Nicotine, a legal stimulant for those 18 years of age and older, is responsible for more than 400,000 deaths annually. Do you feel current legislative actions concerning tobacco use are sufficient when compared to “illegal” substances, which result in about 50,000 deaths annually? 

 

 

Nicotine is deadly. Cigarette smoke has over 7000 chemicals, of which more than 70 of those chemicals are known to cause cancer (Facts Overview, n.d.). Being that nicotine is responsible for over 400,000 deaths annually, my initial reaction is “no”, legislative actions to combat the deadly stimulant are not sufficient. However, There are many things that have been done over the last 20 years to deter people from smoking. For example, smoking is not permitted in restaurants and bars. Smoking is not permitted on airplanes.

 

There is a huge difference between the death of a person from nicotine versus the death of a person from “illegal” substances. Nicotine doesn’t typically lead to behavior that would cause a person to go to jail. For example, a person hooked on heroin might need to steal in order to support his heroin addiction. A person driving while under the influence of heroin is putting others at risk. A person driving while under the influence of nicotine is not putting others at risk because he is under the influence. Even though nicotine is deadly, the immediate effects are not deadly. The immediate effects of illegal substances can be deadly.

 

References

 

Facts Overview. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://therealcost.betobaccofree.hhs.gov/facts/index.html