The 6 Best Essays Analyzing the Text 'Plague and Cigarettes' by Nguyễn Khắc Viện

Cigarettes are a type of substance that can be life-threatening. Though they may not directly claim lives, they have long-term effects on health, harming both the smoker and those around them. Nguyễn Khắc Viện, in his essay 'Plague and Cigarettes', meticulously details the dangers posed by this form of 'plague'.

In Nguyễn Khắc Viện's definition, cigarettes are not just a harmful substance but a greater threat that surpasses other risks—they are a plague, meaning a deadly disease that spreads rapidly and kills large numbers of people over a short period. From the very beginning of the text, the author identifies cigarettes as a plague: "The plague, cholera, millions die, thanks to medical advancements, humanity has mostly eradicated these dreadful diseases. But by the end of this century, other plagues have emerged".

To emphasize the severity of cigarettes, the author compares them to the AIDS epidemic, asserting that cigarettes pose a greater danger than AIDS: "The cigarette plague threatens human health and life more severely than AIDS." Cigarettes do not cause immediate death, but their effects slowly accumulate in the body over time, with long-lasting damage to health: "Certainly, a smoker does not collapse and die instantly, nor do they get drunk like someone who drinks alcohol..."

The author also points out that cigarette smoke contains numerous harmful substances, which enter the body and begin damaging vital cells in the throat, bronchial tubes, and lung alveoli, paralyzing them with the tar in the smoke. The smoke contains toxic carbon monoxide, which enters the bloodstream and attaches to red blood cells, preventing them from absorbing oxygen.

Smoking not only affects the smoker's health but also harms those around them if they breathe in secondhand smoke. In fact, those exposed to it may suffer even worse consequences than the smokers themselves: wives, children, and coworkers of smokers are also poisoned, suffering from heart diseases, bronchitis, and even cancer. The author emphasizes that while smoking is an individual's right, there must be consideration for others: "You have the right to smoke, but in the presence of others, please go outside or to a hallway to smoke."

Like a plague, cigarette addiction spreads easily and causes immense harm to both health and life. However, cigarette addiction is even more dangerous than a plague because it gradually deteriorates the health of individuals, making its effects harder to detect, and it brings multiple negative consequences to families and society. Therefore, to fight against it, stronger resolve and more drastic measures are needed than those used to combat plagues.

Nguyễn Khắc Viện was a Western-educated intellectual who became a doctor in France during the 1940s. He was a well-known cultural and social activist in Vietnam. The essay 'Plague and Cigarettes' reflects his sharp, distinctive writing style and profound mindset.

The title is particularly unique: 'Plague and Cigarettes'. The creativity lies in the use of the word 'plague' and the placement of the comma, which creates a sense of urgency, evoking an alarming situation that demands attention. This use of the comma reflects a modern European writing style. While writing 'plague cigarettes' or 'Cigarettes are a plague' would also work, it would lack the impactful, compelling tone of the original phrasing, which suits the content of the text better.

At the beginning, the author employs a comparison technique to engage the reader: Plague, cholera—devastating diseases that caused millions of deaths. Thanks to medical progress, these diseases have been largely eradicated. By the end of the 20th century, however, humanity was again 'concerned about the AIDS epidemic,' which 'still has no solution,' while 'the cigarette plague threatens human health and life even more severely than AIDS.' The alarming reality is that numerous scientists, after decades of research and thousands of studies, have sounded the alarm. The numbers themselves are telling!

In the second part of the essay, Nguyễn Khắc Viện analyzes and proves that the cigarette plague causes terrible consequences. He recalls a famous quote from Trần Hưng Đạo advising the king: 'If the enemy attacks like a storm, it's not as frightening as an enemy that gradually gnaws away like a silkworm eating mulberry leaves,' to highlight that the cigarette plague kills addicts slowly, causing great harm to society and being the root cause of many other social ills. By quoting Trần Hưng Đạo, the author not only lays the foundation for his argument but also creates a convincing association between 'plague' and 'cigarettes'. Cigarettes are a form of plague, a terrifying enemy that 'gnaws away' at both the addict and society.

