Cigarettes is a cylinder of paper length
between 70 and 120 mm with a diameter of about 10 mm containing tobacco leaves
that have been shredded. Cigarette burned at one end and allowed to smolder so
that the smoke can be inhaled through the mouth at the other end. The habit of
smoking is estimated to start widely known in Indonesia in the early 19th
century ago. Fuad Baraja (antismoking activists) in an interactive discussion
on the theme "Save Our Environment without Cigarettes" explained that
Indonesia is the third largest tobacco consuming country in the world, it was
around 240 billion cigarettes per year, or about 650 million cigarettes per day.
In addition, smoking also began consumed by children from an early age.
"Some time ago, a scene in the media, two-year old child already
smokes," said Fuad in this discussion. Each of the individual and people
of the world knows that smoking is detrimental to health. It is because it can
cause and encourage the development of various diseases. Therefore, I think
smoking should be banned because it can cause a variety of diseases and it could
harm others.
Nowadays in big cities / government has held a
smoking ban in public places, such as malls, stations, offices, airports,
hotels, etc. Some laws have been published on the prohibition of smoking in
public places. For example, the regulation of Jakarta no. 75 in 2005 to ban
smoking area and sanctions for violators. The ban on smoking in public places
has been reaping the pros and cons, but the majority of the citizens of Jakarta
which is about 93% support it. The government made this law to make a clean and
healthy citizen of Aspa cigarettes and reduce the pollution of air pollution.
In addition, the World Health Organization (WHO) continues to campaign the
dangers of smoking among others by giving label the dangers of smoking on its
pack. The label contains a warning about the dangers of smoking and also a
picture of the result of smoking like cancer, coronary heart disease, atherosclerosis,
etc. Even the government and the people of the world conduct mass action to not
smoke every 31 May.
First, smoking should be banned because it can
cause a variety of diseases. One of the injured party are smokers themselves. Psychological
effects of smoking is addictive or addicted. Smokers will be uneasy if not
smoked cigarettes within a certain time. Smoking addiction is something that
belongs to the psychological effect because the case of a smoker's
subconscious. Furthermore, the effects of cigarette addiction will result in
increasing the number of cigarette consumption that is more than usual. Smoking also has a devastating effect on
your cardiovascular health. It increases your blood pressure, which can
increase your chances of cardiovascular disease such as atherosclerosis.
Smoking also increases your chances of developing blood clots, which can
dislodge and travel to the brain, causing a stroke. Smoking also decreases your
lung capacity, which can affect your ability to exercise. The loss of exercise
can result in higher weight and cholesterol levels, which also puts you at a
higher risk for cardiovascular disease and heart attacks.
According to
the American Heart Association, smoking is the leading preventable cause of
death in the United States. Of the estimated 2.4 million Americans who die
every year, as many as 440,000 die due to smoking-related illnesses. It is also estimated that smoking causes 10%
of deaths from fires per year. It is about 300,000 people from burns or smoke
inhalation and about five times of that number suffered severe burns and
injuries from smoke inhalation. One of the six victims are children. In
addition, associated with environmental damage, smoking habits cause garbage
and sewage in the streets and in other public places. Rubbish and waste in the
form of residual smoke cigarettes or cigarette smoke and dust waste which may
assume very harmful for the environment and human health. It must also be
remembered that the cost is much higher hygiene in buildings and public
transport that allows people to smoke.
Second, smoking should be banned because it
could harm others. A large number of smokers don't seem to care so much about
it. As we can see in our environment, there are many people who smoke in public
place, for example in the campus, bus station, plaza, etc. Scientists agree
that smoking is dangerous. Tobacco smoke can cause cancer, strokes and heart
disease. Smoking does not just harm the smoker – it also harms people nearby,
who breathe in the smoke (this is called “passive smoking”). Smokers choose to
smoke, but people nearby do not choose to smoke passively. A complete ban on
smoking in public is needed to protect people from passive smoking. With the
smoking ban, we indirectly help
people to reduce the risk of secondhand respiratory disease, especially in the
risk of developing lung and heart problems. Recent studies show that
almost 80% of those who ingest secondhand smoke from public smokers have a
higher risk of getting respiratory problems than smokers themselves.
