argumentative essay on passive smoking

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The Health Effects of Passive Smoking: An Overview of Systematic Reviews Based on Observational Epidemiological Evidence

School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China

Conceived and designed the experiments: ZL. Performed the experiments: SC CY. Analyzed the data: SC YG. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: CY. Wrote the paper: SC.

Associated Data

All relevant data are within the paper and its Supporting Information files.

We aim to systematically summarize the available epidemiological evidence to identify the impact of environmental tobacco smoke on health.

A systematic literature search of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus for meta-analyses was conducted through January 2015. We included systematic reviews that investigated the association between passive smoking and certain diseases. Quantitative outcomes of association between passive smoking and the risk of certain diseases were summarized.

Sixteen meta-analyses covering 130 cohort studies, 159 case-control studies, and 161 cross-sectional studies and involving 25 diseases or health problems were reviewed. Passive smoking appears not to be significantly associated with eight diseases or health problems, but significantly elevates the risk for eleven specific diseases or health problems, including invasive meningococcal disease in children (OR 2.18; 95% CI 1.63–2.92), cervical cancer (OR 1.73; 95% CI 1.35–2.21), Neisseria meningitidis carriage (OR 1.68; 95% CI 1.19–2.36), Streptococcus pneumoniae carriage (OR 1.66; 95% CI 1.33–2.07), lower respiratory infections in infancy (OR 1.42; 95% CI 1.33–1.51), food allergy (OR 1.43; 95% CI 1.12–1.83), and so on.

Conclusions

Our overview of systematic reviews of observational epidemiological evidence suggests that passive smoking is significantly associated with an increasing risk of many diseases or health problems, especially diseases in children and cancers.

Introduction

Smoking is a major public health problem worldwide. There have been thousands of studies investigating the impact of active smoking on health, and the overall toxic effects of active smoking are generally recognized [ 1 ]. In comparison, the effects of passive smoking on health are not fully understood. Existing studies suggest that passive smoking and active smoking might equally increase the risk of certain diseases, such as female breast cancer [ 2 ], allergic rhinitis, allergic dermatitis, and food allergy [ 3 ]. As early as 1928, Schonherr suspected that inhalation of husbands’ smoke could cause lung cancer among non-smoking wives [ 4 ]. Since then a substantial body of research about environmental tobacco smoke and health has appeared [ 5 ]. But the impact of passive smoking on health remains largely inconclusive and has not been systematically summarized.

Due to the relative small health risks associated with exposure to passive smoking, investigation of this issue requires large study sizes. Difficulties in measuring passive smoking and controlling various confounding factors further add to the uncertainty in any investigation of the effects of passive smoking. Consequently, a meta-analysis, pooling together individual original studies quantitatively, has played an important part in establishing the evidence about the health effects of passive smoking [ 5 ]. Since Zmirou evaluated the respiratory risk of passive smoking by a meta-analysis in the early 1990s, many meta-analyses of observational epidemiological studies have been published to identify the impact of passive smoking on health.

Recognizing that the evidence is accumulating constantly worldwide, we conducted an overview of systematic reviews that have summarized the evidence from observational epidemiological studies on the health effects of passive smoking.

No protocol exists for this overview of systematic reviews.

Data for this research was acquired from previously published papers. Written consent and ethical approval were not required.

Literature search strategy

We attempted to conduct this overview of systematic reviews in accordance with the rationale and guideline recommended by Cochrane handbook 5.1.0 [ 6 ] ( S1 Checklist ). A systematic literature search of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus was conducted in January 2015 using the following search terms with no restrictions: passive smoking, secondhand smoking, environmental tobacco smoke, involuntary smoking, and tobacco smoke pollution. The reference lists of the retrieved articles were also reviewed. We did not contact authors of the primary studies for additional information.

Selection of relevant systematic reviews

Systematic reviews meeting the following criteria were regarded as eligible: (1) the design was meta-analysis, (2) passive smoking was an exposure variable and the outcome was the incidence of certain diseases or health problems, (3) the included original studies were cross-sectional, case-control, or/and cohort study design, (4) the literature search was international or worldwide, and (5) the pooled relative risk (RR) or odds ratio (OR) and the corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) of specific diseases relating to exposure to passive smoking were reported or could be calculated from the data provided. Systematic reviews in which all included original studies were conducted in one country or region were excluded. We also excluded the meta-analyses that investigated the association between maternal smoking in pregnancy and the health risk of offspring. All potential meta-analyses were independently screened by two authors (SC and CY), who reviewed the titles or/abstracts first and then conducted a full-text assessment. Disagreements between the two reviewers were resolved through discussion with the third investigator (ZL).

Data extraction

The following information was extracted from the studies by two investigators (SC and CY): first author, publication year, country, number and design of the included original studies, and main quantitative estimates of the association of interest.

Quality appraisal

We appraised all the included meta-analyses using the Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR) standard, an 11-item assessment tool designed to appraise the methodological quality of systematic reviews [ 7 ]. The maximum score is 11, and 0–4, 5–8, and 9–11 respectively indicates low, moderate, and high quality [ 8 ]. Disagreements on assessment scores were resolved by discussion among the authors.

Synthesis of the evidence

There may be more than one meta-analysis published regarding the association between passive smoking and risk of a specific disease. We only included the latest meta-analysis and excluded all the previous ones. For each included meta-analysis, we summarized the number and design of the included original studies, the main quantitative estimates of association of interest, heterogeneity between original studies, and so on. In any included meta-analyses, when estimates of association between passive smoking and certain diseases were reported separately for subgroups, we combined the results of the subgroups and calculated common estimates using a fixed-effects model if appropriate.

Literature search

Fig 1 shows the process of study identification and inclusion. Initially, we retrieved 2,079 articles from Pubmed, Emabse, Web of Science, and Scopus. After 1,105 duplicates were excluded, 974 articles were screened through titles and abstracts, of which 858 were excluded mainly because they were original studies or irrelevant reviews. After full-text review of the remaining 116 articles, 100 were further excluded because they did not report the outcomes of interest or their findings were already updated by newer systematic reviews. Finally, 16 meta-analyses were included [ 3 , 9 – 23 ].

Characteristics and quality of the included systematic reviews

The main characteristics of the sixteen meta-analyses were summarized in Table 1 . These meta-analyses covered a total of 130 cohort studies, 159 case-control studies, and 161 cross-sectional studies. They were published between 1998 and 2014. The quality scores of these meta-analyses appraised using AMSTAR ranged from 3 to 10. The numbers of meta-analyses with high quality, middle quality, and low quality were 5, 9, and 2 respectively (see Table 2 ).

