Public Smoking

Janelle Kondos

Mr. Murry

Eng. 112-05D

February 6, 2007

Public Smoking

Why should the United States ban public smoking nationwide? Public smoking has frequently been debated for the past couple of years throughout state and national legislatives. Some 126 million nonsmokers are exposed to secondhand smoke, or "involuntary smoking," that puts people at increased risk of death from lung cancer, heart disease and other illnesses. Not only the United States wants to ban smoking in public places; other countries have already banned smoking. If the government does ban smoking in all public places, I think the number of smokers would drop drastically in the United States. If this decrease does happen, it would enhance Americans' health, finances, and ¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬much more.much more what?

All parents always say that they will do anything to protect their child from harm, but yet they still smoke around them.not all parents smoke. Slightly more than one in five children is exposed to secondhand smoke at home. Those children have an increased possibility of receiving SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome), lung infections such as pneumonia, ear infections, and more severe asthma. Babies whose mothers smoke are twice as likely to die of SIDS. The child's risk of developing respiratory problems such as asthma, cough, and lung infections is increased by 60% in children if both parents smoke.cite where you got the stats

Some of the other countries that want to ban smoking are doing so not just in restaurants, but also in cafes, dance clubs, planes, bars, and possibly work places. Other countries such as England, France, Ireland, Scotland, and Germany wish to ban smoking. Australia and New Zealand already have smoking bans in restaurants, bars, and workplaces. In Canada, 11 out of the 13 provinces banned smoking in public places and some workplaces. As of July 1, 2006, 17 states and 461 towns, cities, and counties had passed what are considered comprehensive smoke-free workplace laws, of which includes restaurants and bars in the United States.cite info

People in the smoking community are against the ban for public smoking because they claim that it is a right as an American. They also think that it can't be too much of a disturbance at restaurants because of the separation of smoking and non smoking sections. Ventilation systems don't eliminate exposure to secondhand smoke from the smokers and non smokers sections in restaurants. Some restaurant and bar owners (hospitality industries) say that they didn't want the smoking ban because the ban would scare away their business. When the smoking bans in cities such as New York City and Boston started, their business didn't change by any means. Beck, a bar owner in San Diego, stated,

"I watch my patterns very closely...Fridays and Saturday nights are busier than ever. The singers in particular, some who smoke, like the smoke-free atmosphere because their eyes don't burn. The non- smoking employees think it's great; customers are dressing better because they know their clothes won't get ruined by the smoke, and they leave knowing their hair doesn't stink from the smoke."cite

Many other bar or restaurant owners stated about the same content of what Mr. Beck's statement was on.prep ending Otherother what also said that their customers rarely complained about smoking outside and that it really wasn't an inconvenience to them.

You 2nd personalways hear smokers saying that they are trying to quit, but yet they still have a pack on them at all times. Having public places become smoke free has been proven to encourage smokers to reduce smoking or quit altogether. In the year 2006, in California alone it was estimated that secondhand smoke killed about 3,400 nonsmoking people from lung cancer, 46,000 from heart disease, and 430 from SIDS.

Smoking causes short and long term problems not only to smokers, but also to people receiving second-hand smoke. About 442,000 people in the United States die each year from illnesses caused by cigarette smoking. People receiving second-hand smoke and smokers are at increased risk for cancer of the larynx, oral cavity, esophagus, bladder,