There are widely differing views on the issue of whether tobacco should be banned or not. Some people would suggest that it is their right to smoke and that prohibiting cigarettes would be a violation of their civil liberties; however, I personally believe that tobacco should indeed be made illegal. There are two principal reasons for this.
One point which I believe to be absolutely pivotal is the fact that tobacco is a drug. The majority of governments around the world take a prohibitionist approach to the problem of substance abuse. If governments wish to be consistent in pursuing their “war on drugs”, therefore, I believe they must ban tobacco as well. This is particularly so given the fact that many currently illicit drugs – including heroin and marijuana – have legitimate medical applications, while tobacco has none.
However, perhaps the strongest arguments in favour of banning cigarettes and other tobacco products is that of public health. It is an irrefutable fact that smoking leads to lung cancer and other such potentially fatal diseases. Pro-smoking groups would no doubt argue that each individual has the right to determine what goes into his/her own body. Nevertheless, I would suggest that the interests and rights of society at large must override those of the individual. The medical treatment that smokers require is often incredibly costly, and it is frequently governments and society that cover these costs rather than the individual smoker. Hence, I feel that laws prohibiting smoking would be entirely justified.
In reality, of course, the widespread prohibition of smoking is unlikely in the near future. However, given the seriousness of the problems that it causes. I believe that this should be the ultimate goal.