Should tobacco companies be held responsible for smoking-related Research Paper

Should tobacco companies be held responsible for smoking-related illnesses and deaths - Research Paper Example This is due to the fact that, whereas smokers inhale cigarette smoke directly into their lungs, those close to them eventually consume the smoke exhaled as well as that from the burning cigarette in a passive manner (Brandt 15). According to 2002 statistics, it is estimated that more than 1.6 billion people world wide are smokers, translating to approximately 27% of the world’s population (Torrison 82). The effects of this habit are numerous ranging from cancer, impotence, heart failure, and eventually death. It is estimated that more than 400000 people die on yearly basis in the US primarily due to complications arising from cigarette smoking (Torrison 17). This essay is a critical evaluation of whether tobacco processing industries should be held accountable for the deaths and other effects of smoking. Tobacco Smoking There is no person who is born a smoker, it is a habit that one adopts willingly maybe due to some reasons that most smokers give such as peer influence, as a way of relieving stress among others (Williams 51). Interestingly, information regarding the various harmful effects of this habit is usually within the vicinity of these people ranging from manufacturers warning printed on the cigarette packets, flyers and posters erected by various organizations which fight drug and alcohol abuse as well as numerous informative advertisements on the print and electronic media (Torrison 11). In this context, it would be wrong for these people to feign ignorance and put the blame on someone else. Majority of smokers know that tobacco smoking is addictive, meaning that the longer you continue to consume, the more you will program the body to expect frequent replenishment of nicotine. Probably, this is one of the major factors which make it difficult for one to quit smoking and when some do, the craving for nicotine becomes intense hence resulting to fallback and the show of withdrawal symptoms (Torrison 31). However, it is the responsibility of these people to know that it only requires effort and dedication in order to be able to quit successfully. If this is not possible, they have the option of acquiring the services of professionals, who would guide them through the process and advise them on how to manage the craving for cigarette until that time when they will have succeeded completely. The major problem is the fact that most of the smokers live in denial, i.e. they refuse to acknowledge that they are addicts some giving lame excuses such as they only smoke when on a drinking spree or when faced with a difficult situation (Williams 81). The US authorities have tried to enact legislations with the aim of protecting non-smokers from harm, with several states banning tobacco smoking in areas which are highly populated such as public vehicles, offices among others (Brandt 62). However, it is sad to note that even with these regulations smoking continues to be one of the major causes of death with statistics indicating that 1 of every 5 deaths in the US is as a result of this habit (Dethic 52). Some critics have in the past put the blame on cigarette manufacturing companies based on the assumption that if they were not in the business, then people would not access the cigarettes (Williams 124). They forget that tobacco as with other drugs, such as marijuana, is produced from plants, which any person can access especially since there are no laws that have been enacted to illegalize it. As such, one can just plant his or