Tsui Oi-king(7B) 

There has been a heated controversy about a total ban on tobacco advertising in Hong Kong. People from all walks of life look at the issue from different angles.

Non-smokers persist in saying that tobacco advertising encourages youngsters to smoke, while tobacco companies say a ban counters their right to advertise a legal product and harms the spirit of free enterprise.

It has been proven that smoking has harmful effects, so all tobacco advertising should be banned.

Cigarette smoke contains tar and other carcinogenic and detrimental substances. They irritate the respiratory system of human begins, especially the lungs. Studies have shown that smoking causes lung and other cancers.

Lung cancer is one of the top killers among smokers. But also, the smoke coming from a burning cigarette contains harmful substances.

Passive smokers, mainly family members, may suffer from smoking-related diseases.

This being so, ban cigarette advertisements.

Advertising is an effective means of product promotion.

There is a wide variety of advertising media, namely newspapers, magazines, television, billboards and at the MTR stations. Everyone sees them.

The contents of advertisements are usually exaggerated, as companies aim to appeal to most customers.

The more customers they have, the more money they will make.

The main target of the tobacco companies is teenagers. Teenagers are impressionable and are usually ready to indulge in all forms of escapism and hedonism. Most of them blindly follow cultural trends.

If teenagers get addicted to smoking, they or she would be a prolonged consumer of certain tobacco brand. As a consequence, cigarette advertisements appeal to teenager's extravagant expectations.

It is supposed to convey that smoking brings maturity, coolness and status. It deliberately seeks to deceive teenagers into smoking, so it seems to make their dreams come true. So teenagers become addicted.

Cigarettes are made to be seen as an indispensable necessity.

The ban of cigarette advertisements would not make smokers stop smoking.

In the order words, even when the cigarette advertisements are banned; they will still be smokers to buy cigarettes. The ban does not violate freedom of speech and the spirit of enterprise. The purpose of the ban is to prevent the number of smokers from increasing.

All in all, smoking has many adverse effects on health and teenagers. As the youths are the future masters of society, the growth of the young generation is crucial. To save our citizens and future masters. the cigarette advertisements should be banned absolutely.

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