The Main Health Consequences of Passive Smoking

Fig 2 shows the integrated results on the impact of passive smoking on specific diseases. The included 16 meta-analyses covered 25 diseases or health problems. There was statistically significant positive relationship between exposure environmental tobacco smoke and the risk of eleven diseases, especially invasive meningococcal disease in children (OR 2.18; 95% CI 1.63–2.92) and other three diseases or health problems with a 1.5 to 2.0-fold increase in the risk: cervical cancer (OR 1.73; 95% CI 1.35–2.21), Neisseria meningitidis carriage (OR 1.68; 95% CI 1.19–2.36), and Streptococcus pneumoniae carriage (OR 1.66; 95% CI 1.33–2.07). The increase in the risk of other seven diseases associated with exposure to passive smoking was statistically significant but small in impact size (OR was less than 1.5): lower respiratory infections in infancy (OR 1.42; 95% CI 1.33–1.51), food allergy (OR 1.43; 95% CI 1.12–1.83), childhood asthma (OR 1.32; 95% CI 1.23–1.42), lung cancer (OR 1.27; 95% CI 1.17–1.37), stroke (OR 1.25; 95% CI 1.12–1.38), allergic rhinitis (OR 1.09; 95% CI 1.04–1.14), and allergic dermatitis (OR 1.07; 95% CI 1.03–1.12). Of these 25 diseases or health problems, eight diseases were not found to be significantly associated with passive smoking. They were invasive Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib) disease, invasive pneumococcal disease, Crohn's disease, pancreatic cancer, ulcerative colitis, breast cancer, bladder cancer, and pharyngeal carriage for Hib. In addition, the effects of passive smoking on increased risk of coronary heart disease, tuberculosis, diabetes, and middle ear disease in children (recurrent otitis media, middle ear effusion, and glue ear) were not conclusive, because the number of included studies was small or the quality of the corresponding meta-analysis was low.

Passive smoking and cancer risk

We investigated the association of passive smoking with the risk of lung cancer, cervical cancer, pancreatic cancer, breast cancer, and bladder cancer. Based on 55 observational studies (7 cohort studies, 25 population-based case-control studies and 23 non-population-based case-control studies), passive smoking were found to be associated with the increased risk of lung cancer (OR 1.27; 95% CI 1.17 to 1.37). The ORs for lung cancer in North America, Asia, and Europe were similar [ 19 ]. 11 case-control studies, involving 3,230 cases and 2,982 controls, suggested a positive relationship between passive smoking and cervical cancer (OR 1.73; 95% CI 1.35–2.21) [ 15 ]. Pancreatic cancer [ 21 ], breast cancer [ 13 ], and bladder cancer were not found to be associated with passive smoking.

Passive smoking and allergic diseases

A meta-analysis of observational studies published in PLOS Medicine systematically reviewed the effects of exposure to environmental smoke on allergic diseases [ 3 ]. The pooled ORs of 63 studies for allergic rhinitis, 58 studies for allergic dermatitis, and 6 studies for food allergies were 1.07 (95% CI 1.03–1.12), 1.09 (95% CI 1.04–1.14), and 1.43 (95% CI 1.12–1.83) respectively. Another meta-analysis investigated the association between passive smoking and the risk of physician-diagnosed childhood asthma [ 9 ], and suggested that there was consistent evidence of a modest positive association between them (OR 1.32; 95% CI: 1.23–1.42).

Passive smoking and pediatric invasive bacterial disease and bacterial carriage

Passive smoking was also thought to be associated with pediatric invasive bacterial disease and bacterial carriage. A meta-analysis involving 30 case-control studies for invasive bacterial disease and 12 cross-sectional studies for bacterial carriage indicated that the risk of invasive meningococcal disease, pharyngeal carriage for Neisseria, meningitidies and Streptococcus pneumoniae were significantly associated with passive smoking, and the ORs were 2.18, 95% CI 1.63 to 2.92), 1.68 (95% CI, 1.19–2.36), and 1.66 (95% CI 1.33–2.07), respectively. The risk of invasive pneumococcal disease, invasive Hib disease, and pharyngeal carriage for Hib were not found to be related to exposure to environmental smoke.

The health effects of environmental tobacco smoke are attracting more and more attention worldwide. Increasing numbers of original studies and meta-analyses are being published focusing on this important issue. In the present overview of systematic reviews based on sixteen systematic reviews involving 450 original observational studies, we found that passive smoking could significantly increase the risk of eleven diseases, especially invasive meningococcal disease in children, cervical cancer, Neisseria meningitidis carriage, and Streptococcus. pneumoniae carriage, but not associated with other eight diseases. Cancers were one of the most common investigated health outcomes associated with passive smoking. We found that exposure to environmental tobacco smoke could increase the risk of lung cancer and cervical cancer, but was not the risk of pancreatic cancer, breast cancer, or bladder cancer. It appears that passive smoking could increase the risk of some diseases among children, especially bacterial infections (e.g., lower respiratory infections in infancy, middle ear disease in children, invasive meningococcal disease in children, allergic diseases in children, and childhood asthma).

Previously, there were some reviews focusing on the health effects of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke. But they were qualitative or only involved children or limited to several diseases [ 24 – 26 ]. We used a systematic overview to summarize the quantitative estimates of the associations between passive smoking and various diseases based on all latest available meta-analyses. It should be noted that, in the present overview, we excluded meta-analyses evaluating the effects of smoking during pregnancy on fetus or offspring health, because the effects was obviously different from the health effects of active smoking or conventional passive smoking in the general population.

The quality of included original studies influences the reliability of the results and conclusions of the corresponding meta-analysis; similarly, the validity of the results of an overview of systematic reviews depends on the quality of the included systematic reviews. We used AMSTAR protocol, an internationally recognized assessment tool, to appraise the methodological quality of all included meta-analyses, and found that there were two meta-analyses with low quality. Accordingly, the conclusions drawn based on these two meta-analyses involving middle ear disease in children and coronary heart disease need to be interpreted with caution.

The evidence level of meta-analyses partly depends on the number and the design type of included original studies. Although there was no consensus about the minimum number of original studies included in meta-analysis, but more caution is needed when an association is assessed based on a small number of original studies. In our overview, we found a significant positive association between passive smoking and tuberculosis (OR 4.01; 95% CI 2.54–6.34), but it was only based on 4 case-control studies. More studies should be conducted to further assess the relationship between them. Similarly, the effect of passive smoking on diabetes was based on 6 cohort studies (OR 1.21; 95% CI 1.07–1.38), and more original studies are also needed.

There were several strengths in our research. Firstly, we followed the primary rationale and method of Cochrane overviews of reviews [ 6 ] to summarize the health consequences of certain exposure. Overview of systematic reviews is primarily intended to summarize multiple reviews addressing the effects of two or more potential interventions for a single condition or health problem. Up to now, most of overviews have been conducted to evaluate the effects of several interventions [ 27 , 28 ], and very few overviews have addressed the effects of a single exposure factor on multiple diseases or health problems based on observational studies. Our present overview expands the application of overviews of systematic reviews. Additionally, our study provides robust and comprehensive scientific information for smoking ban in public places and for educational pamphlets about passive smoking.

Some limitations in our overview should be noted. Firstly, we only included systematic reviews but not original studies. The associations of passive smoking with some diseases might have been investigated by original studies but not synthesized by meta-analyses and, therefore, were not summarized in this overview. Secondly, the mechanism on the health effects of passive smoking was not be examined since our study only intended to summarize relevant observational epidemiological evidence.

In summary, our overview of systematic reviews of up-to-date epidemiological evidence suggests that passive smoking is significantly associated with an increasing risk of many diseases and health problems, especially diseases in children and cancers. This study provides comprehensive population-based evidence about toxic effect of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke and should benefit developing health promotion strategies of smoking control. Stricter regulations against cigarette smoking should be formulated and implemented, because smoking harms not only own health but also the health of neighboring people.

Supporting Information

S1 prisma checklist, access to data.

All the data in this review are from publicly published papers, and we take responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis.

Funding Statement

The authors have no support or funding to report.