Cigarette smoke is highly toxic. The tar in it 'paralyzes' the cilia of cells in the throat, bronchial tubes, and lung alveoli. This tar 'accumulates,' causing coughing, phlegm, and after many years, leading to bronchitis. Cigarette addicts are affected by carbon monoxide from the smoke, which enters the blood, making their health 'deteriorate over time.'

The author presents statistics to prove how dangerous the 'cigarette plague' is. 80% of throat and lung cancer patients at K Hospital are due to smoking. High blood pressure, blocked arteries, and heart attacks are all caused by nicotine in cigarettes. Sudden deaths from heart attacks and the grotesque tumors in 40-50-year-old patients are clear evidence of the 'horrible harm' cigarettes cause. Millions suffer from bronchitis, losing work days and health, all due to smoking. These statistics are convincing because they are based on scientific evidence, from the head of K Hospital and the director of the Cardiovascular Research Institute.

What’s even more dangerous is that smokers 'poison' those around them with secondhand smoke. Their wives, children, and especially fetuses are affected. Premature births and weakened infants are the result of exposure to toxic smoke. The sentence 'Smoking near a pregnant woman is truly a crime' serves as a severe condemnation.

On the ethical side, adult smokers (fathers, brothers, uncles, etc.) not only poison their children but also set a bad example. Therefore, the statement 'I smoke, I get sick, it's my problem!' is just the stubborn words of an addict! In the conclusion, the author emphasizes that cigarette addiction is the root cause of other social ills, such as drug addiction and theft. In Vietnam, a poor country, the rate of youth smoking in big cities 'matches that of European and American cities.'

In Europe, anti-smoking campaigns are aggressive. Smoking is banned in all public places, and heavy fines are imposed on violators (as in Belgium). Cigarette advertising is prohibited in the media. At the end of 1990, slogans like 'A Europe without cigarettes' could be heard. In contrast, in Vietnam, a country struggling with diseases like malaria, leprosy, tuberculosis, and diarrhea, 'another plague—cigarettes' is added. This is a terrifying thought! With the compassion of a doctor, Nguyễn Khắc Viện earnestly calls on all Vietnamese people to 'rise up and fight against the cigarette plague.'

'Plague and Cigarettes' is an expository text written in a modern and unique style. The arguments and examples presented by the author are sharp and persuasive, drawn from his careful analysis and comparisons. This essay shows Nguyễn Khắc Viện’s deep concern and anxiety about the 'cigarette plague.'

With all his heart, the author wrote an outstanding work to highlight the dangers of this plague—cigarettes. Nguyễn Khắc Viện, the doctor, passionately calls on all Vietnamese people to 'rise up and fight against the silent plague' that is taking away the lives of so many. Therefore, let us all stand together for the community and ourselves, saying no to this plague.

'Smoking is harmful to your health.' This message appears on nearly every cigarette pack, and while smokers are aware of it, not everyone fully grasps the extensive dangers smoking poses to society. Right from the start, the title of the text, 'Plague, Cigarettes,' signals the seriousness and urgency of the issue.

Here, cigarettes refer to the harmful addiction to smoking. This addiction is aptly compared to a 'plague,' regarded as a deadly disease that can spread quickly. Additionally, the word 'plague' carries an emotional undertone. Smoking addiction is presented as a critical warning, almost to the point of being something to be condemned.

In this text, the author opens the second section by quoting Trần Hưng Đạo's thoughts on warfare ('In the past'... to 'harm to health'). By comparing the fight against smoking to fighting foreign invaders, the author creates a strong impression before delving into the medical analysis of smoking's harmful effects. The findings of medical research provide clear and compelling arguments. Smoking slowly deteriorates human health, much like silkworms eating mulberry leaves. Even more dangerous, the harm caused by smoking is invisible, not immediately noticeable. Only its consequences, like severe diseases, are in plain view. Furthermore, the author also analyzes the economic impacts of smoking, even something as seemingly minor as bronchitis.

Through the hypothetical statement, 'Some might say: I smoke, I get sick, it’s my problem,' the author argues about the dangers of smoking, not just to smokers, but to non-smokers as well. Rejecting this viewpoint, scientific evidence shows that both active and passive smoking are harmful to health. Fighting smoking is no longer just an individual issue—it is a public matter because it directly harms society as a whole.

