Smoking In Public: The Reasons Why Smoking In Public Should Be Banned

There are many reasons why smoking in public should be banned. The three main reasons to ban smoking in public are because of the health risks, offensive smell, and environmental risks that are the cause of cigarette smoke. Secondhand smoke is smoke from a cigarette, cigar, or pipe that is involuntarily inhaled, especially by non-smokers (The American Heritage Stedman’s Medical Dictionary, n.d.). In many public places smoking is allowed and is not fair because non-smokers are exposed to chemicals that can harm them internally and externally. Children for example, are chronic victims of secondhand smoke. The inhalation of cigarette smoke that can harm people nearby is called passive smoking (Pros Vs. Cons, 2007, p.1). Also cigarette smoke can make non-smokers agitated by the smell of cigarette smoke, which is not very pleasant. Also the environment is tainted by the hazardous chemicals, which can cause permanent scars on the earth. For the most part, smoking in public should be banned to help decreases its negative affects. First, smoking should be banned in public because of the health risks caused by secondhand smoke. Smoking in public causes health risks for people who come in contact with cigarette smoke. Secondhand smoke is the third leading cause of deaths caused by lung cancer, which can be prevented. There is an estimated 3,000 deaths related to lung cancer in non-smokers due to secondhand smoke (Hahn, et al., 2014, p. 156).

Through a subgroup analysis, adolescents and young adults were more vulnerable to the risks and effects of secondhand smoke and a contagious bacterial infection, which attacks the lungs known as Tuberculosis or TB. While more studies need to be performed and confirmed, the young population is still at risks and there is an ongoing global effort to reduce the risks of tuberculosis and control the use of tobacco products (Lin, et al., 2013, p. 3). The hazardous effects of smoking can cause more chances of Coronary heart disease in smokers and in non-smokers of all ages, which has been proved due to the findings of a public health study (Tolstrup, et al., 2013, p. 100). Through many studies, smoking in public can cause more than one type of health risks to people who do not even smoke. Also to ban smoking in public places will help smokers to either smoke less or perhaps even quit smoking (Pros Vs. Cons, p.1). In this case, the concept of banning smoking in public may help cut down the risks of disease or death in smokers as well. Coronary heart disease, lung cancer, and tuberculosis are just a few of the health risks secondhand smoke can cause and that is one reason why smoking in public should be banned.

The second reason that smoking in public should be banned is that many people who do not smoke do not like the disgusting odor that comes from cigarette smoke. Also the smell of smoke can cause a person who may have quit smoking to possible start smoking again. For some people it is hard to see or smell cigarette smoke even after years of quitting, however, some people find the smell to be repulsive. Some non-smokers experience an intense dislike from smelling other peoples’ smoke and find it hard to believe that they could have ever found the idea of a lit cigarette to be appealing while others found it desirable to smell the smoke of a cigarette. Some found this tempting and for people who have previously smoked before this may cause them to relapse and smoke again while others found the smell offensive and not tempting at all (McRobbie, Hajek, & Locker, 2008, p. 1883). The smell of smoke can be quite offensive and if smoking were banned in public then non-smokers would not be forced to smell their smoke. Also a ban on smoking would reduce smoking activity at the workplace, therefore, if this occurs the smoker’s habits of nicotine use will also reduce. Doing so will prevent that unwanted smell of smoke at the work place (Pros. Vs. Cons., p.1).

This later may take affect when the smoker goes home and now needs less nicotine because of the lack of smoking during work. Cutting down will also help with smoking at home, which also has an immense affect on family members, and/ or even neighbors. That is another reason why smoking in public should be banned. The third and final reason why smoking should be banned in public is due to the environmental risks that are caused by the pollutants in cigarette smoke. Cigarette smoke is filled with many carcinogens that fill the air and destroy the environment. Cigarette smoke causes radon to enter the environment and cause permanent damage to not only other people but to plants, animals, and the earth in general. The combination of firsthand smoke, and /or secondhand smoke and radon increase the risk of lung cancer ten times more than usual. Both secondhand smoke and radon have been found in the homes of smokers and non-smokers through a research study done by the National Environmental Health Association (Hahn, et al., 2014, p. 159).