Data Availability

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Definition and Dangers of Passive Smoking

Passive smoking refers to the involuntary inhalation of smoke from cigarettes or other tobacco products smoked by other people. The definition includes exposure to both secondhand and thirdhand smoke, as well as in utero exposure of a fetus due to the presence of tobacco toxins in the mother's blood. While many people link passive smoking with lung cancer, it is actually much more likely to cause heart disease or strokes . And while the connection with respiratory infections, sudden infant death syndrome, and miscarriage has been known for some time, it is now thought to be an important risk factor in conditions ranging from multiple sclerosis to depression. Learn about the types of passive smoking, effects and dangers, and how to avoid secondhand smoke in your daily life.

Passive Smoking Exposures

Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) has gained considerable attention in recent years, and exposure is now broken down into two types of secondhand as well as thirdhand smoke.

It's important to note that passive smoking includes exposure to not only cigarette smoke, but smoke and vapors from cigars, hookah, marijuana, and even e-cigarettes.

Types of Secondhand Smoke

There are two different types of secondhand smoke. While these have been grouped together in the past, they may affect people who are exposed ("passively smoke" them) in different ways. In addition, you may be more likely to be exposed to one type than the other depending on the setting.

• Mainstream Smoke (MSM) : The term mainstream smoke refers to the smoke exhaled by a smoker.
• Sidestream Smoke (SSM) : The term sidestream smoke refers to the smoke that is released from the end of a cigarette, cigar, pipe, hookah pipe, or joint, and accounts for roughly 85 percent of secondhand smoke exposure. SSM can be a greater danger than MSM not only in that it contains greater amounts of carcinogens and toxins, but because it persists for a longer period of time—often lasting even after a cigarette has been extinguished.

Passive smoking can result in different levels of exposure based on several variables. These include:

• Ventilation in a room, car, or other space
• How many smokers are present, and how much they smoke

Thirdhand Smoke

Thirdhand smoke , the gases, and particles left over after a cigarette or another form of tobacco are extinguished, may also be inhaled via passive smoking. Through a process called "off-gassing," substances that have been deposited on surfaces as a result of smoking are released back into the air as gasses. Though this is likely a minor portion of the secondhand smoke inhaled as a result of passive smoking, thirdhand smoke can remain a problem for a long period of time after smoking has occurred.

Thirdhand smoke is of particular danger to young children who may be crawling around on the surfaces where thirdhand smoke accumulates. In addition, children are more likely to ingest these particles than adults.

Exposure to this kind of smoke may increase the risk of asthma development in children, and may also cause exacerbations in children who already have asthma.  

Dangers of Passive Smoking

Just as smokers are exposed to known carcinogens and other toxic substances, passive smokers are exposed as well. Secondhand smoke is now considered a class A carcinogen (the worst kind) and there is no level of exposure that is considered safe. A few of the medical conditions that have been linked to passive smoking include:

Lung Cancer

Certainly, lung cancer is the first consequence of passive smoking that most people may think of, but the concerns don’t stop here. People are actually 15 times more likely to die from heart disease due to passive smoking than lung cancer. Roughly 7,300 people die from lung cancer as a result of secondhand smoke exposure each year and living with someone who smokes increases the risk of developing lung cancer by 20 to 30 percent.

Other Cancers

Just as smoking is associated with a number of different cancers, passive smoking is as well. A few cancers that are more common in people exposed to secondhand smoke include head and neck cancers, bladder cancer, kidney cancer, esophageal cancer, pancreatic cancer, and acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). A 2018 study found that passive smoking is associated with an increased risk of cervical cancer.   Passive smoking is also being evaluated as a potential cause for a recent outbreak of gallbladder cancer (cholangiocarcinoma) in China.  

Heart Disease and Strokes 

According to the CDC, secondhand smoke is thought to cause 34,000 deaths from heart disease and 8,000 deaths from strokes in non-smokers in the United States each year  , with numbers even higher being reported by the World Health Organization.   Passive smoking raises the risk of heart disease by 25 to 30 percent and the risk of stroke by 20 to 30 percent. The risk of peripheral arterial disease is increased as well.

Even exposures less than 30 minutes in duration cause detectable changes in blood vessels that are associated with heart disease, so again, no level of exposure is safe.

Lung Disease

Passive smoking is associated with diseases including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and can result in a worsening of asthma in children and adults who already have the condition.

Lung Infections

Roughly 50,000 to 300,000 cases of lower respiratory infections such as pneumonia occur each year in the U.S. in children under 18 months due to secondhand smoke  . Children who live with a smoker and develop these infections are also more likely to need intensive care and ventilator support. Passive smoking in children is also associated with an increased risk of middle ear infections as well as meningococcal disease ( meningitis and meningococcemia).

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

Young children exposed to secondhand smoke have a higher risk of sudden infant death syndrome.

Pregnancy Complications and Birth Defects

Passive smoking while pregnant increases the risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, and low-birth-weight babies. According to a 2019 review, maternal smoking, maternal passive smoking, and paternal smoking were all linked to an increased incidence of congenital heart defects.

Less Well-Known Associations

In addition to the above risks, research is also finding that passive smoking may be linked with a number of diseases not previously associated with secondhand smoke.

• Multiple Sclerosis: A 2019 review notes that passive smoking is considered a key environmental risk factor for multiple sclerosis.  
• Depression: A 2019 study found that depressive symptoms are 57 percent more common among people exposed to secondhand smoke than those not exposed.  
• Other Conditions: Listing all recent associations with passive is beyond the scope of this article, but includes conditions ranging from metabolic syndrome to concerns over reduced levels of antioxidant enzymes in the bloodstream of those exposed to secondhand smoke.

Passive Smoking Can be Additive

Most diseases associated with smoking (or secondhand smoke) are multifactorial, meaning that more than one factor is often involved.

With heart disease, the combination of passive smoking and a family history of coronary artery disease or high blood pressure increases risk beyond that of a single risk factor alone.

With lung cancer, passive smoking plus exposure to household radon (the leading cause of lung cancer in never smokers) raises risk beyond the risk inherent in either factor alone. In some cases, combining two risk factors is more than additive. For example, the combination of smoking plus asbestos exposure is riskier than would be expected from simply adding the health risks of the two together.

The addition of passive smoking can likewise further increase the risk of a wide range of medical conditions, ranging from miscarriage to pneumonia .

Preventing Passive Smoking

Fortunately, there are laws in place that now limit passive smoking in public places, but outside of places where smoking is regulated, there are still many things you can do to lower your exposure.

• Do not allow others to smoke in your home or in your car.
• Teach your children to avoid secondhand smoke and be a good role model yourself by not smoking.
• Many public places in the United States are now smoke-free, but this isn't always the case when you travel abroad. Avoid establishments that allow smoking indoors or out-of-doors.

A Word From Verywell

It's much easier than in the past to avoid "passive smoking" although there are a number of situations in which people could still be at risk. There are no laws that prevent smoking in homes or cars, places where children as adults are often present. Though you may not always be popular for your choice, choose to always refuse to allow yourself to be a passive smoker. In some cases, standing up for your own health may even be the encouragement that someone who smokes needs to consider quitting.

Ciaccio CE, Gentile D. Effects of tobacco smoke exposure in childhood on atopic diseases .  Curr Allergy Asthma Rep . 2013;13(6):687–692. doi:10.1007/s11882-013-0389-1

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Health Effects of Secondhand Smoke .

Su B, Qin W, Xue F, et al. The relation of passive smoking with cervical cancer . Medicine. 2018. 97(46):e13061. doi:10.1097/md.0000000000013061

Hou L, Jiang J, Liu B, et al .   Is exposure to tobacco associated with extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma epidemics? A retrospective proportional mortality study in China .  BMC Cancer. 2019. 19;348. doi:10.1186/s12885-019-5484-9

World Health Organization. About Secondhand Smoke .

