Now this is a good essay to do for class. There are so many people of all ages (unfortunately) that smoke, that you have a lot to relate about and compare, even if you are not a smoker. Think about the angle you would make your assignment go. Sure, you'll want to mention the health risks, but there a lot of other things. Most of the information is pretty well known. There are some individuals who don't realize just how expensive the habit is.
What usually gets a smoker to start smoking in the first place and why do they tend to get hooked when others don't. Why is there so much peer pressure associated with smoking and why can some young people walk away from it. If you even touch on some of these subjects with your assignment, you'll get into some thought-provoking essay writing. Some of the outlooks here go into psychology, not just smoking in itself.
Everyone doesn't start smoking or return to smoking for the same reason. This is another thing to reflect on in your homework. Explain what this is. Remember to explain the toxic health problems it creates. Bad lungs, stained teeth, yellow hair, it makes you smell. Does this usually stop or slow people down from smoking? Something to think about while writing the essay. Or you could include a section about someone you cared about who is no longer around because they smoked packs a day….but this only works on some people.
You may not make much of an impact. People usually know the risks, they ignore it and figure it won't happen to them, or they're going to die eventually anyway. What a way to look at it. Too bad they don't think about how much whiter their teeth would be and how much better the clothes would smell if they didn't smoke.