Political Influence and the Hazards of Smoking, Research Paper Example

“Cigarette Advertising and Magazine Coverage of the Hazards of Smoking” was published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1992. In this article, the stakeholders that are opposed to smoking are healthcare professionals such as doctors, nurses, and researchers. This particular group of professionals benefits when people do not smoke or decide to stop smoking because it will increase the health of the patient population they handle on a day to day basis. Meanwhile, the stakeholders in opposition of the cessation of smoking are cigarette companies and magazines who advertise cigarettes in favor of profit. The lobbyists who favor a hands-off approach typically work for the cigarette and magazine companies because they prefer a lack of government intervention.

According to the American Lung Association’s annual report, 3.3% of adults use smokeless tobacco and this is more common in male smokers than female smokers.  In addition 39% of the smoking population are believed to be cigar smokers while 15% of the adult population are cigarette smokers, although smoking prevalence varies according to geographic region.

Currently, a great deal of research is being conducted about the health impacts of smoking. Scientists aim to determine the impact of cigarette chemicals on health in addition to the smoke itself, determine which types of smoking are the most harmful (electronic, cigar, cigarette, hookah, etc.), and determine the impact that the media has on the smoking habits of both adults and adolescents. The policy implications for the future are based on results of these studies. If health professionals are able to prove that there is a significant detrimental impact on those who smoke, politicians may be convinced to enact policy that increase sales tax and restrict places that people can smoke. If they are unable to do so, it is likely that lobbyists from cigarette and media companies will prevail in their mission to ensure that they are able to continue making a large profit off of cigarette sales.

References

American Lung Association. N.D. Smokeless Tobacco Products. Retrieved from http://www.lung.org/stop-smoking/about-smoking/facts-figures/smokeless-tobacco-products.html

Smokefree.gov. N.D. Research Studies. Retrieved from http://smokefree.gov/research-studies

Warner KE, Goldenhar LM, McLaughlin CG. (1992). Cigarette Advertising and Magazine Coverage of the Hazards of Smoking. The New England Journal of Medicine.