The Debate about Smoking in Public Places Smoking cigarettes has been around for over two thousand years and is a debatable issue in the United States. The issue with public smoking is the controversy between banning it and not banning it. Many non-smokers view it as a harmful bad habit, while users view it as a choice that they are free to make. Opponents of banning smoking in public places feel that it is a choice and that it will take away their free will. “They argue that people should have the autonomy to decide on what kind of lifestyle they will have” (3). Banning public smoking may also decrease business at local bars, restaurants, etc. “….as for establishments which are already smoke-free, competition will be higher. It will also be harder for them to leverage since there will be more businesses that are smoke-free” (3). Additionally, opponents say that non-smokers can walk away if it bothers them. If a person does not like being around smokers then they can simply move away from them or kindly ask the smoker to move. Some also argue that exhaust fumes are just as, if not more, harmful as cigarette smoke is. “Lastly, some critics contend that banning smoking in some places just leaves smokers no choice but to do it somewhere else. They mentioned that this can even lead to increase cases of DUI fatalities since smokers might drive to other places just so they can smoke” (3).
Plenty of information exists to validate the concerns of the opposition of smoking in
Have you ever gone to a restaurant or to the bowling alley and come home smelling like cigarette smoke? And while you were there, some people are sitting there smoking by you and you can’t stand the smell of it. So you go out side and to get some fresh air and what do you know there’s some more people lighting it up and smoking but they are polite enough to go outside. Doesn’t this annoy you, that you can barely go anywhere without people smoking in your presence. This leads us to the question, Should smoking in public areas be allowed? Smoking in public areas is something that could definitely be dealt without. The things I will cover with you are the effects of smoking, the effects of
Public smoking has been an issue for people who do not take part in the smoking epidemic for as long as smoking has been around. What people need to understand is that individuals who do not engage in the activity of ruining their lungs are being forced into the act of involuntary smoking rather they like it or not, and that is unacceptable.
The smokers who choose to bring harm to themselves have the right to damage their health if they choose. The alternatives non smokers have are to not be in presence of smokers. Where public places advertise no smoking, and still supple designated areas for smokers they should still take in account that the smoke still ventilates the surrounding areas. My advice is not to engage where there is no smoking, and smoking areas. The fumes from the non smoking area cannot be contained completely. If you don’t want to stop passive don’t attend these public places. The article on line indicated if there was enough non-smokers going to these public facilities there would be no need to post no smoking () .
In 1865, although Washington Duke may have created a product that will probably never go out of business, it still has a big effect on our people today and could be a bigger problem for generations to come. Cigarettes have been smoked for a long time now and it hasn't slowed down, even when smokers know what can happen. However I don't think they really understand how much it affects their body and the stress they put on there lungs. Smoking kills and shouldn't be allowed in the USA because of the death rate it has behind it.
The proliferation of smoking bans means that, in many states, it is extremely difficult to find a place where it is legal to smoke in public. The smell of cigarette smoke also creates problems for people who live or work with non-smokers. And because cigarette smoking involves an open flame, there are safety concerns as
Before we get into the argument of whether smoking should be allowed in public places or not, we first need to break the concept of smoking down to the beginning. First, let us answer the question of “what is smoking?” Smoking “refers to the inhalation and exhalation of fumes from burning tobacco in cigars, cigarettes and pipes” (Smoking). It was first used in the 1500s by the natives of the Western Hemisphere for religious rituals and medicinal purposes (Smoking). Next, we to answer the question of “what is considered a public place?” According to US Leal, a public place is “generally an indoor or outdoor area, whether privately or publicly owned, to which the public have access by right or by invitation, expressed or implied, whether by payment of money or not”.
Smoking tobacco has been in existence for thousands of years. For most of its existence smoking has been acceptable, tolerable, and permitted in our mainstream society. In recent years, smoking tobacco has been under scrutiny. Smoking bans have been introduced to restrict smokers from smoking in public and private places. For example, restaurants, bars, hotels, parks, and beaches throughout the United States have established the bans against public smoking. I discovered this has significance as it affects society because smoking has been a staple for thousands of years and is now being questioned whether or not smoking should be permissible. As a non-smoker this affects me personally because of the health issues and death of my family
Do you smell that? That foul scent mixed into the air. It’s killing you slowly inside, each time you take a breath of this putrid, polluted, dirty scent. You smell it too, the trillions of chemicals racing into your lungs. Now look around yourself, and you’ll see someone smoking on the bench beside you. Smoking is the number one avoidable causes of death. Therefore, smoking should be banned from all public areas. The ban from smoking in public will help to reduce the smokers intake of cigarettes/chemicals, cigarettes themselves are a danger to the earth, some may argue that this ban may damage the cigarette economy, and that smoking does not only effect the smoker himself/herself, it effects everyone around them, in many various ways.
While at the same rate smokers who supported bans also reported having attempted to quit in the last twelve months than those who did not support any of the laws. The implication here is that if one is trying to quit smoking, attending bars, restaurants, or other public areas that are smoke free have a positive effect on quitting by reducing exposure to the smell and other smokers which can increase the urge to smoke when trying to quit. However, certain studies have argued the opposite effect. Greenwald research found that, “smokers generally appeared to visit bars more often, stay at bars longer, and consume more drinks than their non-smoking counterparts” (103). At the same token this benefits non-smokers who also attend such venues because they are not exposed to secondhand smoke. Here we see that smoke bans are a win-win for those affected by smoking directly and indirectly.