The author compares smoking rates in Vietnam with those in Europe and America, concluding with a call to action: It is time for everyone to stand up against this plague because: First, Vietnam is much poorer than Western countries, yet smoking rates among youth in major cities are comparable. This issue not only causes economic hardship but also leads to criminal behavior. Second, Western countries have much stricter anti-smoking measures than Vietnam. This comparison strengthens the validity of the arguments made earlier and sets the stage for the final judgment.

As an experienced and seasoned doctor, author Nguyễn Khắc Viện wrote the article 'From Cigarettes to Drugs' to analyze the tremendous harm that cigarettes cause to both personal lives and communities, while emphasizing the government's resolve to combat smoking. The excerpt on plague and cigarettes is taken from this text.

First, we should understand how to interpret the title correctly. Cigarettes is a shorthand term for the vice of smoking. Plague is a term used in folk language to describe dangerous, highly contagious diseases that cause mass deaths, such as cholera, HIV, SARS, etc. The author’s comparison of the frightening dangers of cigarettes with the severe consequences of plagues is very accurate. The term 'plague' is also sometimes used as an insult, implying something detestable. The meaning of the title can be interpreted as follows:

Cigarettes are a type of plague. The structure of this text is divided into four parts:

Part 1: From the beginning... to worse than AIDS: A general observation on the harms of smoking.

Part 2: Next... to the damage to health: Evidence of the specific harm cigarettes cause to smokers’ health.

Part 3: Next... to the path of crime: The harm of cigarette smoke to non-smokers.

The rest: The author’s reflections and commentary. At the start of the excerpt, the author reflects on the catastrophic consequences of past plagues, using these as a foundation to affirm the severe dangers of cigarettes: the plague, cholera, millions of deaths, and thanks to medical advancements, humanity has largely eradicated these deadly plagues. However, at the end of the century, new plagues are emerging.

While the world is still anxiously fighting AIDS without a solution, many scientists, after decades of research and over fifty thousand studies, are sounding the alarm: The cigarette plague is threatening human health and lives, even more than AIDS. This last sentence is the central thesis of the text. The subsequent sections explain and provide evidence for this thesis. The author employs a strategy of escalation to capture the reader’s attention and emphasize the importance of the issue in the text.

In Part 2, the author affirms that cigarettes are a real threat to human health and life. The author borrows a famous quote from the brilliant military leader Trần Hưng Đạo: 'If the enemy attacks like a storm, it is not so frightening; what’s frightening is an enemy that gnaws at you like silkworms eating mulberry leaves' to compare the difficulty of combating cigarettes to fighting foreign invaders. Cigarette smoke is likened to an invisible enemy that is difficult to fight. The toxic substances in cigarette smoke don’t immediately destroy one’s health, but they gradually weaken it, much like silkworms consuming mulberry leaves until there is nothing left.

Smokers don’t immediately see the harm of smoking, and they don’t even know that over four thousand toxic substances in cigarette smoke can cause serious diseases. On the contrary, they feel refreshed and relaxed when they smoke and even consider it a symbol of sophistication! Many teenagers smoke to appear 'cool' and assert that they have grown up. Why do people have such a casual attitude towards the harms of smoking? Because smokers don’t collapse or get intoxicated like alcohol drinkers, so they don’t fear it.

In Part 2, the author meticulously analyzes and presents a series of concrete examples to prove the dangers of cigarette smoke: The toxic substances in cigarette smoke permeate the body. The first victims are the tiny cilia in the cells of the throat, bronchi, and lungs, which are paralyzed by the tar in cigarette smoke. These cilia function to clear dust and bacteria entering the lungs and airways; when they stop working, dust and bacteria accumulate, leading to coughing, asthma, and after many years, bronchitis. In cigarette smoke, there is carbon monoxide, which enters the blood, binds tightly to red blood cells, preventing them from carrying oxygen. It’s no surprise that smokers’ health deteriorates over time.

