Public places are places that anyone can go to eat or have fun with family or friends. These places include the library, restaurants, parks, etc. Public places are attended by people who have the intention of having a good time without interruptions. Those places should not be interrupted by tobacco smoking. Smoking in public places can put anyone at risk without intention. This is called secondhand smoking. Second-hand smoking is just as dangerous as smoking first handedly. Smoking should be banned from public places because it increases the risks of the health of others, it can disturb the company of people in the same public place, and the many benefits that banned smoking provides the public.
Smoking should be banned in public places because it decreases good health for others. Secondhand smoking is smoke that is involuntarily inhaled from tobacco being smoked by other people. Secondhand smoking can come from burning any type of tobacco product such as cigarettes, pipes, or cigars. “The smoke from burning tobacco contains more harmful substances than inhaled smoke” (Dangers of Secondhand Smoke). After inhaling the secondhand smoke, it can take up to 5 minutes to affect someone. If the smoke is inhaled after twenty minutes it can cause greater health risks. Secondhand smoke can affect anyone innocent such as babies, pregnant women, or anyone elder. Babies, pregnant women, and elderly people are more prone to health issues. These groups of people can be easily affected by public smoking. The effects of secondhand include; more severe asthma attacks, respiratory infections, ear infections, heart disease, lung cancer, and premature death for nonsmokers.
Another reason why public smoking should be prohibited is that it may disturb others. “It has more than 7,000 chemicals, including at least 70 that can cause cancer” (Health Risks of Secondhand Smoke). These chemicals include hydrogen, cyanide, carbon monoxide, and ammonia Nicotine is the main chemical that is found inside tobacco and is the most addictive chemical. Tobacco users can disturb other customers in public place because of the smell. There are a variety of smells that tobacco may give off such as; fresh, bitter, sweet cherry, vanilla, etc. Smoking in a public place can affect the food in restaurants. The smoke can cause a different taste in the food or could cause other customers to lose their appetite.
There are many benefits of banning public smoking. “Studies have shown that smoke-free laws that prohibit smoking in public places, such as bars and restaurants, help improve the health of workers and the general population.” (Smoke-Free Policies Improve Health). Banning public smoking can lower the risks of any public asthma attacks or strokes. “Researchers find that smoking bans can reduce the number of heart attacks by as much as 26 percent per year.” (Banning Smoking in Public Places and Work Places Is Good for the Heart, Study Finds). Since businesses have been promoting the banning of public smoking, hospitalizations have decreased. In 2007, hospitalizations were down decreased by 30% due to the banning of public smoking. If businesses see that businesses are promoting public smoking then they will be more inclined to visit the public place. They will feel safer and free from more health risks than public smoking will bring.
While most people agree with the banning of public smoking, there are some that believe that public smoking should be allowed. Some may argue that inhaling secondhand smoke is voluntary. “Passive smokers do choose to breathe in other people’s smoke. If they do not want to smoke passively, they do not need to go places where smoking allowed.”(Pros vs. Cons). Although passive smokers may choose to breathe in the air, the option of breathing in secondhand smoke should not be presented. It causes more health issues than a person may already have. While going to their favorite public place, a customer should not have to worry about whether they have to avoid tobacco smoking. Tobacco smoking should be banned. Laws do not prohibit tobacco smoking in private so therefore, they can smoke in private but no publicly. Anyone can be affected by their smoking.
Smoking should be banned from public places because it increases the risks of the health of others and it can disturb the company of people in the same public place. Banning public smoking will prevent any effects from secondhand smoke. Preventing people from smoking publicly will save the person smoking as well. It could lower any health risks that they already have. If they start to see that smoking is banned publicly they can understand the dangers that tobacco will do to themselves and others. Customers will not have to worry about trying to escape any tobacco smoke or losing their appetite from the smoke. Banning this will bring more customers to businesses. If customers know that they can go somewhere and have a good time without any health issues, they will feel more inclined to attend the public event.
