[IELTS] Licences for smokers

IELTS Writing Task 2

(Question)

It has been suggested that one way to reduce the number of people who smoke is to require smokers to buy an annual licence which must be shown to legally purchase their cigarettes.

To what extent do you agree with this suggestion?
Give reasons for your answers and include examples from your own knowledge and experience

Planning

1. Can reduce the number of smokers

   Way of imposing penalty to them

   Cost of purchasing licence will be a burden for smokers.

   -> Can reduce secondhand smoke -> improve the quality of public health, less chance of having lung cancer

2. Cannot make adolescents to buy cigarettes

   Good for youngsters not to get indulgence to smoking

3. Can increase government’s finance

   Improve welfare, cost of welfare can be supported

It is said that requiring smokers to buy an annual licence is a one of ways to decline the number of smokers, which illustrates their legality in purchasing their cigarettes. I steadfastly believe that the given policy must be conducted to reduce the number of smokers.

To begin with, there are three principal reasons why obligating smokers to buy an annual licence is recommendable. First and foremost, it can diminish the number of smokers dramatically since this can be a way of imposing penalty to them. The reason for this is that the cost of purchasing licence will be a burden for smokers. Resulting from the decreasing number of first-hand smokers, there will be higher possibility of minimizing secondhand smokers as well. Accordingly, it will improve the quality of public health as the great number of detrimental factors can be declined.

Secondly, the method cannot allow adolescents to buy cigarettes which is a way of preventing them from smoking at an early age. It is a fact that youngsters are vulnerable to harmful materials as it can hinder the development of their growth. This also can be beneficial for youngsters not to get indulgence to smoke. Lastly, the increase of government’s finance can be achieved since this can make smokers pay additional money to buy annual licences. In this regard, with this amount of money, the quality of welfare will be enhanced, which is significantly beneficial for the government to sustain their welfare policies.

In conclusion, I firmly believe that making smokers to pay for licences should be encouraged for having a great deal of benefits to the public.

(269 words, 43 mins)