Is it shocking that 18.1% of Americans smoke? The percentage may not seem very high, but the number is estimated at 42.1 million people (smokers). Statistics show that the majority of smokers started in their early adolescence. The highly addictive stimulant nicotine makes it difficult to quit the habit. Although many are aware of the dangers and warnings of smoking, they persist in grabbing a cigarette and taking a drag. Cigarettes and all tobacco products should be banned because they harm health, create risks for non-smokers and destroy the environment. The dangerous health factors involved in cigarettes and tobacco products can easily harm and destroy a person's overall well-being. The National Cancer Institute has recognized that these chemicals in cigarettes and tobacco products are the direct cause of cancer. Tobacco smoke, for example, contains 4,000 chemicals, and at least 250 known to be dangerous to health (Stop smoking). Puffing cigarettes abuses almost every organ in the body and causes cancers of the lungs, esophagus, larynx, mouth, kidneys, bladder, etc. (Stop smoking). Even knowing this information, people start smoking these anti-cancer sticks again. Smoking causes approximately 443,000 deaths each year in the United States, and this number is increasing every day (Smoking). Once a person starts smoking a cigarette or tobacco product, the urge to quit can be very difficult to satisfy. The effects of the nicotine contained in the product are very addictive, with some research even claiming that it may be more addictive than heroin (Why is smoking addictive). The balance of chemicals in the brain is adjusted from the effects of nicotin...... middle of paper ......f the surgeon general. Np: np, 2006. 22-24. Rep. in the field of tobacco and smoking. Ed. Susan Hunnicutt. Detroit: Greenhaven, 2009. Opposing Views. Opposing viewpoints in context. Internet. March 18, 2014. “Cigarette butts are toxic waste1. » Environmental impact of smoking.TobaccoFreeCA, nd Web. March 23, 2014. “Cigarette waste – impacts”. Cigarette waste – impacts. Cigarette Butt Litter, nd Web. March 18, 2014. “Quitting Smoking: Why Quit Smoking and How to Get Help.” » Np: np, 2007. N. pag. Rep. in Chemical Dependence. Ed. Romain Espejo. Detroit: Greenhaven, 2011. Opposing Viewpoints. Opposing viewpoints in context. Internet. March 18, 2014. “Smoking.” Current issues: Macmillan Social Sciences Library. Detroit: Gale, 2010. N. pag. Opposing viewpoints in context. Internet. March 18, 2014. “Why is smoking addictive?” » - Health issues. NHS Choices, and Web. March 24.2014.