As the tar enters cells, it often causes cancer. If we visit the K Cancer Institute, we’ll see that the director states that over 80% of throat and lung cancers are caused by smoking. If we go to the Cardiovascular Research Institute, the director there explains that nicotine in cigarettes causes blood vessels to constrict, leading to severe conditions such as high blood pressure, arterial blockage, and heart attacks. Have you seen a patient with a blocked artery and the excruciating pain they endure, eventually needing to amputate toes or even entire legs? Have you seen people in their 40s or 50s suddenly die from heart attacks? Have you witnessed the horrific cancer tumors? Then you can truly understand the devastating effects of smoking.

Finally, the author concludes that the harm of cigarette smoke is not just to human health but also to other areas of society and even to the national economy: We need not mention such severe issues; just the millions of people suffering from bronchitis already cause massive losses in labor productivity and public health.

Then, how much money will be spent on treating more serious diseases like cancer and cardiovascular diseases caused by smoking? How much effort will be wasted by people who have to take time off work to care for patients? Clearly, cigarettes cause enormous losses to individuals, families, and society. In addition to pointing out the harm to smokers, the author also highlights the impact on non-smokers. To emphasize this, the author repeats common excuses from smokers: 'I smoke, I get sick, it’s my own business!' Using solid arguments, vivid examples, and even a sense of frustration, the author refutes this misguided logic:

Let me reply: Smoking is your right, but you don’t have the right to poison those around you. If you drink alcohol and get drunk, it’s your problem. But when you smoke, others around you also inhale the toxic smoke. This has been proven by thousands of research studies. Spouses, coworkers, and children who are near smokers also suffer from heart disease, bronchitis, and even cancer. You have the right to smoke, but if there are other people around, please go outside to smoke.

Poor unborn babies, who, just because someone smokes near the mother, are poisoned, leading to premature birth or weak health. Smoking near a pregnant woman is indeed a crime. Fathers and uncles who smoke not only poison their own children but also set a bad example...

The author further clarifies the two terms used by medical researchers: active smoking and passive smoking. Non-smokers who are regularly exposed to secondhand smoke also suffer from harmful effects. Smokers harm themselves while also harming many others. This is something everyone needs to understand and condemn. To demonstrate the economic harm caused by smoking, the author draws a comparison from distant Western countries:

The smoking rate among teenagers in major cities in our country is the same as that in European-American cities. The only difference is that for a young person in the U.S., one dollar buys a pack of cigarettes, which is a small amount, whereas in Vietnam, a teenager needs 15,000 VND (now 60,000 VND) to buy a pack of 555 cigarettes, and to afford it, they might resort to theft. Stealing becomes a habit, and from cigarettes to beer, and eventually drugs, the path to crime begins with cigarettes.

It’s easy to think of a cigarette as something small and insignificant, but it’s far from harmless. Every year, millions of dollars are spent on cigarettes, while many people still live in poverty?! Smokers have money to buy cigarettes, but if they don’t, they resort to begging or scavenging discarded cigarette butts. The behavior becomes pitiful. Worse still, they steal from their families to buy cigarettes, and from there, they fall into worse deeds and crime.

From an educator’s perspective, the author points out that parents and relatives who smoke not only poison their children but also set a bad example. When adults smoke in front of children, treating a cigarette as a gesture of respect, they push their children towards crime. Indeed! Nowadays, many middle and high school students have started smoking. Not just boys, but girls as well. These are not pretty images of innocent schoolchildren. Schools and families need to pay attention to and discourage this behavior promptly. Given the severe harm of smoking, the author expresses frustration and suggests several positive solutions to control and eventually eliminate the production and use of cigarettes worldwide:

In recent years, developed countries have launched anti-smoking campaigns. Smoking is banned in all public places, and heavy fines are imposed on violators (In Belgium, since 1987, the first violation is fined 40 USD, and 500 USD for repeat offenders). Everywhere, anti-smoking materials and slogans are slowly replacing advertisements from cigarette companies. Many countries have banned cigarette advertising in newspapers and television. In just a few years, this anti-smoking campaign has significantly reduced the number of smokers, and the slogan 'A Europe without Cigarettes' seems within reach for the end of the 20th century. Our country, unlike European countries, still suffers from diseases caused by bacteria and parasites, and now we are adding diseases caused by cigarettes to the mix. Malaria, leprosy, tuberculosis, diarrhea haven’t been eradicated, and now we have this cigarette plague. It’s terrifying. It’s time for everyone to rise up against and prevent this plague.

