preview

Persuasive Essay: Smoking In The Presence Of Children

Decent Essays

Smoking in the Presence of Children Smoking is the biggest cause of preventable death in the world. In the US, it causes about 480,000 deaths per year, and about 42,000 deaths from secondhand smoke (“Smoking and Tobacco...”). Young children are particularly vulnerable to exposure to secondhand smoke when they live with parents or guardians that smoke. Children that are regularly exposed to secondhand smoke get sick more often, have more lung infections, are more likely to cough, wheeze, and have shortness of breath, and get more ear infections (“Health Risks of...”). It would be a benefit to our society if we banned smoking in the presence of children to help prevent the risk of health problems and death related to secondhand smoke. One reason I think smoking in the presence of children should be banned in homes and in public is because secondhand smoke can cause premature death. Since 1964, approximately 2,500,000 nonsmokers have died from health problems caused by exposure to secondhand smoke (“Secondhand Smoke...”). Some people think this is unrealistic because it would be hard to enforce in homes. I think that if the law keeps even …show more content…

Smoking can easily cause lifelong health problems for children that have never even picked up a cigarette. It is a proven fact that children that are regularly exposed to secondhand smoke get sick more often, have more lung infections, are more likely to cough, wheeze, have shortness of breath, and get more ear infections (“Health Risks of...”). Both of my grandparents were heavy smokers so my mom and her younger brothers developed asthma at a young age. Opponents might argue that a ban would violate parents' and guardians' rights to make decisions for themselves, but I say that it's a violation of the children's rights to make them smoke when they didn't choose to. By smoking near children parents are basically forcing their kids to inhale harmful

Get Access