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Children and Secondhand Smoke Exposure. Excerpts from The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon General . Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Coordinating Center for Health Promotion, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2007. 

Wang Z, Xie J, Wu C, Xiao G. Correlation between smoking and passive smoking with multiple sclerosis and the underlying molecular mechanisms . Medical Science Monitor. 2019. 25:893-902. doi:10.12659/msm.912863

Han C, Liu Y, Gong X, Ye X, Zhou J. Relationship between secondhand smoke exposure and depressive symptoms: A systematic review and dose–response meta-analysis . International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2019. 16(8):1356. doi:10.3390/ijerph16081356

By Lynne Eldridge, MD  Lynne Eldrige, MD, is a lung cancer physician, patient advocate, and award-winning author of "Avoiding Cancer One Day at a Time."

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Persuasive Essay About Smoking

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Are you wondering how to write your next persuasive essay about smoking?

Smoking has been one of the most controversial topics in our society for years. It is associated with many health risks and can be seen as a danger to both individuals and communities.

Writing an effective persuasive essay about smoking can help sway public opinion. It can also encourage people to make healthier choices and stop smoking. 

But where do you begin?

In this blog, we’ll provide some examples to get you started. So read on to get inspired!

• 1. What You Need To Know About Persuasive Essay
• 2. Persuasive Essay Examples About Smoking
• 3. Argumentative Essay About Smoking Examples
• 4. Tips for Writing a Persuasive Essay About Smoking

What You Need To Know About Persuasive Essay

A persuasive essay is a type of writing that aims to convince its readers to take a certain stance or action. It often uses logical arguments and evidence to back up its argument in order to persuade readers.

It also utilizes rhetorical techniques such as ethos, pathos, and logos to make the argument more convincing. In other words, persuasive essays use facts and evidence as well as emotion to make their points.

A persuasive essay about smoking would use these techniques to convince its readers about any point about smoking. Check out an example below:

Simple persuasive essay about smoking

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Persuasive Essay Examples About Smoking

Smoking is one of the leading causes of preventable death in the world. It leads to adverse health effects, including lung cancer, heart disease, and damage to the respiratory tract. However, the number of people who smoke cigarettes has been on the rise globally.

A lot has been written on topics related to the effects of smoking. Reading essays about it can help you get an idea of what makes a good persuasive essay.

Here are some sample persuasive essays about smoking that you can use as inspiration for your own writing:

Persuasive speech on smoking outline

Persuasive essay about smoking should be banned

Persuasive essay about smoking pdf

Persuasive essay about smoking cannot relieve stress

Persuasive essay about smoking in public places

Speech about smoking is dangerous

Persuasive Essay About Smoking Introduction

Persuasive Essay About Stop Smoking

Short Persuasive Essay About Smoking

Stop Smoking Persuasive Speech

Check out some more persuasive essay examples on various other topics.

Argumentative Essay About Smoking Examples

An argumentative essay is a type of essay that uses facts and logical arguments to back up a point. It is similar to a persuasive essay but differs in that it utilizes more evidence than emotion.

If you’re looking to write an argumentative essay about smoking, here are some examples to get you started on the arguments of why you should not smoke.

Argumentative essay about smoking pdf

Argumentative essay about smoking in public places

Argumentative essay about smoking introduction

Check out the video below to find useful arguments against smoking:

Tips for Writing a Persuasive Essay About Smoking

You have read some examples of persuasive and argumentative essays about smoking. Now here are some tips that will help you craft a powerful essay on this topic.

Choose a Specific Angle

Select a particular perspective on the issue that you can use to form your argument. When talking about smoking, you can focus on any aspect such as the health risks, economic costs, or environmental impact.

Think about how you want to approach the topic. For instance, you could write about why smoking should be banned. 

Check out the list of persuasive essay topics to help you while you are thinking of an angle to choose!

Research the Facts

Before writing your essay, make sure to research the facts about smoking. This will give you reliable information to use in your arguments and evidence for why people should avoid smoking.

You can find and use credible data and information from reputable sources such as government websites, health organizations, and scientific studies. 

For instance, you should gather facts about health issues and negative effects of tobacco if arguing against smoking. Moreover, you should use and cite sources carefully.

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Make an Outline

The next step is to create an outline for your essay. This will help you organize your thoughts and make sure that all the points in your essay flow together logically.

Your outline should include the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. This will help ensure that your essay has a clear structure and argument.

Use Persuasive Language

When writing your essay, make sure to use persuasive language such as “it is necessary” or “people must be aware”. This will help you convey your message more effectively and emphasize the importance of your point.

Also, don’t forget to use rhetorical devices such as ethos, pathos, and logos to make your arguments more convincing. That is, you should incorporate emotion, personal experience, and logic into your arguments.

Introduce Opposing Arguments

Another important tip when writing a persuasive essay on smoking is to introduce opposing arguments. It will show that you are aware of the counterarguments and can provide evidence to refute them. This will help you strengthen your argument.

By doing this, your essay will come off as more balanced and objective, making it more convincing.

Finish Strong

Finally, make sure to finish your essay with a powerful conclusion. This will help you leave a lasting impression on your readers and reinforce the main points of your argument. You can end by summarizing the key points or giving some advice to the reader.

A powerful conclusion could either include food for thought or a call to action. So be sure to use persuasive language and make your conclusion strong.

To conclude,

By following these tips, you can write an effective and persuasive essay on smoking. Remember to research the facts, make an outline, and use persuasive language.

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100 Words Essay on Harmful Effects of Smoking

Introduction.

Smoking is a dangerous habit that poses significant health risks. It’s not only harmful to smokers, but also to those around them.

Health Risks

Smoking can cause lung cancer, heart disease, and stroke. It damages nearly every organ in the body, leading to premature death.

Secondhand Smoke

Non-smokers exposed to secondhand smoke face similar health risks. They can develop respiratory problems and increased risk of heart disease.

Impact on Environment

Cigarette butts litter the environment and release toxic chemicals into the soil and water, harming wildlife.

250 Words Essay on Harmful Effects of Smoking

Smoking is a widespread habit, yet it is one of the most detrimental practices to human health. Despite the awareness campaigns and statutory warnings, many continue to smoke, oblivious of the damaging effects it has on their health and wellbeing.

Physical Health Risks

Primarily, smoking causes numerous fatal diseases. It is the leading cause of lung cancer, accounting for about 85% of all cases. It also significantly increases the risk of heart diseases and stroke. The harmful chemicals in cigarettes damage blood vessels, leading to atherosclerosis, which can result in heart attack or stroke.

Impact on Respiratory System

Moreover, smoking adversely affects the respiratory system. It leads to chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and other lung diseases. The smoke and toxins inhaled damage the airways and alveoli, the tiny air sacs in the lungs, causing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Effect on Mental Health

Smoking also influences mental health. Nicotine addiction can lead to increased stress, anxiety, and depression. The temporary relief from stress that smoking provides is often mistaken for a stress reliever, while it is actually exacerbating the problem.

In conclusion, smoking is a harmful habit that poses significant threats to physical and mental health. The myriad diseases it causes, coupled with its addictive nature, make it a dangerous lifestyle choice. It is imperative to raise awareness about these harmful effects and encourage cessation to safeguard public health.

500 Words Essay on Harmful Effects of Smoking

The impact on physical health.

