Tobacco

Tobacco should not be legal. It is very dangerous to your health. Every year, close to 443,600 people in the U.S. die from illnesses related to tobacco use. Smoking tobacco causes one in five deaths. Smoking is responsible for about nine out of ten lung cancer deaths. Lung cancer is one of the most deadly cancers. Smoking cigarettes kills more Americans than car accidents, AIDS, alcohol, suicide, homicide, and illegal drugs combined. Tobacco contributes to the risk of getting over eleven different cancers, including pharynx and pancreas cancer. As a society, legalizing tobacco would be a bad thing. It would greatly reduce the life expectancy rate and the quality of life. While the tobacco industry brings a lot of money to the government, the money is not worth the price of life. Legalizing tobacco because it is already used excessively is a ridiculous idea. It only promotes the usage of this horrible thing. I believe that the government should make all tobacco illegal.

http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/DEBATE/myths/myths7.htm
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/content/PED_10_2X_Cigarette_Smoking.asp?sitearea=PED
http://www.libraryindex.com/pages/2395/Legalization-ARGUMENTS-PRO-CON.html

War on Drugs

The war on drugs in the United States began in the Richard Nixon administration with the Harrison Narcotics Tax Act of 1914. Since then, more policies have been added to disrupt illegal distribution of drugs. Many more drug addicts are being caught. Just this year in the United States, 298,918 people were arrested for drug law offenses. That number comes at a great expense though. In 2003, the United States federal government spent over $19 billion dollars battling drug use. While the cost is high, I believe that drugs should not be legalized. Overuse of drugs can tear apart families and destroy lives. Legalizing drugs would just cause more issues for our country. We need to stop the illegal distribution of these drugs and help improve the quality of life. If drug trade remained illegal and the government could control its usage, our country would be much better off. The elimination of drugs would help keep families and towns together.

http://www.drugsense.org/wodclock.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_on_Drugs#History_of_drug_prohibition_in_the_U.S.

Bullying

I feel that the most effective way of preventing bullying is to confront the person face to face. Having a talk with the person can help resolve the situation. Opinions will be given from each side. The conversation might also help the two people understand how the problem got out of hand. In some cases, an unbiased person with no affiliation to either side might be necessary. The third person can help control the situation and come up with a solution after the discussion occurs. The third person must be someone that both parties respects and will listen to. Without a face-to-face confrontation, the problem may escalate into something much worse. This method can be useful to many teenagers who are having issues with one another.

Vaccinations

Vaccines can be a very effective way of preventing a massive outbreak of disease. An inactivated vaccine contains a small about of the killed virus. Each seasonal influenza vaccine has three strains of viruses. It has one A (H3N2) virus, one B virus, and one seasonal A (H1N1) virus. The regular seasonal A (H1N1) is not the 2009 version of H1N1 that outbroke throughout the world. The viruses in the seasonal influenza vaccine changes each year. Scientists determine which strains go in the vaccine based on predictions of which will spread during that year. After about two weeks after the vaccine is received, antibodies capable of fighting the strains of influenza will start to form in the body.
The effectiveness of vaccines can vary. The CDC reports that vaccination efficiency can depend on the age and health of the person receiving the vaccine. It can also depend on how similar the virus in the vaccine is to the virus that is circulating among the human population. Side effects can also vary between different vaccines. The common influenza vaccine may cause soreness, redness, or swelling at the injection site, along with a low grade fever and aches. The effects usually occur between one and two days after receiving the shot.
I believe that vaccines are worth the risk. They can help prevent you from getting the virus. They also help control the spread of the virus among the human population in general.

Industrial Farming

Is organic farming better than industrial farming? Each type of agriculture has its own pros and cons. Industrial farming is very helpful in the short term aspect. It makes produce readily and conveniently available for the common man. It also mass produces our crops, making them plentiful.
More known, perhaps, are industrial farming's negative impacts. Industrial farming disrupts the local environment. It also leads to an increase of ozone pollution and usage of fossil fuels. There is also an increased health risk due to pesticides. Steroids given to cattle can also be dangerously health threatening to people. These trends can change if America chooses to use the organic farming method.

Soy

Soy can be a good way to get the nutrients and proteins your body needs. There are many different soy products, such as soy milk and soynuts, available at most local grocery stores. Soy is very helpful for those who are lactose intolerant or vegetarian. It contains the three recommended macro-nutrients. It has carbohydrate and fat, complete protein,and vitamins and minerals (calcium, folic acid, and iron). The only complete protein that comes from common plants is from soybeans. This complete protein contains all of the needed amino acids for a healthy lifestlye. Eating just one serving (half a cup) of cooked yellow soybeans gives you 14.3 grams of protein.
While soy has many benefits, it can also have side effects. Soy contains a substance called purine. Excessive amounts of purine can lead to gout, a chronic disease causing joint pain. Soy isoflavones have shown to decrease thyroid functioning and ability. Some studies have also shown that substances containing soy may increase the risk of breast cancer. Soy contains phytic acid, which has been known to reduce mineral absorbtion.
While there are many benefits to eating soy products in moderation, it is also important to eat a balanced diet and not only rely on soy products.