In recent years, the Ministry of Education and Training has incorporated the topic of the dangers of smoking into the Vietnamese language curriculum in secondary schools to help students recognize the serious harm of smoking and reduce the smoking habit among officials, workers, and especially teachers, whose lungs are the most important 'tool' for teaching. For students, once they fully understand the dangers of smoking, they will avoid the smoking habit and contribute to fighting smoking both at home and in society.

Like plagues, smoking addiction spreads easily and causes significant harm to health and life. Smoking addiction is even more dangerous than plagues because it silently damages health, making it difficult to recognize. Furthermore, it causes widespread harm to family and societal life. Therefore, to eradicate cigarettes, we need stronger determination and more drastic measures than those used for other plagues.

Through the article on Earth Day 2000, scientists warned us of a significant environmental threat: the reckless use of plastic packaging. However, there are many other serious issues that need urgent attention, and one of them is "cigarette addiction". In reading the essay "The Plague, Cigarettes" by Dr. Nguyen Khac Vien, we are further alerted to a crucial matter affecting everyone’s life. This is an explanatory text, combining clear and rigorous scientific arguments. From the title to the structure, examples, explanations, and arguments, especially the two distinct phrases (one in the introduction, one in the conclusion), the author not only points out the devastating dangers but also expresses horror and strong condemnation of cigarette addiction. By extracting two distinctive phrases from the essay, we can regard them as alarming cries about the cigarette addiction epidemic that should send shivers down anyone’s spine: The Plague, Cigarettes, an alarming cry... a thought that chills!

This terrifying alarm is immediately expressed from the title of the essay. The author uses the term "cigarettes" as a shorthand for "the addiction to cigarettes". By placing "cigarettes" after the word "plague", the author compares cigarette addiction to a disease, one with the same contagiousness as "cholera" or "influenza". But instead of writing "cigarette disease", the author uses "Plague...", a term often used as an insult, and places a comma between "plague" and "cigarettes" as a rhetorical device, expressing disgust and dread. We could interpret the author's intention as: "Cigarettes! You are a plague, detestable, and need to be eradicated." Furthermore, right from the opening (from the first sentence to "... even more dangerous than AIDS"), the alarm bell rings loud and clear. From the good news that humanity has nearly eradicated the plague, the author mentions the AIDS epidemic, then sounds the long alarm with a somber sentence laden with concern: "... many scientists, after decades and over fifty thousand research studies, have loudly warned: The plague of cigarettes is now threatening human health and lives even more than AIDS". This is indeed a chilling warning, for the author has placed the cigarette plague on the same level as AIDS, using the figure of over fifty thousand research studies to emphasize the accuracy and importance of this information. Although the text is scientific, the author's choice of words and sentence structure is quite subtle, revealing the author's emotions and conveying them to the reader.

The alarming cry grows louder in the body of the text and continues into the conclusion. After introducing the dangers of cigarette addiction in today’s society, the author shifts to discuss the warfare strategies of our ancestors: "In the past, General Tran Hung Dao advised the king: If the enemy attacks like a storm, it is not as dangerous as the enemy who eats away slowly, like silkworms devouring mulberry leaves". What is the point here? Perhaps by using the ancient wisdom on military strategy, Dr. Nguyen Khac Vien highlights the insidious and destructive nature of cigarette addiction. Specifically, cigarette addiction is as dangerous as bandits or foreign invaders. Cigarettes destroy human life like silkworms eating mulberry leaves. With silkworms, we can see them, allow or stop them. But cigarettes destroy us silently, secretly, hour by hour, day by day, without visible signs, and are not easily stopped. The opening sentence of the body is indeed the warning bell, signaling that cigarettes are like bandits, eroding both our strength and our spirit, our morals, and the essence of humanity.