One of the most severe consequences of smoking is its impact on physical health. Smokers are at a higher risk of developing a plethora of diseases, including lung cancer, heart disease, stroke, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). These conditions are often fatal, leading to premature death. The toxins in cigarette smoke damage the lining of the lungs, making smokers more susceptible to infections like pneumonia.

Detrimental Effects on Mental Health

Smoking doesn’t just harm the physical body; it also has a profound effect on mental health. Nicotine, the addictive substance in tobacco, alters the brain chemistry, leading to dependence. This dependence can exacerbate mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression. Furthermore, the stress of addiction and the struggle to quit smoking can also take a toll on mental well-being.

Smoking and Second-hand Smoke

Societal impact.

Smoking also has societal implications. The economic burden of smoking is substantial, with healthcare costs for smoking-related illnesses reaching astronomical levels. Additionally, the loss of productivity due to illness or premature death contributes to economic strain.

In conclusion, the harmful effects of smoking are far-reaching, affecting not only the smoker but also those around them and society at large. The physical and mental health implications, coupled with the economic burden, make it a significant public health issue. Despite the addictive nature of smoking, quitting is possible with the right support and resources, leading to improved health outcomes and quality of life. Understanding the full scope of smoking’s harmful effects is crucial in motivating smokers to quit and preventing non-smokers from starting.

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Tobacco Active and Passive Smoking

Context - Over one thousand million people worldwide smoke tobacco.

In developed countries, the overall percentage of smokers has decreased, but the percentage is still increasing in developing countries and among women.

More and more is known about the harmful effects of tobacco on smokers.

Are passive smokers also at risk?

• Source document: IARC (2002)
• Summary & Details: GreenFacts
• Level 1: Summary
• Level 2: Details
• Level 3: Source
• 1. What are the current trends in active tobacco smoking?

1.1 Over one thousand million people worldwide smoke tobacco. The percentage of smokers has decreased in developed countries, but is increasing in developing countries and among women. More...

1.2 Tobacco is mainly smoked as cigarettes, but also as pipes, cigars or bidis . More...

1.3 All current tobacco products expose smokers to chemicals which can cause cancer . The amounts of harmful substances to which smokers are exposed depend on the type of tobacco, the way it is smoked, product design and whether filters are used. More...

• 2. What kinds of cancer does tobacco cause in smokers?

2.1 Tobacco smoking strongly increases the risk of developing cancer of the lung, oral cavity (mouth), pharynx , larynx , oesophagus, pancreas, bladder and renal pelvis (the kidney outlet). It also increases the risk of cancers of the nasal cavities (nose) and sinuses, stomach, liver, kidney, cervix (neck of the uterus) and bone marrow ( myeloid leukaemia ).

The risk depends on how long a person has been smoking and the number of cigarettes smoked. For some cancers alcohol consumption increases the risk. More...

2.2 There is evidence suggesting that tobacco smoking does not cause breast cancer and that it reduces the frequency of cancer of the lining of the uterus. More...

2.3 No clear link has been found between smoking and colorectal cancer or prostate cancer. More...

2.4 Smoking cigars, pipes or bidis also causes a variety of cancers . More...

2.5 The risk for developing particular types of cancer can be amplified when smoking is combined with exposure to some substances in the workplace, alcohol consumption or some viral infections. More...

• 3. Does tobacco cause cancer in test animals?

Laboratory tests have shown that tobacco smoke and tobacco smoke condensate cause cancer in many kinds of test animals, such as rats and mice. More...

• 4. What other biological effects can active smoking cause?

In humans, active smoking can cause pregnancy problems , as well as diseases of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems .

Nicotine is the main component which makes tobacco addictive. Harmful substances from tobacco smoke and their breakdown products are present in the urine and blood stream of both active and passive smokers . In the body, carcinogens from tobacco smoke can bind to blood proteins and to DNA , and can thus produce gene mutations and chromosomal abnormalities . Smoking can also cause changes in the metabolism of cells or tissues , resulting in changes to the way foreign substances are broken down by the body.

Many of the effects seen in human smokers are also found in test animals exposed to tobacco smoke. More...

• 5. What is passive smoking?

Passive smoking is involuntary exposure to tobacco smoke. The secondhand smoke inhaled by passive smokers is a mixture of smoke exhaled by smokers and smoke directly released from smouldering tobacco. It contains nicotine as well as various carcinogens and toxins. More...

• 6. Does passive smoking cause cancer?

6.1 There is sufficient evidence to conclude that there is an increased risk of lung cancer for people who have never smoked but who have been exposed to tobacco smoke, e.g. spouses of smokers and non-smokers exposed at the workplace. However, the risk is much smaller than for active smokers. More...

6.2 For other cancers such as breast and childhood cancer , however, evidence is not conclusive. More...

6.3 Studies on laboratory animals support the evidence that passive smoking can cause cancer in humans and there is some data suggesting that dogs living in smoking households also have an increased risk for certain cancers . More...

• 7. Does passive smoking cause other health effects?

7.1 Passive smoking can cause coronary heart disease and chronic respiratory symptoms. More...

7.2 Though passive smoking does not seem to affect body weight, fertility and age at menopause of women, the birth weight of babies born to passive smokers may be lower than those born to non-smokers. More...

7.3 Similar to active smokers, passive smokers have harmful substances and breakdown products of tobacco smoke in their body, which can cause cell damage and lung cancer . More...

7.4 Test animals exposed to secondhand tobacco smoke show a range of adverse effects, including DNA damage, altered metabolism , reduced birth weight, as well as diseases of the arteries and the respiratory system. More...

• 8. Conclusions on tobacco and cancer

8.1 There is sufficient evidence to conclude that tobacco smoking causes several types of cancer in humans. More...

8.2 Moreover, there is sufficient evidence to conclude that passive smoking causes lung cancer in humans.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer ( IARC ) has therefore classified both active and passive tobacco smoking and tobacco smoke as " carcinogenic to humans " ( Group 1 ). More...

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Persuasive Essay Writing

Persuasive Essay About Smoking

Craft an Engaging Persuasive Essay About Smoking: Examples & Tips

Published on: Jan 25, 2023

Last updated on: Jan 29, 2024

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Are you stuck on your persuasive essay about smoking? If so, don’t worry – it doesn’t have to be an uphill battle. 

What if we told you that learning to craft a compelling argument to persuade your reader was just a piece of cake? 

In this blog post, we'll provide tips and examples on writing an engaging persuasive essay on the dangers of smoking…all without breaking a sweat! 

So grab a cup of coffee, get comfortable, and let's get started!

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Persuasive Essay-Defined 

A persuasive essay is a form of academic writing that presents an argument in favor of a particular position, opinion, or viewpoint. 

It is usually written to convince the audience to take a certain action or adopt a specific viewpoint. 

The primary purpose of this type of essay is to provide evidence and arguments that support the writer's opinion.

In persuasive writing, the writer will often use facts, logic, and emotion to convince the reader that their stance is correct. 

The writer can persuade the reader to consider or agree with their point of view by presenting a well-researched and logically structured argument. 

The goal of a persuasive essay is not to sway the reader's opinion. It is to rather inform and educate them on a particular topic or issue. 

Check this free downloadable example of a persuasive essay about smoking!

Simple Persuasive essay about smoking

Read our extensive guide on persuasive essays to learn more about crafting a masterpiece every time. 

Persuasive Essay Examples About Smoking 

Are you a student looking for some useful tips to write an effective persuasive essay about the dangers of smoking? 

