Half a million people died this year in 2025. From what? From smoking cigarettes. The people who smoke reduce their lifetime because of diseases, so tobacco products should be taxed at a higher rate by the government in order to make it harder for people to purchase cigarettes.
People who smoke reduce their lifetime because they might get cancer, respiratory, or vascular disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Overall mortality among both male and female smokers in the United States is about three times higher than that among similar people who never smoked.” According to DoSomething, a single cigarette contains over 4,800 chemicals, 69 of which are known to cause cancer. Secondhand smoke contains over 7,000 chemicals, including 70 cancer-causing chemicals. People die earlier from diseases that they get from smoking, unlike non-smokers. One reason why people smoke is because of a chemical called nicotine. Nicotine is a highly addictive stimulant that releases dopamine in the brain, providing a sense of pleasure and reward. Smokers crave nicotine and continue to smoke to maintain its effects.
The government can increase taxes on tobacco products so more people will stop buying them. According to The American Lung Association, “Increasing taxes on tobacco products is a win-win proposition: significantly increasing tobacco product taxes results in fewer kids starting to smoke and in more adults quitting while at the same time providing substantial revenue to fund important health, as well as tobacco prevention programs.” The Surgeon General has raised prices on cigarettes because increasing prices is proven to reduce smoking, especially among kids. The government can raise taxes on tobacco, and people will stop buying the product because it is too expensive.
In conclusion, the people who smoke reduce their lifetime because of diseases, so tobacco products should be taxed by the government. On March 13, 2025, I saw a group of people smoking, and it made me feel unsafe. They looked like they really hurt themselves. I envision a future where all people are safe because they stopped smoking. I think that people should advocate for the government to raise taxes in order to stop smoking.
