In the United States, an alarming 450,000 deaths per year are caused by cigarette smoke, which is one in five deaths, according to the Center of Disease Control. It causes more deaths than HIVs, illegal drug and alcohol use, motor vehicle injuries, and gun violence combined. Deaths relating to smoking have increased over the past 50 years. In fact 90% of all smokers started as teens. We should be troubled by the fact that young adults are allowed to legally purchase tobacco. This privilege causes them to be more addicted as they get older, have health-related problems, and die prematurely. Last week, I went to Suffolk University to meet up with my sister. As I neared the building, I was suffocated by the smell of smoke. Students a little older than me were smoking their life away. Little did they know that with each breath of smoke, their health was slowly degrading. …show more content…
Some young adults who use tobacco usually do not think about the long-term consequences. However, when they want to quit, it is too late. According to the American Lung Association, of the young adults who smoked at least 100 cigarettes, many of them wanted to quit but were unable to do so. In fact, few people start smoking at age 25; most of them start at age 18. In addition, tobacco is a gateway drug to more dangerous drugs. Based on the studies of the American Cancer Society, teens that used tobacco had a higher chance of using alcohol and illegal drugs compared to non-users. They were also “more likely to get into fights, carry weapons, attempt suicide, suffer from mental health problems such as depression, and engage in high-risk sexual behaviors.” We should not allow young adults to use tobacco, until they are fully aware of its effects, which is when they are older and more mature. In addition, by shielding them from the use of tobacco, we are protecting them from a massive amount of other problems caused by