1. First of all, cigarettes slowly destroy the body and energy of the smoker, the addict. The author points out: "Cigarette smoke contains many toxins that seep into the body". With the words of a skilled scientist and doctor, the author explains and analyzes in detail the harmful effects of cigarette smoke on various parts of the smoker’s body. After each explanation, the author emphasizes the consequences of smoking. For instance, "it causes coughing and after many years leads to bronchitis", or "the health of the smoker deteriorates progressively". Furthermore, when you ask the K Hospital, doctors there report: "Over 80% of throat and lung cancers are caused by smoking", and when you visit the Heart Institute, the director says: "The nicotine in cigarettes causes arteries to constrict, leading to serious diseases such as high blood pressure, artery blockages, heart attacks...". It is only when one encounters such gruesome results that the real horror of cigarette smoke becomes clear. In a short, scientific, and cold statement, the author uses the words "disgusting" and "horrible" to make readers shudder with unease. This is the first-level warning bell.

2. The second-level alarm follows: cigarettes damage not only the smoker's body but also the health of those around them. To alert us to this, the author uses a simple but convincing argument. Responding to the smoker’s justification: "I smoke, I get sick, it’s my problem", the author counters: "Smoking is your right, but you do not have the right to poison those around you... When you smoke, those around you also inhale toxic smoke. This has been proven by thousands of research studies...". It is clear that smokers not only poison themselves but also harm others nearby. Who are these people? They are the wife, children, coworkers, and anyone in close contact with the smoker. They inhale the toxic smoke and suffer from heart diseases, bronchitis, and even cancer. And "How unfortunate for the unborn child in the womb, who gets poisoned just because someone smoked next to the mother, causing premature birth and weakness. Smoking near a pregnant woman is a crime". The words "poison", "how unfortunate", and "a crime" intensify the harmful effects of smoking while also condemning smokers' behavior. Scientific knowledge, combined with logical reasoning and expressive language, makes this passage compelling and persuasive.

3. Even more alarming is how smoking slowly damages the soul and lifestyle of individuals, especially the younger generation. When fathers, brothers, uncles, and older men smoke, they not only harm their health but also set a bad example for their children. The author points this out and mentions how teenagers in the US and Vietnam spend money on cigarettes, stressing: "Once they smoke, they must smoke the expensive kind. The only way is to steal... From stealing cigarettes to buying beer and then to drugs, the path to crime starts with a cigarette. Adults who smoke are pushing their children down the path of crime". Here, the author focuses on criticizing adults, which strengthens the alarm about cigarette addiction. However, the younger generation, especially middle and high school students like us, must also listen and refrain from imitating adults. If children understand the dangers and do not follow the negative example, cigarettes will have less power. In conclusion, Dr. Nguyen Khac Vien’s warning about cigarette addiction, its harms, and its insidious methods resonates strongly and deeply with every group of people.

At the end of the article, the tone softens slightly as the author reports on anti-smoking campaigns in various countries around the world. The author provides specific statistics and names of countries with clear demands and slogans. Comparing this with our own country, this devoted doctor and scientist, always concerned about the future of his people, expresses his deep concern: "Our country... still faces many diseases caused by germs and parasites, and now... is also infected by cigarette-related diseases; malaria, leprosy, tuberculosis, diarrhea, which we haven't eradicated yet, are now compounded by the cigarette plague. It’s terrifying to think about! The time has come for everyone to rise up and fight against this plague." The passage not only informs but also powerfully calls for action. The alarm transforms into a rallying cry for urgent, decisive combat. The author’s expressive words "It’s terrifying to think about" and "the time has come for everyone to rise up" stir deep emotions and motivate action. By the end, the warning bell has turned into a life-saving call.

In conclusion, just like a plague, cigarette addiction spreads easily and causes significant harm to health and human life. But cigarette addiction is even more dangerous than a plague. It silently erodes our health, making it hard to detect, and causes multiple negative effects on family and social life. Everyone should find ways to combat it and prevent it. To do so, we need a strong will, high self-discipline, and more thorough measures than those used to prevent plagues.

