Any chemical that alters an organism’s physiology or psychology when consumed is considered a drug; consequently, tobacco is a drug. Tobacco is made from leaves of tobacco plants that contain nicotine, making it an addictive drug with stimulant and depressant effects. It is commonly taken into the body by smoking cigarettes. The following tobacco products are also available: bidis, kreteks, roll-your-own tobacco, pipe tobacco, cigars, cigarillos, cigars, and waterpipe tobacco. Tobacco, like any other drug, has positive and negative effects on people.
Tobacco is crucial in the fight against intestinal worms; tobacco leaf tea also has laxative, emetic, expectorant, and healing properties for dizziness, fainting, and vertigo, as well as works as a migraine treatment (medicinal purpose). On the contrary side, cancer, heart diseases, stroke, lung problems, and diabetes on top of emphysema and chronic bronchitis, are negative effects of being an active smoker of tobacco (GĂłrski, P. 2019). Similarly, passive smokers, that is, second-hand smokers are exposed to the same problems as active smokers, but coronary heart disease, lung cancer, and stroke are most often. Acute respiratory infections, middle ear disease, more severe asthma, respiratory symptoms, and slower lung growth are all conditions that are more common in children who are exposed to second-hand smoke (Kondo et al., 2019). WHO metrics show that 1.2 million of deaths are caused by passive smokers, 8 million people die every year due to use of tobacco and more than 7 million deaths are the active smokers of tobacco. (Global Burden of Disease [database], 2021). This is clear evidence that tobacco has catastrophic effects on any population; thus, it should be banned.
In conclusion, by weighing out the advantages over the disadvantages of tobacco use in conjunction with the WHO metrics, tobacco should be made illegal since the weight of its disadvantages outshines the advantages of its use. Any government should not allow the trading of tobacco products to its population since its effects are fatal. Cancer and tobacco-related illnesses are very costly to treat, thus a minus to individuals and the country.
References
Górski, P. (2019). E-cigarettes or heat-not-burn tobacco products—advantages or disadvantages for the lungs of smokers. Advances in Respiratory Medicine, 87(2), 123-134.
Kondo, T., Nakano, Y., Adachi, S., & Murohara, T. (2019). Effects of tobacco smoking on cardiovascular disease. Circulation Journal, 83(10), 1980-1985.
Global Burden of Disease [database]. Washington, DC: Institute of Health Metrics; 2019. IHME.