Sample opinion essay Useful language 1 Ordering firstly • then • so far • secondly • in the end • next • finally • afterwards • subsequently • thirdly Giving reasons thus • so • as a result • because • as • hence • therefore • since • despite this • consequently • accordingly • on the contrary Giving examples for example • for instance • such as • take the case of • thus • as (evidence) • as revealed by • as shown “British star encourages teens to say ‘no’ to smoking”, “Smoking forbidden at more and more outdoor seating”, “Are e-cigarettes dangerous?”: These are recent headlines that show that smoking is a constant topic in the news. Nobody lights up like Eastern Europe: The countries that smoke the most in the EU are Bulgaria, with 28.2% of the population consuming tobacco daily, Turkey (27.3 %), Greece (27.2 %), Hungary (25.8%) and Latvia (24.9%). The highest rate is in Serbia with 2,861 cigarettes per person per year. Americans have one of the lowest smoking rates in the developed world, and Austria has more than double the rate of daily smokers compared to the US. Statistics show that the highest smoking rates among young people (15-24) in the EU were in Hungary (26%) and Austria (19%), and the lowest in Sweden (5%). So why do people smoke at all? Some people smoke because it relieves stress, others want to control their weight. Others smoke as a social habit and to fight boredom. But whatever reason smokers name, smoking should definitely be strictly forbidden in public places and smoking regulations, like selling cigarettes or tobacco advertising rules, should become stricter. First of all, smoking is really unhealthy and disgusting. Smoking causes cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung diseases and diabetes. You waste your money on something that does not even taste good and your breath smells awful. Surprisingly, very few smokers seem to realise how strongly the smell of cigarette smoke clings to them, and how unpleasant it is to many non-smokers. Cigarette smoking harms nearly every organ of the body, causes many diseases, and reduces the health of smokers in general. Furthermore, smoking can clearly stigmatise people, so that smokers sometimes even retreat from public life. As smoking rates decline all over the world, many people do not want to be exposed to other people’s cigarette smoke and are intolerant of smoking. Thus, smoking does not boost your social status – at all. Additionally, smoking can clearly cause problems in families and other relationships. In the US, second-hand smoke exposure contributes to around 41,000 deaths among non-smoking adults and 400 deaths in infants each year. Breathing in any amount of smoke is dangerous, so the one best way to protect your family and friends from second-hand smoke is to quit smoking. However, the most important reason why smoking should be banned in all public places is that it harms your health massively. People smoking one to 14 cigarettes a day are eight times more likely than non-smokers to get lung cancer, while in smokers of more than 25 a day, the figure is a 25 times higher risk. Smoking is addictive, which means that you cannot stop even if you want to. Smoking and second-hand smoke is especially dangerous for pregnant women, babies and children. Pregnant women who smoke or breathe in passive smoke over time are more likely to lose their babies or have babies who get ill more often. So, smoking definitely has numerous negative effects on people’s health. Concluding, cigarette smoking harms your body, has negative effects on our social lives and can make you and others around you really sick. It is a hard habit to break: It’s our society’s duty, however, to protect children and young people from more harm caused by active and passive smoking. 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 Listen to your lungs! 163 Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
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