Nguyễn Khắc Viện was a Western-educated intellectual who earned his doctorate in France during the 1940s. He was a prominent cultural and social activist in Vietnam. The essay “Plague, Cigarettes” reflects Nguyễn Khắc Viện's sharp and unique writing style. The title itself is striking: “Plague, Cigarettes.” The uniqueness lies in the use of the word “plague,” and the way a comma is placed creates a sense of urgency, alerting the reader to a serious situation. This comma usage mirrors a modern European writing style, which gives it a dramatic effect. If it were written as “Plague Cigarettes” or “Cigarettes are a kind of plague,” it would lose its impact, becoming too flat and unappealing, not fitting the essence of the text (note that the author writes at the end: “… and the additional plague of cigarettes”).

In the beginning, the author uses a comparison to draw the reader in: the plague, dysentery, and other deadly diseases that have killed millions. Thanks to medical progress, these deadly plagues have been eradicated. In the late 20th century, humanity is once again worried about the AIDS epidemic, yet we still lack solutions, while “the plague of cigarettes is threatening human health and life even more than AIDS.” The terrifying truth is confirmed by numerous scholars who, after decades of research and over fifty thousand studies, have sounded the alarm. Indeed, the numbers speak for themselves!

The second part of the essay sees Nguyễn Khắc Viện analyzing and demonstrating the immense harm caused by the cigarette plague. First, he quotes a famous line from Trần Hưng Đạo to the king: “If we fight wars like a storm, it is not so frightening; what’s truly dangerous is an enemy that gnaws slowly like a silkworm eating mulberry leaves” to show how the cigarette plague slowly destroys its addicts and creates significant harm to society, leading to many other social problems. By citing Trần Hưng Đạo’s words, the argument becomes sharper and more compelling, and it prompts vivid connections in the reader’s mind about “the cigarette plague.” Cigarettes are a plague, a form of warfare that “gnaws away” at addicts and society.

Cigarette smoke is extremely toxic; the tar in the smoke will “paralyze” the hair-like cells in the throat and bronchial mucous membranes, and over time, it causes bronchitis. Smokers will have carbon monoxide absorbed into their bloodstream, weakening their health progressively.

The author presents data to prove that the “cigarette plague” is truly terrifying. 80% of patients with throat and lung cancer at K hospital are suffering from cigarette-related diseases. High blood pressure, arteriosclerosis, and heart attacks are all caused by nicotine. Sudden deaths from heart attacks and grotesque cancerous tumors among patients all demonstrate the dire consequences of smoking. Millions of people suffering from bronchitis lose countless workdays and health, all due to cigarettes. These figures are convincing because they are based on scientific evidence and the opinions of doctors from K hospital and the Cardiovascular Research Institute.

Even worse, smokers “poison” those around them with cigarette smoke. Their wives, children, and even unborn babies are affected. Premature births and weakened infants are linked to exposure to cigarette smoke. The line: “Smoking next to a pregnant woman is a crime” rings out as a stern condemnation. Morally, adults (fathers, brothers, uncles, etc.) who smoke “not only poison their children but also set a bad example.” Thus, the saying: “I smoke, I get sick, it’s my problem!” is just the stubborn defiance of an addict!

In the final section, the author argues that cigarette addiction is the cause of other social ills, such as drug abuse and theft. In Vietnam, a country struggling with poverty, the smoking rate among young people in large cities “is on par with the rates in European and American cities.” In Europe, the anti-smoking campaign is very vigorous, with smoking banned in public places and heavy fines for violators (as in Belgium), and advertising tobacco in the media is prohibited. At the end of 1990, one could see slogans like: “A Europe without tobacco.”

In contrast, in Vietnam, a country still battling diseases like malaria, leprosy, tuberculosis, and diarrhea, “we’re taking on the additional plague of cigarettes.” This issue is “frightening to think about.” With the compassion of a medical professional, Nguyễn Khắc Viện urgently calls for all Vietnamese to “rise up against, and prevent, the cigarette plague.” “Plague, Cigarettes” is an informative essay written in a modern, unique style. The arguments and examples presented by the author through sharp analysis and convincing comparisons show his deep concern about this social issue.

This essay raises awareness about the severe effects of smoking, particularly among young people, and warns about the dangers of the cigarette plague. Be wary of the cigarette plague!