Opinion essay

                                                        Smoking

                     Smoking is the practice where Tobacco is burned and the vapours either tasted or inhaled. This practice began as early as (5000- 3000) BC in South America. Does smoking have roots in the old civilization? Harissa, an American researcher, says a man called Shammans used it in his ceremonies. The Chinese, Indians, and Babyleans used it in their rituals. Smoking is the most dangerous problem. Countries and people are facing nowadays, Is it really a problem? I asked many people. About 80% of them agreed that smoking is a big problem. Statistics proved that in 2020, about 10,000,000 will die because of smoking every year.

                     Smoking is very harmful for health. It is one of the causes of death in our society. Smoking shortens your life. Every time you smoke, it is like cutting 5 minutes of your life. About 430,000 people in USA die every year from smoking. Smoking causes heart diseases, lungs cancer, and lips cancer. About one in five deaths in US are the results from Tobacco. Is smoking really destructive to health? About 90% of the people who I asked them this question answered “Yes”. Smoking is also socially harmful. The smoker harms the society around him. The smoker creates second hand smokers. About 7,000 non- smokers die each year because of it. Are you really affected by smokers? I asked a group of patients in hospital. 90% of them replied positively. Smoking is sexually harmful. Dr. John said that smoking kills the fertility and weak man’s ability to intercourse. The babies of the smokers are more liable to get diseases and be handicapped. I asked a group of ten who don’t beget children. Does smoking affect you passively? 8 of them agreed it is the main reason.

                      Some people say smoking is good and necessary. There are many reasons for smoking. The first reason is they smoke to keep calm when nervous. They think smoking activates them and improve their performance at work. The second reason is because just their fathers smoke. The last reason is some people smoke in order not to be different because their friends smoke. People escape from the cares and burdens of life by smoking. Every puff of smoking releases a problem and annoyance. Does smoking actually relax you? I asked twenty people. Fifteen said yes and five said no but they smoke as a matter of imitation and habit. Others don’t like smoking. They refuse smoking because it has no benefits. Why don’t you smoke? I asked ten people in my tribe in Saudi Arabia. All of them (100%) said it is dangerous and we don’t smoke because we want our life.

                   Smoking has bad financial, social, and moral effects. Smoking is financially destructive. It is an expensive habit. The average cost of a packet is $ 3:00 and the average smoke a packet a day. In one year, that’s a wasting of about $ 1095 or more a year. A lot of money is spent on the medicine and cure of diseases people affected by smoking. Some people save from their living to buy cigarettes.  Saudi Arabia uses up 2,130 cigarettes annually for each person. Statistics say Saudi Arabia takes the 23 ranked position in the world among the smoking countries. About 50% of the youth of the Gulf countries smoke 15 % of the female doctors of the Gulf countries smoke. I asked my uncles, does smoke affect you passively in finance? 80% of them said yes, 10% of our income is spent on smoking.

                   On the other hand, Smoking has bad social effects. The smoke is banished socially. All people run away from him because his smells bad. He is socially unaccepted. His car and his house smell bad. Sometimes he is disgusting. He is sneezing and coughing. It is hated but forbidden in Islam. So, some people can’t marry because they are smoking. Wives don’t like the smoking husbands. How does smoking harm you socially? I asked a group of 20 divorced couples. 80% of them were divorced because of smoking. People who smoke are easily to be affected and get nervous. Are people who smoke are less patient? I asked a group of ten and found 80% of the smokers get nervous easily and driven into troubles.

                  In conclusion, smoking is a catastrophe to our societies. I don’t agree with those who consider it a hand habit to break because Tobacco contains Nicotine which is highly addictive. It is time to stop smoking. Governments shouldn’t advertise to smoking and so should companies. TVs and radios should make advertisement for smoking. Supermarkets shouldn’t sell it to the youth under 18. Smoking should be banned in public places, cars, buses, hospitals, and subways. It is easy to quit smoking if you have a willing power. I think most fervently that smoking is a pest and it is our responsibility to put an end to this slow death, especially because it is a habit rather than an addiction.