Look no further! Here are several great examples of persuasive essays that masterfully tackle the subject and persuade readers creatively.

Persuasive speech on the smoking outline

Persuasive essay about smoking should be banned

Persuasive essay about smoking pdf

Persuasive essay about smoking cannot relieve stress

Persuasive essay about smoking in public places

Speech about smoking is dangerous

For more examples about persuasive essays, check out our blog on persuasive essay examples .

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Argumentative Essay About Smoking Examples

Our examples can help you find the points that work best for your style and argument. 

Argumentative essay about smoking introduction

Argumentative essay about smoking pdf

Argumentative essay about smoking in public places

10 Tips for Writing a Persuasive Essay About Smoking 

Here are a few tips and tricks to make your persuasive essay about smoking stand out: 

1. Do Your Research

 Before you start writing, make sure to do thorough research on the topic of smoking and its effects. 

Look for primary and secondary sources that provide valuable information about the issue.

2. Create an Outline

An outline is essential when organizing your thoughts and ideas into a cohesive structure. This can help you organize your arguments and counterarguments.

Read our blog about creating a persuasive essay outline to master your next essay.

Check out this amazing video here!

3. Clearly Define the Issue

 Make sure your writing identifies the problem of smoking and why it should be stopped.

4. Highlight Consequences

 Show readers the possible negative impacts of smoking, like cancer, respiratory issues, and addiction.

5. Identity Solutions 

Provide viable solutions to the problem, such as cessation programs, cigarette alternatives, and lifestyle changes.

6. Be Research-Oriented  

Research facts about smoking and provide sources for those facts that can be used to support your argument.

7. Aim For the Emotions

Use powerful language and vivid imagery to draw readers in and make them feel like you do about smoking.

8. Use Personal Stories 

Share personal stories or anecdotes of people who have successfully quit smoking and those negatively impacted by it.

9. Include an Action Plan

Offer step-by-step instructions on how to quit smoking, and provide resources for assistance effectively.

10. Reference Experts 

Incorporate quotes and opinions from medical professionals, researchers, or other experts in the field.

These tips can help you write an effective persuasive essay about smoking and its negative effects on the body, mind, and society. 

When your next writing assignment has you feeling stuck, don't forget that essay examples about smoking are always available to break through writer's block.

And if you need help getting started, our expert essay writer at CollegeEssay.org is more than happy to assist. 

Just give us your details, and our persuasive essay writer will start working on crafting a masterpiece. 

We provide top-notch essay writing service online to help you get the grades you deserve and boost your career.

Try our AI writing tool today to save time and effort!

Frequently Asked Questions

What would be a good thesis statement for smoking.

A good thesis statement for smoking could be: "Smoking has serious health risks that outweigh any perceived benefits, and its use should be strongly discouraged."

What are good topics for persuasive essays?

Good topics for persuasive essays include the effects of smoking on health, the dangers of second-hand smoke, the economic implications of tobacco taxes, and ways to reduce teenage smoking. 

These topics can be explored differently to provide a unique and engaging argument.

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Essay on Smoking

500 words essay on  smoking.

One of the most common problems we are facing in today’s world which is killing people is smoking. A lot of people pick up this habit because of stress , personal issues and more. In fact, some even begin showing it off. When someone smokes a cigarette, they not only hurt themselves but everyone around them. It has many ill-effects on the human body which we will go through in the essay on smoking.

Ill-Effects of Smoking

Tobacco can have a disastrous impact on our health. Nonetheless, people consume it daily for a long period of time till it’s too late. Nearly one billion people in the whole world smoke. It is a shocking figure as that 1 billion puts millions of people at risk along with themselves.

Cigarettes have a major impact on the lungs. Around a third of all cancer cases happen due to smoking. For instance, it can affect breathing and causes shortness of breath and coughing. Further, it also increases the risk of respiratory tract infection which ultimately reduces the quality of life.

In addition to these serious health consequences, smoking impacts the well-being of a person as well. It alters the sense of smell and taste. Further, it also reduces the ability to perform physical exercises.

It also hampers your physical appearances like giving yellow teeth and aged skin. You also get a greater risk of depression or anxiety . Smoking also affects our relationship with our family, friends and colleagues.

Most importantly, it is also an expensive habit. In other words, it entails heavy financial costs. Even though some people don’t have money to get by, they waste it on cigarettes because of their addiction.

How to Quit Smoking?

There are many ways through which one can quit smoking. The first one is preparing for the day when you will quit. It is not easy to quit a habit abruptly, so set a date to give yourself time to prepare mentally.

Further, you can also use NRTs for your nicotine dependence. They can reduce your craving and withdrawal symptoms. NRTs like skin patches, chewing gums, lozenges, nasal spray and inhalers can help greatly.

Moreover, you can also consider non-nicotine medications. They require a prescription so it is essential to talk to your doctor to get access to it. Most importantly, seek behavioural support. To tackle your dependence on nicotine, it is essential to get counselling services, self-materials or more to get through this phase.

One can also try alternative therapies if they want to try them. There is no harm in trying as long as you are determined to quit smoking. For instance, filters, smoking deterrents, e-cigarettes, acupuncture, cold laser therapy, yoga and more can work for some people.

Always remember that you cannot quit smoking instantly as it will be bad for you as well. Try cutting down on it and then slowly and steadily give it up altogether.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Conclusion of the Essay on Smoking

Thus, if anyone is a slave to cigarettes, it is essential for them to understand that it is never too late to stop smoking. With the help and a good action plan, anyone can quit it for good. Moreover, the benefits will be evident within a few days of quitting.

FAQ of Essay on Smoking

Question 1: What are the effects of smoking?

Answer 1: Smoking has major effects like cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung diseases, diabetes, and more. It also increases the risk for tuberculosis, certain eye diseases, and problems with the immune system .

Question 2: Why should we avoid smoking?

Answer 2: We must avoid smoking as it can lengthen your life expectancy. Moreover, by not smoking, you decrease your risk of disease which includes lung cancer, throat cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, and more.

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Home — Essay Samples — Nursing & Health — Smoking — Should Smoking Be Made Illegal: Argumentative

Should Smoking Be Made Illegal: Argumentative

• Categories: Smoking Smoking Ban Tobacco

About this sample

Words: 674 |

Updated: 8 December, 2023

Words: 674 | Page: 1 | 4 min read

Works Cited

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking. https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/health_effects/effects_cig_smoking/index.htm
• Chatterjee, K., & Chatterjee, K. (2014). Secondhand Smoke: Are We Protecting Our Children? Lung India, 31(4), 369–377.
• Foulds, J., Ramstrom, L., Burke, M., & Fagerström, K. (2003). Effect of Smokeless Tobacco (Snus) on Smoking and Public Health in Sweden. Tobacco Control, 12(4), 349–359.
• Hatsukami, D. K., & Stead, L. F. (2020). Tobacco Use: Prevention, Cessation, and Control. Oxford University Press.
• Hu, T.-W., Lee, A. H.-Y., Mao, Z., & Ong, M. (2016). China at the Crossroads: The Economics of Tobacco and Health. World Scientific Publishing.
• National Cancer Institute. (2020). Harms of Cigarette Smoking and Health Benefits of Quitting. https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/tobacco/cessation-fact-sheet
• Peto, R., Lopez, A. D., Boreham, J., Thun, M., & Heath, C. Jr. (2016). Mortality from Smoking in Developed Countries 1950-2010: Indirect Estimates from National Vital Statistics. Oxford University Press.
• Schick, S., & Glantz, S. (2005). Philip Morris Toxicological Experiments with Fresh Sidestream Smoke: More Toxic than Mainstream Smoke. Tobacco Control, 14(6), 396–404.
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2014). The Health Consequences of Smoking—50 Years of Progress: A Report of the Surgeon General. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health.
• World Health Organization. (2019). WHO Global Report on Trends in Prevalence of Tobacco Smoking 2000-2025, Second Edition. World Health Organization.

