Maria has finished brainstorming and is ready to create an outline for her persuasive essay. The essay will argue for the benefits of adding a health tax for smokers. Which thesis statement would be the most effective for her essay?
A. In 2014, President Barack Obama presented a proposal to raise federal taxes on tobacco, which would help fund preschool education.
B. Federal taxes would add an extra $1.95 to the cost of a pack of cigarettes, which may prevent many people from continuing to smoke.
C. Smoking causes over 400,000 deaths every year, and about 50,000 of those deaths are caused by secondhand smoke.
D. Adding a health tax for smokers will raise the cost of smoking and therefore cause many smokers to give up smoking and reduce secondhand smoke.
E. Smokers and secondhand smokers are more likely to develop heart disease, have a stroke, or struggle with respiratory illnesses.