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.
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3 comments:
I think the only indoor public places where the issue is still debated are bars and bingo halls where old people like to smoke while they play bingo. To make this post more controversial, people might comment on the definition of "public places"--whether than includes outdoor public places like parks, beaches, and patios at restaurants. Do you think smokers should be confined to their own cars and houses if they want to smoke? Coming out of a house where my dad smoked and no one had any ill effects that I know of, I'm kind of thinking this second-hand smoke issue is an over-reaction. But I totally agree with no-smoking in restaurants, planes, and other indoor public places.
I agree a lot with what NOLA has to say about public smoking. I have been at a bowling alley before where I literally needed to leave the building because it had become so difficult for me to breathe. My eyes are also very sensitive to cigarette smoke and my family has had to leave restaurants before because my eyes were just too irritated to stay. Not only do I think that it is an annoyance to people who are not smoking, but if smoking was banned at bars and restaurants I think that it would be a good way to prevent young people from getting hooked. Many students are only social smokers and can easily transition into real smokers if they social smoke too frequently. By not allowing smoking at these places it can help a lot of young adults not be tempted in smoking in the first place.
I also agree with what Nola girl had to say about smoking in our country. I just do not understand why people from our generation choose to start smoking when they know all of the risks that are involved. Smoking is prohibited in most public places, but I think it should be prohibited in more places, such as bars. It is awful to be in a bar, especially a small one, where there are several people smoking. The smoke fills the room and everyone has to breathe it in. I think smoking should be banned from bars, at least inside the bar. I also think smoking should be banned from outdoor patios where people are eating. It is incredibly hard to try and enjoy your dinner on a restaurant’s patio if there is someone smoking around you. I sometimes wonder if people who smoke realize how disgusted other people feel when they are smoking a close proximity or if they just do not care about the people around them. I understand it is their freedom of choice to smoke and ruin their own health, but I think the government should try and take a stronger action in trying to eliminate the amount of new smokers each year.
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