Whilst, smoking is hazardious to health of individuals and people around them, it is not a good idea to abandon smoking entirely. There are other issues that need to be addressed like alchohalism and drug use as they tend to go hand in hand with smoking. Rights of individuals should be prioritized as well.
As a public health issue, it is a good idea to ban smoking in public places. However targeting as a population seems unfair as alcoholism and drug use is as serious as smoking. A large number of countries are legalizing drugs to help drug users. Banning ciggerattes would lead to illegal sale of ciggeratte sale of ciggeratte which will be exceptionally difficult to control. Similarly, abandoning smoking completely would lead to withdrawl symptoms in a large sector of population, which will be difficult to manage. Alcohol abuse is a leading cause of traffic accidents and domestic violence, but restriction on alcohol doesn’t get the same amount of support as restrictions on ciggerattes.
As a society, we allow people to indulge in their vices. Although all vices are not the same, rights of individual to partake in them has and should be protected. The USA removed their prohibition on alcohol because of its restriction on an individual’s right. Abandoning smoking entirely is a hypothetical that doesn’t seem realistic. Vaping, which is popular among younger demographic, is as popular as ever. If people abandon smoking, the amount of people who might vape will go up significantly. Abandoning smoking will not solve the wider problem of addiction, while restricting an individual’s freedom.
In conclusion, abandoning smoking while partaking in other vices will lead to other issues including illegal purchase of ciggerattes, and doesn’t address the issue caused by other vices while restricting individual’s rights.