The Dangers Of Smoking Are Well-Known, Yet Many People Continue With This Habit | Band 8 IELTS Essay Sample

The dangers of smoking are well known, yet many people continue with this habit. What are the causes of this? How can we reduce smoking in society? Give reasons for your answer, and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Here is a band 8 IELTS essay on this topic written by one of our students. Need help with IELTS writing? Get your IELTS essays, letters and reports corrected by me.

Band 8 IELTS essay sample

 lot of people understand the health consequences of smoking and yet they are unable to quit this habit because of addiction and rising stress levels. In my essay, I will elaborate on these two reasons and propose a few solutions to curb this habit.

First of all, the main reason why people are not able to quit smoking in spite of knowing the dangers of smoking is the addiction and dependence it causes. Cigarettes have nicotine which is responsible for making people smoke-addict. Moreover, if someone tries to reduce or quit smoking, due to nicotine dependency, their body shows adverse reactions in the form of shivering and extreme restlessness. This deters their motivation and they start smoking again. The government can help such type of demotivated / distressed people by increasing the sale of nicotine gums in the market. In addition, rehabilitation centres should be opened to regularly counsel these individuals and support them in quitting smoking.

The second cause of smoking could be peer pressure and the rise in stress levels. Juveniles think smoking is cool. They find heroes smoking in movies. Their peers could be smoking and they feel inadequate if they do not smoke. Once they start the habit, unfortunately, it is a slippery slope downwards. Stress is another culprit. People of all age groups from teenagers to working professionals rely on cigarettes to relieve their stress and anxiety. It is a common scenario these days where a major proportion of society choose smoking to calm their minds. This is because tobacco releases dopamine in our brain which is known as happy hormone and this hormone helps humans to feel relaxed.

Creating awareness is definitely the best solution. Authorities should drive home the message that smoking kills. In India, for example, now it is mandatory to print ghastly images of throat and oral cancer patients on the packaging of cigarettes. These visuals have played a massive role in reducing tobacco consumption in the country. Other measures like opening more de-addiction centres, making nicotine alternatives available and increasing tax on cigarettes may also help.

In conclusion, rising stress levels, peer pressure and the influence of movies are the main factors that encourage teens and youths to start smoking. Unfortunately, once they start, they become addicted to it. The government can help them by making nicotine alternatives available and building more rehabilitation facilities.