'Should be banned’, ‘personal choice’, ‘bad for the environment’. What do you think of smoking?

Global South World asked people across three continents whether smoking should be banned.

Here's some of what they said.

You can share your opinions on our Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, or X posts.

Bangkok, Thailand

Ayush: “No, I love smoking weed. Never ban smoking. Cigarettes? If that's your thing... I don't like how they smell, but don't ban smoking.”

Ethan: "No."

Grace: "Everyone has their own outlet. We all have our vices and our virtues. It's a personal thing. I don't think it should be banned, but I think those who indulge in it should know their limits."

Mahmoud: "Yes. It's incredibly unhealthy. It's bad for the environment. It should be banned anywhere and everywhere."

Aiden: "Like any vice, I'm not sure I would completely advocate a ban. An immediate ban would put it underground. I think it would cause a lot more harm. Perhaps there need to be more measures in place to ensure that we discourage people from becoming more addicted to it."

Azman: "Targeting smoking solely will not solve the problem. To eradicate it, you would have to eradicate any other alternative."

Aiya: "It should be more controlled. There should be some designated smoking areas and not people just smoking on the street. But you shouldn't ban smoking."

Yuta: "No. I'm supportive of smoking. Smoking should be allowed everywhere, except for where there are younger kids or older people."

Fam: "Moderation is everything. I mean, I smoke, so… [laughs]."

Kim: "Hell no. But it shouldn’t be allowed everywhere."

Larry: "No."

Accra, Ghana

Nancy: "Smoking should be banned. It's destroying our lungs and causing so much harm."

Shadrach: "No, people smoke for reasons. I think it should be regulated rather than banned."

Joyceline: "Smoking should be banned because it affects our health and the environment in general."

Ernest: "Of course, it should be banned. It has to be banned in Ghana because people act really weird when they smoke. It affects the economy, too, so it should be banned."

Felix: "Absolutely, it should be banned. It causes so many dangers to human life."

Ansah: "Smoking should be banned right now."

Evans: "Obviously, yes. It also contributes to climate change. It has its own side effects on society, especially when it comes to lung cancer, environmental pollution, and other issues."

Godwin: "It should be banned for people under certain conditions. It should be banned for some people, and for others, it should be used."

Ruth: "It should be left to the individual, but you shouldn't do it in public. You don’t know the health state of the person you're standing by."

Samuel: "Outright. I support that smoking should be banned. I don't see why people smoke, honestly. Especially in this weather. Why would one smoke? Companies producing these cigarettes should be penalized. Put heavy taxes on them and collapse them."

Ebenezer: "Smoking is bad. It has a long-term effect on our bodies. I think banning smoking is just one step in regulating it. More education needs to be done to help us understand why people even smoke in the first place."

John: "Of course, it must be banned."

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Erleyvaldo: "Probably not. People are free to choose what they want."

Eduardo: "It should. I’m a smoker, but it should. Unfortunately, quitting smoking is difficult. It's not easy at all."

Tarcio: "No, I think so many things should be banned and are not. Smoking is a personal choice. Everyone knows the harm they’re willing to accept."

Victoria: "No, but I don’t think it should be encouraged."

Filipe: "Smoking should be banned for people who smoke in public, surrounded by children... But I don’t have anything against people who smoke. If you want to smoke, smoke at home."

Maria Clara: "No. I think that people can have the freedom to choose. They know the risks, they can choose what they want."

Silvia: "The important thing is to make it clear what benefits and harms something can bring. Then, everyone is free to make their own choice."

Artur: "Everyone has to be responsible for their own well-being and health. If someone wants to smoke, they smoke, but they’ll have to take responsibility for the consequences and effects."

Mayara: "In public, yes."

Anderson: "It should. All drugs should be banned. Smoking, drinking, alcohol… everything."

Maria: "It should be. It’s already prohibited in some places, but it should be prohibited everywhere."

Tokyo, Japan

Interviewee 1: "If we think about the climate, yes, but if people want to smoke, I think it's OK."

Interviewee 2: "Generally, yes."

Interviewee 3: "Well, it depends. I'm not going to elaborate."

Interviewee 4: "We need to look at solutions that involve cutting off smoking for certain age groups, trying to avoid getting future generations addicted. When you're dealing with people who are currently addicted to nicotine, it gets a bit more complicated."

Interviewee 5: “I certainly would say that if smoking should be banned, then so should drinking. Drinking probably has larger negative impacts on society as a whole, not necessarily on individual health, but on society. But in the same way, I also think that people probably should be allowed to decide if they're going to give themselves lung cancer or not."

Interviewee 6: "People have the right to choose what they put in their bodies. Educate the masses as much as possible on the dangers of it, but at the same time, taking it away completely shouldn't be allowed."

Interviewee 7: "Smoking is obviously a very big health risk, but I don't know about a ban. I think it's probably good to be highly regulated though."

Interviewee 8: "Yes."

Interviewee 9: "No."

Interviewee 10: "Realistically, probably, but like… Nah."

A Global South World video series

This video is part of a Global South World’s series exploring global opinions on pressing issues.

You can share your thoughts on our Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, or X posts.

In previous videos, we asked:

Is the US a friendly power?

Are you scared of AI?

Is capitalism working?

Stay tuned for more perspectives.