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• Essay on Environment

Example Of Argumentative Essay On Smoking In Public

Type of paper: Argumentative Essay

Topic: Environment , World , Smoking , Thinking , Pollution , Medicine , Health , Water

Published: 02/03/2020

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Smoking in public is perhaps one of the most debatable and controversial topics around. The discussion on the topic draws diverse and disparate views and opinions. There are two different lobbies or schools of thoughts when it comes to the topic or issue of smoking in public. While the one side is against smoking in public, the other finds absolutely nothing wrong in smoking among others. Both sides have their thoughts and arguments to back their opinion. But, off late the voice against smoking in public has gained strength and momentum and more and more public are vying for banning of smoking in public. There are many countries around the world that have completely prohibited and banned smoking in public areas, which indeed is a right decision. Smoking in public place should not only be totally banned but strict fines should be imposed on people who are found violating the rule. Smoking in public has its own perils and disadvantages. The most important reason, which is often quoted in favor of the ban of smoking in public, is the threat it poses to the health and safety of people. Smoking not only harms the person or the group, which indulges in it but also for others who are around this person or group. Passive smoking or secondhand smoking, as it is known, is one of the biggest health threats of modern times. It is estimated that smoke consists of a staggering 4,000 chemicals, a whopping 50 out of which are cancer-related. Smoking causes medical and health issues like health and respiratory disorders, bronchitis, pneumonia, asthma etc. The effects or issues are not only restrained or constrained to the smokers but non-smokers too through passive smoking. According to a research by Manitoba Medical Association, Secondhand smoking is the third leading cause of preventable death after active smoking and alcohol (Bethany 2012). The other most vital and important reason to impose a ban on smoking is that it’s highly unpleasant and offensive for the non-smokers. Where permitted in restaurants, bars, casinos, theaters, transportation and other public places, it is simply that the inconsiderate smoker is imposing his/her addiction on others (Sherman 2011). This is akin to robbing the non-smokers of a healthy and safe environment and hence there should absolutely be no second thoughts about banning smoking in public. The step ensures benefit and safety for all and hence should be pursued even if met with some resistance. Smoking also adversely affects our atmosphere and environment since it a big contributor to Air, land and Water pollution. The fumes from the cigarettes are an important contributor to air pollution. The cigarette buts cause extensive ground and water pollution and can threaten aquatic life too. According to a finding, the remaining butts on the ground approximately take 25-26 years to decompose completely (ygoy 2013). Banning smoking in public could be an important deterrent for smokers that could lead to reduction in smoking and ultimately benefit our environment. Thus, it can be clearly and vividly concluded that banning smoking in public is the sane and appropriate choice to make. Though there could be some economic losses but health of citizens and environment are of paramount importance and should be given preference over economic gains and personal choices. Banning is a baby step towards healthier and smoke free world.

Bethany S (2012). Ban Smoking in Public Areas. Teenink, Retrieved April 27, 2013, from http://teenink.com/hot_topics/health/article/4790/Ban-Smoking-in-Public-Areas/ Sherman, Ted (2011). Why Smoking should be banned in all Public places. Helium, Retrieved April 27, 2013, from http://www.helium.com/items/1345291-smoking-should-be-banned-in-all-public- places ygoy (2013). How smoking affects the Environment?. ygoy, Retrieved April 27, 2013, from http://smoking.ygoy.com/smoking-and-the-environment/

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Examples Of Argumentative Essays

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Trystan S Goetze

A sample handout on writing argumentative essays and avoiding plagiarism. Prepared for a course on computer ethics.

Sofie Abbott

Do white performers (eg. Eminem, Vanilla Ice) have a moral right to perform hip-hop? The question of who to perform which music is a form of control of who and how best to give to the audience the best of the art form giving them (the audience) a heart thrilling and mind blowing treat. But the question of who has the right to perform which music (hip-hop for instance) is a sensitive issue that could ignite an unending debate of who should be considered the founders or who has the monopoly of a universally accepted and performed art, music.

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this paper is about some examples of "how to argue/receive" the statement especially on IELTS preparation based on my experience

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Aysha Sharif

Topic 1 Smoking in public places should be banned. What is your viewpoint, do you agree or disagree? Writing Ban on smoking in places is not only justified but also imperative. Many countries are realizing the dangers of passive smoking and are coming up with measures to curb the problems popping up with the passive smoking. Medical science has fully supported the dangers of potential passive smoking. To illustrate my point I will like to cite the fact that most of the people die due to cigarette smoking which contains nicotine. Inveterate smokers pack up themselves with lung and oral cancer rather than from natural causes. Government is squandering astronomical sums for the treatment of pulmonary cancers and educating the populace from the dangers of smoking. The imposition of high taxes on nicotine based products has already been done to restrain this habit. The debatable point is that to what extent these steps have been succeeded to dissuade the smokers. Cigarette smoking not only pollutes the air but also make non-smokers inhale the stale smoke imperiling their health too. Ingrained smokers are not destroying their own health but also of others. The main critical issue in this respect is that is anyone (child or adult) safe from passive smoking. The doom of asthmatics, pregnant women can we well imagined too. Some smokers argue that banning smoking in public places is direct impingement of their human rights but this line is futile because right to smoking is not absolute, but right to life is. Many persons unintentionally take up smoking by watching others; thereby unleash the smoke in public places. This is what they call fashion. Thus it is imperative to impose appropriate laws as it will not only prevent non-smokers from falling victim to the dangers of passive smoking, but also directly benefit the diehard smokers who would then have no choice but to curtail their smoking habit.

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Something Has Gone Deeply Wrong at the Supreme Court

Jurists who preach fidelity to the Constitution are making decisions that flatly contradict our founding document’s text and ideals.

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F orget Donald Trump . Forget Joe Biden. Think instead about the Constitution. What does this document, the supreme law of our land, actually say about ​​lawsuits against ex-presidents?

Nothing remotely resembling what Chief Justice John Roberts and five associate ​justices declared​ in yesterday’s disappointing Trump v. United States decision​. The Court’s curious and convoluted majority opinion turns the Constitution’s text and structure inside out and upside down, saying things that are flatly contradicted by the document’s unambiguous letter and obvious spirit.​

Imagine a simple hypothetical designed to highlight the key constitutional clauses that should have been the Court’s starting point: In the year 2050, when Trump and Biden are presumably long gone, David Dealer commits serious drug crimes and then bribes President Jane Jones to pardon him.

Adam Serwer: The Supreme Court puts Trump above the law

Is Jones acting as president, in her official capacity, when she pardons Dealer? Of course. She is pardoning qua president. No one else can issue such a pardon. The Constitution expressly vests this power in the president: “The President … shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States.”

But the Constitution also contains express language that a president who takes a bribe can be impeached for bribery and then booted from office: “The President … shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other High Crimes and Misdemeanors.” And once our hypothetical President Jones has been thus removed and is now ex-President Jones, the Constitution’s plain text says that she is subject to ordinary criminal prosecution, just like anyone else: “In cases of Impeachment … the Party convicted shall … be liable and subject to Indictment, Trial, Judgment and Punishment, according to Law.”

