Should Smoking be Allowed in Public Places?

In November 2003, the Center for Disease Control (CDC), reported that "using data from national health surveys, the researchers calculated that 8.6 million people in the United States have a serious illness caused by smoking." That's a little bit MORE than the entire population of New York City. Think of that number for just a moment. Nearly nine million people have an illness somehow related to or caused by smoking.

Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in this country, and if we can reduce smoking prevalence we can save a lot of lives. Reducing the smoking rate would also cut the staggering number of Americans living with debilitating diseases caused by tobacco. Secondhand smoke is a mixture of the smoke given off by the burning end of a cigarette, pipe or cigar and the smoke exhaled from the lungs of smokers. It is involuntarily inhaled by nonsmokers, lingers in the air hours after cigarettes have been extinguished and can cause or exacerbate a wide range of adverse health effects, including cancer, respiratory infections, and asthma. Secondhand smoke exposure can cause disease and premature death in children and adults who do not smoke and it contains hundreds of chemicals known to be toxic or carcinogenic. Could you imagine being diagnosed with lung cancer or infasema knowing that you have never smoked a cigarette in your life? This is the case for many people and that is why smoking has been banned in public places.

I really cannot stand the smell of cigarette smoke, especially when I am eating. Yes it may be a hassle for the smokers at a restaurant to have to leave their dinner table for a smoke break, but that’s their own fault. Also, I hate coming home from a bar a reeking of cigarette smoke. Yes, there are designated areas for smoking at bars, but the smell is just too hard to get away from. My mom has smelled my clothes the morning after I have been at a bar and asked me why my clothes smell like an ash tray. I always tell her that it’s just because I went to a bar the night before, and she cringes with disgust upon thinking about how much cigarette smoke was just lingering in the air.

I think it is a great idea to ban smoking in public places. Smoking can harm our bodies in many ways, but it is especially harmful to the lungs of a person with asthma. Tobacco smoke is a powerful trigger of asthma symptoms. I have asthma and I can definitely tell the difference in my breathing in a smokey room. That is why I am extremely agreed that, smoking should be banned in the public places so that the nonsmoker will live in the pink of health.

Comment on KELEVRA's blog

I commented on KELEVRA'S blog about how being devoted to a sport and teach you how to manage your time at a young age. The URL would not work, but here is my comment:

I was also a very devoted swimmer for 14 years. I started swimming when I was 4 and I quit before I came to college when I was 18. Even my parents say it helped shape my lifestyle. I learned how to manage my time between swimming and school at a very young age. It was very tough, but I managed to be a straight a student and a year-round swimmer. I feel that if I did not have to manage my time so much between swimming and school then I would not know where to begin when it came to managing my time in college. Having such a huge commitment at a young age truly helps a person to grow up and realize what is really important. I believe that your past shapes your future and every action, choice, and experience I have made has formed and shaped me to be the person I am today. Swimming made me a strong goal setter and I strive to achieve my goals.