The smoke that is exhaled by an individual
while smoking, contains harmful substances that pollute the air around. The
people who inhale these substances through the air, become prone to respiratory
troubles as well as other forms of illnesses. Moreover, sometimes these
substances also affect things such as furniture, clothing, and so on. Their
deterioration speeds up in many of such cases. Risks due to fire are also
lessened to a large extent due to smoking bans. Fire is a risk when more and
more people smoke because we are surrounded by innumerable flammable materials
such as oil, wood, plastic, rubber, paper, etc. If a smoker forgets to
extinguish his cigarette after smoking, chances of these materials, and many
more, catching fire that may lead to fatalities, are extremely high. The ban
may aid in curbing such chances. Also, it is wrong to say that people choose to
smoke passively. In many places, there are no non-smoking bars or restaurants.
Unless people refuse to go out with friends, they cannot avoid passive smoking.
People who work in smoky workplaces like in the bar often do not freely choose
this job, but sometimes it is because no other jobs are available. In most
countries, safety standards do not allow workers to be exposed to unnecessary
danger, even if they agree. Workers should not be exposed to other people’s
smoke, since they may not have made a free choice to do so.
However, Indonesia as an agricultural country
facilitate the farmers to grow tobacco in Indonesia, especially with the price
of tobacco is very high. Tobacco farmers who mostly come from the island of
Java, largely dependent on the sale of tobacco crops. Well, if smoking is
prohibited, then they will lose their livelihood and prosperity. But, one of
the 25 trees felled in the world to process tobacco. International Forest
Science Consultancy (IFSC) stated that approximately 9.43 million m3 of wood
consumed each year in developing countries for the tobacco industry. Surely
this will be bad for the forest ecosystem. Damage will reduce the rain forest
and deserts expand and increase the burden of the poor. Smoking may also calm nerves and help increase
concentration. However, this is usually an illusion perpetuated by the
addiction cycle. When a smoker's nicotine levels drop and she goes into
withdrawal, she may feel anxious and unable to focus. Once nicotine levels
return to normal after smoking, her ability to focus returns, and her overall
feeling of well-being also returns. Therefore, a ban on smoking in
public places would drive many bars, pubs and clubs out of business. Smokers
would not go to these places. These businesses would also earn less money from
selling tobacco. In many places, pubs and Working Men’s Clubs are important
social places for communities. They also provide jobs for people with few
skills in places with little other work. It is therefore important that they
survive. But, I think It is more important to protect people’s health than to
protect businesses. Pubs and clubs should adapt, for example by trying to earn
more money from selling food.
Smoking can cause a variety of diseases like cancer,
strokes and heart disease. Smoking also could harm others. It is because of the
smoke from the cigarette. Healthy life without smoking will lead us to better
life. Therefore, smoking should be banned.
References:
http://edukasi.kompasiana.com/2013/08/14/pro-dan-kontra-rokok-bagi-masyarakat-584261.html
http://edukasi.kompasiana.com/2013/08/14/pro-dan-kontra-rokok-bagi-masyarakat-584261.html
Aditama, Tjandra Yoga. Rokok dan Kesehatan. Jakarta: UI-Press, 1997.
Crofton, John dan David Simpson. Tembakau: Ancaman Global. Jakarta: PT Elex Media
Komputindo, 2009.
Juwono, Vishnu. “Universitas Indonesia: Kawasan
Tanpa Rokok 2012,” UI Update, ed. ke-5.
Depok: Kantor Komunikasi UI, 2010.
Sitepoe, Mangku. Kekhususan Rokok Indonesia.
Jakarta: PT Gramedia Widiasarana Indonesia, 2000.
By: Muhammad Ruby Ernawa
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