Obviously, in Jones’s impeachment trial in the Senate, all sorts of evidence is admissible to prove not just that she issued the pardon but also why she did this—to prove that she had an unconstitutional motive , to prove that she pardoned Dealer because she was bribed to do so. Just as obviously, in the ensuing criminal case, all of this evidence surely must be allowed to come in.

But the Trump majority opinion, ​written by Roberts, says otherwise​, ​proclaim​ing that “courts may not inquire into the President’s motives.” ​In a later footnote all about bribery, the Roberts opinion says that criminal-trial courts are not allowed to “admit testimony or private records of the President or his advisers probing the official act itself. Allowing that sort of evidence would invite the jury to inspect the President’s motivations for his official actions and to second-guess their propriety.”

​​But ​​​such an inspection is​​​​ exactly what the Constitution itself plainly calls for​​​. An impeachment court and, later, a criminal court would have to​​ determine whether Jones pardoned Dealer because she thought he was innocent, or because she thought he had already suffered enough, or because he put money in her pocket for the very purpose of procuring the pardon. The smoking gun may well be in Jones’s diary—her “private records”​—​or in a recorded Oval Office conversation with Jones’s “advisers,” as​ was the case in the Watergate scandal​​​. Essentially, the​ Court ​in Trump v. United States ​is declaring the Constitution itself unconstitutional​.​​ Instead of properly starting with the Constitution’s text and structure, the ​​Court has ended up repealing them​​.

In a quid-pro-quo bribery case—money for a pardon—Roberts apparently would allow evidence of the quid (the money transfer) and evidence of the quo (the fact of a later pardon) but not evidence of the pro: evidence that the pardon was given because of the money, that the pardon was motivated by the money. This is absurd.

In the oral argument this past April, one of the Court’s best jurists posed the issue well: “Giving somebody money isn’t bribery unless you get something in exchange, and if what you get in exchange is [an] official act … how does [the case] go forward?” The answer, of course, is by allowing evidence of all three legs of the bribery stool—the quid (the money), the quo (the official act), and the pro (the unconstitutional and vicious motive). Yet Roberts’s majority opinion entirely misses the thrust of this oral-argument episode.

Claire Finkelstein and Richard W. Painter: Trump’s presidential-immunity theory is a threat to the chain of command

This is astonishing, because the impressive jurist who shone in this oral exchange was none other than the chief justice himself. John Roberts, meet John Roberts.

And please meet the John Roberts who has long believed that the judiciary shouldn’t be partisan. Over the course of his career, Roberts has repeatedly said that there are no Republican justices or Democratic justices, no Trump justices or Obama justices or Biden justices—there are just justices, period. Yet the ​​Court​ in Trump v. United States ​ split along sharply partisan lines—six Republican​ appointees,​​ three of whom were named to the Court by Trump himself,​ versus three Democrat​ic appointees​​​. ​Roberts failed to pull these sides together​​.

This is precisely the opposite of what happened in the celebrated ​​​decision United States v. Nixon ​​, also known as the Nixon-tapes case, in which​ the Court​—including three justices appointed by Richard Nixon himself—issued a unanimous no-man-is-above-the-law ruling against the president. (A fourth Nixon appointee—William Rehnquist, for whom a young Roberts later clerked—recused himself.) The ​opinion​​​ also made clear that presidential conversations with top aides are indeed admissible when part of a criminal conspiracy.

​​​​Yesterday’s liberal dissenters came much closer to the constitutional mark, but they, too, made mistakes. ​The​ir​​ biggest blunder in Trump was relying on a 1982 case, Nixon v. Fitzgerald , that simply invented out of whole cloth broad immunity for ex-presidents in civil cases. If liberal precedents lacking strong roots in the Constitution, such as Roe v. Wade , are fair game for conservatives, then mistaken conservative precedents ​ought to​​ be fair game for liberals. Fitzgerald made stuff up, and ​the liberals should have said​ so.

No one is above the law​—or, at least, no one should be​. Not presidents, not ex-presidents, and not justices either. Because the Constitution itself is our highest law, jurists across the spectrum must prioritize that document’s letter and spirit above all else. In Trump v. United States , the Court failed to do this and also failed to live up to America’s highest ideals: nonpartisan justice and the rule of law.

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Back When Women Were Told to ‘Write Like a Man’

For the midcentury New York intellectuals, Ronnie Grinberg writes in a new book, a particular kind of machismo was de rigueur — even for women.

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By Jennifer Szalai

WRITE LIKE A MAN: Jewish Masculinity and the New York Intellectuals , by Ronnie A. Grinberg

“Write Like a Man”: The title of Ronnie Grinberg’s group portrait of the midcentury New York intellectuals sounds both confrontational and comic, aggressive and anachronistic. What used to be considered a compliment (albeit an inherently chauvinistic one) now sounds so ridiculous that it can only be an ironic joke. The transformation is a mark of how much has changed since the moment Grinberg writes about, when a cohort of writers clustered around small but influential journals like Partisan Review and Dissent made virtues out of intellectual provocation and polemical combat.

Those intellectuals were mostly men, and they were mostly Jewish. They have also been amply written about, not least by the men themselves, in their memoirs. But what distinguishes “Write Like a Man” is its frame — one that seems deceptively simple at first, but turns out to be capacious enough to contain all kinds of fascinating contradictions. Grinberg, a history professor at the University of Oklahoma, argues that Jewishness informed a particular understanding of masculinity: “Men and women, Jews and non-Jews in the group all came to espouse a secular Jewish machismo.”

This isn’t an essentialist argument; what Grinberg calls “the ideology of secular Jewish masculinity” was forged from the specific experience of growing up outside the American mainstream. Protestant ideals of manliness venerated athleticism and physical prowess — a sentiment that became even more pronounced in nativist reaction to the influx of new immigrants in the late 19th- and early 20th-centuries. Antisemitic stereotypes “had long cast Jewish men as weak, passive and effeminate,” Grinberg writes. After World War I, a young generation of American-born Jewish men found a way to carve out a space for themselves by merging a Jewish emphasis on learning and scholarship with an American emphasis on swagger. “It was new,” Grinberg writes, “both uniquely American and uniquely Jewish.”

Ground zero for this budding subculture was City College of New York, with its free tuition and absence of quotas, along with a student body that in the 1930s, for example, was 80 to 90 percent Jewish. Graduates included the sociologist Daniel Bell, the philosopher Sidney Hook and the literary critics Alfred Kazin and Irving Howe. For those who studied there at the time, the philosophy professor Morris Cohen was, as one student put it, “the Paul Bunyan of Jewish intellectuals,” with an axe-wielding pedagogical style to match. “You went to a Cohen class in order to be ripped open,” Howe recalled, later adding, “It was a terrifying, sometimes even a sadistic method of teaching.” Howe clearly meant this as a compliment.

Howe is a central figure in Grinberg’s book, someone who eventually admitted his own “habits of condescension” toward women and remained steadfast in his left-wing ideals. His quarrels with a younger generation of New Leftists show how both parties deployed the language of masculinity, even if they disagreed over what true manliness entailed. “Rudeness,” Howe wrote, “became a spear with which to break the skin of complacency.” But that spear was contained in ideas and argument, not activism. In the 1960s, the New Leftists exalted protest and action; they derided middle-aged leftists like Howe as “armchair intellectuals.”

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