Advocacy Project: Issue Overview

Introduction:
-Current Issue: reduce illness, disability and death related to tobacco use and exposure to second hand smoke
-This is what has been done to address this so far: initiation of tobacco use (27-3).

Who is affected by the issue:
-Those who are affected most are the people who are doing the smoking or using tobacco products.  They are not only harming themselves but also those around them with their second hand smoke.
-People who are smoking loose. They loose their health, well-being, money and it can be as extreme as their loss of life.  The people who breathe in the second hand smoke also are at a loss because they are being damaged for something they are not choosing to do.
-I feel like with this law, no one is really gaining when using or being around tobacco products.  If you look at it in a bigger picture, the tobacco products are gaining in the sense that they are making money off of the people who are choosing to buy or use their products.

What are the consequences of the issue:
-The consequences of the individuals mostly affected would be their health. By using tobacco products you are really doing damage to your body and well being.
-The families are affected because they too may be forced to be around the second hand smoke.  This is unhealthy for them.  They may also have to watch a loved one suffer from the effects of smoking. Smoking also smells really bad so if you are around someone who smokes this may be a minor consequence you face.
-Society has to face second hand smoke. This is a huge issue and something that this law is trying to prevent because of the dangers associated with second hand smoke.


What is the economic impact of the issue:
-What are the economic costs of the issue, and who bears these costs? The costs would be the high price of tobacco products. The people buying these products bears these costs. If they choose to smoke, more than likely they will get sick more often, possibly get cancer or other serious diseases and if this is the case there are also the cost of medical bills, etc.
-What are the economic benefits of the issue, and who benefits? Benefits would be that the tobacco companies are making more money so they would benefit mostly from the sales of tobacco products. Hospitals and insurance companies may have benefits as well by making more money if more people are ill or getting sick.

What is the social impact of the issue?
-Social costs would be taxes being but on tobacco products and the people consuming these products would more than likely be the ones bearing the costs.
-Social benefits would maybe be less people choosing to smoke do to the taxes and therefore people would benefit first hand and second hand because there would be less people smoking and less second hand smoke.


What are the barriers?
-Barriers addressing this issue is that the tobacco companies are large and powerful and as long as they have some people buying their products they are going to want to stay in business. They also have a lot of money so they are able to use this as a resource. Tobacco is also addictive and people who use it have a hard time quitting.
-People can be educated on how harmful tobacco is for you. Hopefully barriers can be overcome be getting people to use less tobacco products or not do so around other people. If this happens the tobacco companies will continue to get less and less business.

What are the resources?
-We will need Health Educators and other people who support the issue and are willing to fight to make it effective. We will need money and programs set up, campaigns, etc.
-This can be tapped by getting appropriate funding and advertising for this issue.

What is the history of this issue?
-Before there were more people smoking and using tobacco products. Now, there are more people cutting back on the use of tobacco products due to more awareness on the issue and the dangers associated with it. Here is some progress that has been made.

Allies & Opponents:
-People who would support this issue would be health educators, doctors, nurses, people who do not want loves ones to continue smoking or people who have seen the effects first hand and some people may support this issue who currently smoke but want to try and quit
-People who would oppose this issue are the Tobacco Companies mainly and probably others who currently smoke and do not show any immediate effects
-You can try and bring these two groups of people together by educating them and by showing them you are trying to help benefit them and the community and others who live there as well. You can try and get both sides to understand where they are both coming from

-I recommend that people vote to pass this law because it will benefit more people than it hurts and it is a good law to be passed for health and well being of the people.

-Image from here