People have the right to inhale cigarette smoke almost anywhere they want as long as there is not a no smoking sign posted, but that still leaves many public facilities open for smokers to do it as they please. This is what endangers everyone else’s safety. If every single public place was mad a no smoking zone, it would be an inconvenience to many smokers, but it could potentially save a lot of lives, and a lot of people from medical issues later in life. Not only is secondhand smoking a problem in public places, but many smokers have no problem rolling down a window in their car and smoking away, and anyone who is in the car or who may ride in the car soon after, is put at risk
Would you purposely stub your toe on the coffee table or purposely hit your thumb with a hammer? Then why would you or anyone do an act that you know would hurt you or those around you? Why would a person smoke in a public place when they know it can cause them and their loved ones harm? This is one of many of the reasons why smoking should be banned in public places. Before we get into the argument of whether smoking should be allowed in public places or not, we first need to identify a few items: the concept of smoking, the reasons people smoke, the government’s involvement, and an alternative solution.
Several people think if smoking is legal and if the smokers are of age then they should be allowed to smoke. They also think It is not the job of the government to tell anyone what to decide to do with their life and not for them to command smokers to stop. They think that banning smoking in public would applaud people to smoke more in their houses, this will hurt other people in their house, especially their kids. It would also make bars, pubs and clubs go out of business. In an article by Joseph Bast called “Smoking Should Not Be Banned in Public Places”, Joseph Bast altercate that "people are free to do things both great and foolish so long as they do not conflict with an equal right held by others." This combines smoking. Considering scientific studies have not definitively found the danger of secondhand smoke, smoking bans should not be established in law, he says. There is documentation that less people are smoking, and he believes that each person should have the freedoms to do anything they want. Joseph Bast is president and CEO of the Heartland Institute, a nonprofit research and educational organization that promotes free market solutions to social and economic problems.
One of the big reasons that smoking should be banned in public is because of how bad it is for people's health. Now obviously the best way to stop smoking from harming people's health would be to ban smoking entirely. However, that is not possible to do that so this is the next best solution. The health of a smoker would be so much better off if thee smoker would only smoke at home. This is because the smoker would not be able to smoke as many cigarettes on a daily basis, and the less a smoker smokes the better off the health of that smoker will be. The reason a persons health will be better off the less they smoke is because smoking is very dangerous for someones health. Smoking is particularly known as being dangerous to one's lungs. Pavitra Sampath states in her article 10 Reasons Smoking Is Bad For You that “cigarettes have a large number of chemicals which leave a considerable amounts of residue in your lungs, airways and your entire body in general. All this residue ends up clogging your lungs, leading to breathing problems and lowered lung function.” The lungs aren’t the only organs in your body that will get damaged from smoking. Smoking also negatively affects your most important
To begin, smoking should be outlawed because its effects on our environment are extremely deleterious. It is one of the main causes of environmental pollution. Daily, millions of cigarettes are left on the floor, which ends up in the river. It can harm our waterways and can also harm our soil. Nevertheless, trees are wasted in the process as well (“Have Your Say | Should Smoking Be Banned?”). About fifteen billion packs are sold daily, and to produce 300 cigarettes, a tree is wasted. In addition, 13 million acres are used to grow tobacco. Imagine what we can do with those acres, and maybe grow crops for the millions of poor or the homeless. (“Smoking”) The U.S tobacco industry produces 16 million tons of Carbon Dioxide yearly. For comparison, a car produces 4 million times less. In addition, there are approximately 4,000 chemicals in a single cigarette. Not to mention, but they consist of super harmful chemicals that can potentially cause death and also affect the environment in an inferior way (“Environmental Impact of Smoking and Tobacco Use”). Some may say that if people smoke in private, it would still not affect the environment because they are not out to the public. And also, people leave cigarettes in trash cans and not of the floor (“60 Reasons for not smoking… and 100 keep on (or take up) smoking”). This is extremely false. Smoking indoors increases the risk of fires and it still can spread around the atmosphere, as it is still in the air. Those thousands of chemicals can also lead to second-hand smoking, which is
Smoking Tobacco is a choice, it is a freedom given to all willing adults, but it is important to never abuse those freedoms. Smoking tobacco has had a long history throughout the world, so getting rid of smoking completely would be near, if not impossible. However, we should try to least reduce the use of it due to its many harmful effects on health to avoid needless deaths and pollution. Problems other than its effects on health is that it disturbs peace within public settings, it is inconsiderate towards those who don't like smoking or hate the smell of it, and it also affects your outward appearance; both creating a barrier in communication with other people. And not only that, but smoking in public settings can be a big risk and a danger to people who are just passing by that happen to have asthma or are allergic to cigarette smoke. Smoking Tobacco is dangerous, in the way that it will ruin your health and your social life, the environment, and it can be quite bothersome to those around you, which is why, at the very least, smoking Tobacco in public areas should be banned.