Smoking

When we were young, we could see easily people smoking in the road or in a bus. That might be regarded as natural at that time in Korea. Since the danger of smoking was announced to the public, however, ban on smoking has been discussed constantly and seriously. Today, due to the sharp increase of concern about health, smokers are being attacked by non-smokers as if smoking is a crime. Is it really fair that smokers are treated like criminals?

Smoking is a kind of right to pursue happiness guarantied by the Constitution. People pursue their happiness in various ways and smoking is just one of these ways. So it should be respected as a right by all people even though it is harmful to human body. Of course, non-smokers assert that they also have a right: the right to live a happy and healthy life. However, this conflict between two parts cannot be a decisive problem if we recognize that there are a lot of conflicts among rights and that our duty is not demolishing the rights, but finding the way of respecting the rights and minimizing conflicts. We have various policies regarding smoking such as smoking only in designated area and campaign against smoking. Through enforcing the policies, we can protect non-smokers from most injury, prevent the young from starting smoking, and give smokers motivation to quit smoking.

Smoking doesn't play entirely bad role to individuals and society. The tax income from smokers in 1960s covered up to 16% of whole tax income. Still now, cigarette tax has been big income source of our government. In addition, smoking is helpful to human mentality in contrast to physical harm. Jung-Jo, one of the greatest kings of Chosun dynasty praised smoking in his essay as follows "Namryung-cho(the name of cigarette at that time) is of great use and better than tea or alcohol." It is another good effect that smoking contributes to our national wealth by providing employment in agriculture and distribution areas.

Smoking has good and bad sides. For a long time, we have told about its bad side. However, what we should keep in mind is that smokers have exercised their right within laws and that all people don't have the right to invade others' right if it is not illegal. In stead, we need to think about the individual and social devices to decrease the bad effects of smoking and finally enlarge our happiness all together.