Tobacco has similar risks and addictive qualities to drugs, yet it is still treated as a symbol product and sold legally. Given the social harms and health threats posed by tobacco, there is a strong argument to be made for its classification as a drug and stronger regulation.
Drugs are often associated with strong images, and because they are legally prohibited, people’s perceptions of their dangers are relatively firm. Tobacco, on the other hand, doesn’t get as much attention, even though it’s just as harmful as drugs. While it’s rare to find someone who actually does drugs, it’s easy to find someone who smokes. The fact that tobacco is harmful to health has been proven in several studies, and many people recognize it. One famous professor even emphasized that tobacco is more harmful than some drugs. As a non-smoker, I’ve never really cared much for cigarettes, but I wondered if they should be regulated like drugs.
When you stand in front of the checkout counter at a convenience store, you can see various types of cigarettes on the shelves. Cigarettes with different flavors, aromas, and thicknesses are constantly being released to suit the tastes of consumers. As such, cigarettes have become a desirable product with differentiating features by brand. But what’s important for consumers to realize is that they are paying for a substance that is putting their health at risk.
Cigarettes are often described as “harmless”. This is because each ingredient in cigarettes can cause a variety of health problems. Nicotine, for example, acts on the central nervous system and causes addiction. It quickly reaches the brain, affects neurotransmitters, disrupts the endocrine system, and adversely affects several organs. For example, it acts on skeletal muscle receptors to relax muscles. Tar also refers to all but the gaseous component of tobacco, which contains a number of toxic substances, including about 20 different carcinogens. Of the gaseous components, carbon monoxide is the most harmful, as it binds to hemoglobin, causing hypoxia, which impairs metabolism. In addition to this, toluene, arsenic, and many other harmful substances are contained in cigarettes. In conclusion, cigarettes are a “conglomeration of evils”, a collection of different health threats.
The diseases caused by tobacco are also very diverse. Tobacco use is directly linked to about 70% of respiratory diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema, and bronchitis. Lung cancer, in particular, has a proven causal link to smoking. In 2008, the University of Tokyo Medical School in Japan submitted an opinion letter stating that smoking causes lung cancer, and a 2012 lawsuit officially recognized this fact. Tobacco also causes a number of cardiovascular diseases by raising blood pressure, increasing pulse rate, and accelerating blood clotting, and it also increases the risk of oral cancer, periodontitis, and more.
Tobacco is a leading cause of shortened life expectancy and increased mortality. Tobacco kills millions of people every year. It’s unfortunate that despite these risks, tobacco is still consumed as a status symbol. Tobacco companies profit from the addictive properties of nicotine and use flavorings such as menthol to increase nicotine absorption. Under these circumstances, it is ethically problematic to treat tobacco as a symbol product.
It is clear that tobacco is a public health hazard. Yet, unlike other harmful drugs, tobacco is sold legally. Is it right that tobacco, which is just as dangerous as drugs, should be legalized?
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines drugs as substances that cause strong cravings, increased use, withdrawal, and harm to individuals and society. According to this definition, tobacco falls into the category of drugs to some extent. Of course, cravings and changes in use may not be as extreme as with drugs, but that doesn’t mean tobacco is any less dangerous. In fact, according to the Department of Health and Human Services’ 2022 Community Health Survey, the average number of cigarettes smoked per day continues to increase.
Tobacco is highly addictive. Nicotine works on the same mechanisms in the body as narcotics like heroin, cocaine, and amphetamines, and is more addictive than cannabis. Carbon monoxide is also a component of tobacco that contributes to its addictive properties. Once addicted, the tendency to maintain its concentration at a certain level makes it difficult to quit smoking and leads to withdrawal symptoms such as insomnia and headaches.
The global commercialization of tobacco has a historical background. After Christopher Columbus introduced tobacco to Europe in 1492, it was considered a luxury gift among the wealthy and promoted as a panacea. It was introduced to Korea via Japan during the Joseon Dynasty, and was also recognized as a good medicine at the time.
South Korea has one of the highest smoking rates among OECD countries, and has implemented smoke-free policies. However, policies such as raising the price of cigarettes and designating smoke-free zones have not resulted in a significant increase in smoking cessation rates. The warnings on cigarette packs are also ineffective because they are buried in the design. Therefore, the government should push for stronger anti-smoking policies, and the packaging of cigarettes should be unified in an ad-free design.
While some voices advocate for a smoking ban, others argue for the right to smoke. Smokers’ organizations in Japan argue that we need to create a society where smokers and non-smokers can coexist. However, the case of cannabis shows that even if it is mildly addictive, legal regulation is necessary to protect public health.
In particular, the right to smoke should be limited because secondhand smoke directly threatens the health of others. Secondhand smoke is even worse because it involves inhaling harmful, unfiltered smoke.
Finally, we need to make sure that information about tobacco is properly communicated. It’s not fair to claim that smoking is a choice when there’s a lack of awareness about its dangers.
In conclusion, we believe that tobacco needs to be treated like a drug. This may be difficult to implement immediately, but in the long run, we should move towards labeling tobacco as a drug. We can do this by reducing the production of cigarettes and communicating the dangers of tobacco more clearly to the public.