Not only does cigarette smoke destroy the earth, but also, the materials used to make cigarettes are not biodegradable, and when disposed of can cause permanent damage to the environment. If smoking in public places is banned it will help with the lack of radon. Radon causes bodily harm as well as harm on the environment. Radon is a cancer causing radioactive gas found in cigarette smoke and is formed by the decomposition of uranium in the ground (Hahn, et al., 2014, p. 157). Also secondhand smoke caused by radon is one of the most major source for both indoor and outdoor pollution (Hahn, et al., 2014, p. 157). Also, many people throw cigarette butts on the ground without realizing the damage that it can cause damage to the environment. Cigarette filters or butts contain cellulose acetate tow, not cotton, and take decades to decompose (The impact of tobacco On The environment, 2012, p.1).Smoking should be banned in public to control environmental damage due to the improper disposal of cigarette materials and waste. Studies have examined the toxic levels of cigarette butts to our ecosystems. These studies have shown that organic compounds, such as nicotine, pesticide residues, and metal, seep from cigarette butts or filters and become toxic to fish and micro-organisms (The impact of tobacco On The environment, 2012, p.1).

That is another main reason why smoking in public should be banned. In conclusion, smoking in public should be banned due to the health risks that can be caused to non-smokers, non-smokers find the smell of cigarette smoke to be offensive and may cause relapse in past smokers, and cigarette smoke and the materials used to make cigarettes cause permanent, irreversible damage to the earth, environment, and to our whole planet. For the record, a study was done in 2010 that found over 818,580 pounds of toxic chemicals were released into the air by tobacco product manufacturing facilities in the United States (The impact of tobacco On The environment, 2012, p.2). There are many other reasons why smoking in public should be banned but those are the three most common reasons found in current periodicals, websites, and articles. Most of the facts presented in this have been the results of research studies performed and surveyed by smokers and non-smokers. The information used in these studies was presented in a timeline, which resulted in tests performed on its subjects.

References

Hahn, E. J., Rayers, M.K., Kercsmar, S.E., Adkins, S.M., and Wright, A.P., J, (2014). Dual home screening and tailored environmental feedback to reduce radon and secondhand smoke: An exploratory study. Journal of Environmental Health, 76.6, 156-161. Lin, H.H., Chiang, Y.T., Chuang, J.H., Yang, S.L., Chang, H.Y., Ezzati, M., and Murray, M., (2013). Exposure to secondhand smoke and risk of Tuberculosis: Prospective cohort study. Plos One, 8.10, 1-6. McRobbie, H., Hajek, P., & Locker, J., (2008). Does the reaction of abstaining smokers to the smell of other people’s cigarettes predict relapse? Addiction, 103, 1883-1887. Pros. Vs. Cons., (2007). Idea, Inc.

Retrieved from: www.pages.drexel.edu/~jcb64/pros%20vs.%20cons.htm Secondhand Smoke, (n.d.). The American Heritage Stedman’s Medical Dictionary. Retrieved from: The impact of tobacco on the environment: Tobacco facts sheet, (2012). Legacy for Longer Health, 1-3. Retrieved from: www.legacyforhealth.org/our-issues/cigarettes-and-the-environment Tolstrup, J.S., Hvidtfeldt, U.A., Flachs, E.M., Spiegelman, D., Heitmann, B.L., Balter, K., Goldbourt, U., Hallmans, G., Knekt, P., Liu, S., Pereira, M., Stevens, J., Virtamo, J., and Feskanich, D., (2014). Smoking and risk of coronary heart disease in younger, middle-Aged, and older adults. American Journal of Public Health, 104.1, 96-102