wife or child! Nor have I ever heard of cigarettes altering the state of one’s mind to the point they can no longer be rational or reasonable. Thus, I have to ask; “why all the fuss”?

In Australia the government has increased the cost of cigarettes to over $15.00 per packet. Their decision apparently is based on two things primarily.  Our Prime Minister claims smokers are a burden to the health system. If smokers are dying at the rate claimed by the government then how is it that smokers pose such a burden on the health system? Asthmatics would more than likely cause more of a burden to the health system each winter where they are inhaling “chimney smoke” from residential fireplaces! At night in the local town one can barely breathe let-alone see through the blanket of thick smoke! Secondly, the high price is supposed to act as a deterrent to deprive smokers of something they obviously find pleasurable.

When I consider the reality of the government’s claims, they seem nothing more than ludicrous! Alcohol for example poses a greater threat to not only the drinker themselves, but also to others around them and beyond, if they are driving a motor vehicle. Alcohol has been responsible for fuelling more violence on the streets and at home than any cigarette would ever have caused. In addition to this, we have teenage binge-drinking, domestic violence and also domestic abuse where, in many cases, all money is spent on alcohol related drinking and gambling.

Alcohol is also related to many deaths beyond just the drinkers themselves due to arguments sparked off by altered states of mind where the person is totally out-of-control. Police have locked up thousands of people each year who have been picked up off the streets for behaving in a dangerous and destructive manner.

Many foods and soft drinks contain harmful chemicals and toxins. Fatty food industries

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