A Letter to Obama

Maddy has started the DARE program at school. I love when one of my kids gets so excited about something good (or bad in this case) and wants to do something about it. Maddy decided to write President Obama about the tobacco industry. Here is her letter.

Dear President Obama,

Every year, 400,000 Americans die from tobacco related causes. In addition to this, 3,000 more Americans die just from breathing the smoke of a cigarette. I care about my family and friends and I don’t want them to be one of the 403,000 of those people who die. So I want you to get rid of all the smoking and tobacco companies in America, and I have reasons why.

In cigarette smoke, there are 200 known poisons. What about the unknown poisons? Two of the known poisons include nicotine and carbon monoxide. Nicotine is a very strong poison that causes addiction. Carbon monoxide is like car exhaust. That’s what is killing so many people now. It’s also polluting the air and harming the environment. Not only does the cigarette smoke kill humans, but it kills plants and trees. We need trees to put oxygen in the air to survive. This eventually will kill all of us.

If someone smokes or uses tobacco, they are at great risk of dying. These products may cause lung, heart, throat, bladder, kidney or mouth cancers. They also cause heart and gum disease. If this doesn’t happen and the smoker plays sports, one minute they are about to kick a soccer ball into the net, the next, possibly off to the hospital. Why? The shortness of their breath from smoking. Smokers tend to have more colds and upper respiratory problems. This could lead to death. Another possible sickness is emphysema and may complicate pregnancy. Doctors would have less busy lives and focus on treating patients with other problems.

If people stop smoking now, it reduces the risk of dying or sickness. Their families won’t bug the smoker about quitting anymore. Interventions could stop and doctors could lead easier lives without cigarettes, tobacco, or cigars. There would be less pollution in the air and 403,000 more Americans could live each year. Instead of planning funerals, babies could be welcomed into the world.

For those people who work for smoking and tobacco companies would lose their job. I am well aware of this. But they could use the money from all the cigarettes people buy to open a therapy center to help worrying Americans. Instead of killing so many Americans, they could try helping them.

Right now, there are about 304,059,724 people in the U.S.A. If all of us smoked, America could be GONE. No one could survive with the toxic air and poisons. The age when people start smoking is now coming close to 6th grade. If this reaches 5th grade, this could be a real life nightmare. Kindergarteners could get one from fifth graders. Babies would be exposed to smoking because of their parents. Try living with parents who smoke. I don’t, but some kids do. And if parents do this, they really don’t care about the kids they have. This real life nightmare is closer then you think. In fact, possibly a few years with 403,000 Americans dying per year.

You may think this is a horrible idea, but when other countries see this, they could think this is a good idea. Those countries would stop. This could spread around the world. Just by this one letter I write to you now. Our world could be so much better.
In conclusion, you may think I’m just one crazy 5th grader who doesn’t know what she’s doing. But please consider this idea of saving 403,000 Americans lives every year. We could have 4,030,000 more Americans in the next 10 years. Imagine less busy doctors with easier live. Happy families with less worries and now, no 200+ poisons in the air.

A Fifth Grader with a Plan,

-Madison LaTurner
age 11

(some of this I researched with my D.A.R.E book and internet and most of this I did on my own)

Way to go, Maddy! We are proud of you for taking a stand!