Should there be a ban on smoking in public places in an effort to increase quality of life for the public?
A ban on smoking would benefit society as a whole. Our society should be more accountable for people's health.
Smoking is a personal choice, as is not smoking. Therefore, it is only right that people that want to smoke do it where they will not harm anyone else. I know it goes too far to say a parent can't smoke around their own children, but at the very least, strangers should not have to deal with unwanted smoking in public places. It would be a benefit for individual's health, and could even persuade some people to stop smoking or decrease their smoking since the places to do it are dwindling. This could help reduce the billions of dollars spent every year on smoking-related health issues as well.
Posted by: BrewBestSmoking should be banned from public areas.
Whenever I go out to any particular place, I find somebody smoking at the entrance. I have to cover my mouth and stop breathing, so I can protect myself from second hand smoke. When I was younger I got chronic bronchitis from being around my parents second hand smoke. It is unfair to people who don't want to breathe it in and want to live a healthy lifestyle.
Posted by: AnonymousThere should be a public smoking ban as it has been proven that second hand smoke is extremely dangerous.
It is not fair that someone who lives a healthy lifestyle and doesn't smoke should have to suffer second hand smoke health effects because of others. If someone wants to smoke, it is their right to do so, but it is not their right to hurt someone else in the process. They need to do this either in the privacy of their own homes, or in an area that is designated for smokers that non-smokers can easily avoid if they choose to do so.
Posted by: Z FryeSmoking is a personal choice, but, because second-hand smoke is harmful, I do believe the activity should be banned in public areas.
While people have the right to choose to smoke, I do not believe that they should be allowed to smoke in public areas where other non-smokers would be exposed to the dangers of second-hand smoke. For that reason, I do believe that smoking should be banned in public areas where people are in close enough quarters to be exposed to cigarette smoke should someone choose to light up.
Posted by: ToughEfrain26I do think smoking should be banned in public, out of the respect for everyone's health, because it is believed by many that second-hand smoke can cause health problems.
On the issue of personal physical health, there is no scientific or clinical data from research that backs up the claim made that cigarette smoke causes cancer, or any of the other claims that have been made about it. That aside, the thought that it could do those things to you is a stress factor for people, and can be harmful for people's mental health. Plus, people just might not want to have someone's smoke in their face, or have to smell cigarettes when they go shopping.
Posted by: TomCutieFor people who don't smoke the smell of it is very unappealing.
Smelling smoke in places of business is never something a non-smoker wants to deal with. People who don't smoke do so because they don't care to stink of it and also they don't want to jeopardize their own health. Being around people who smoke will make someone who doesn't smoke be subjected to the stench and it is unfair.
Posted by: B3rkIffyIt's not about freedom or the smell, smoke is harmful!
Young children should not be affected by all the chemicals in cigarette smoke when they're out in public, in fact no one should. Fair enough if you want to smoke and put yourself at risk of SERIOUS health issues, but think about other people and how it could affect them. Second hand smoke is just as harmful as smoking.
Posted by: AnonymousPassive smoking is more harmful than active smoking, and it should be banned in all public places.
I strongly agree that we should ban smoking in public places, as passive smoking is more harmful. Non-smokers become passive smokers when there is no restriction on smoking at public places. Hence, it should be banned in all public places. This will definitely improve the quality of life for the general public, which not only includes adults, but also children.
Posted by: taekialiceSecond hand smoke is a health hazard to everyone.
If smoking is allowed in public places then people have no control over there own health or the health of their children. This is especially true in work environments such as wait staff at restaurants where workers are subjected to their patrons smoking without any control of their work conditions.
Posted by: RichJosue26There should be a ban on smoking in public places, because smoking in public affects everyone's health.
In order to increase the quality of life for the public, it is important to ban smoking in public places. When someone smokes out in public, the smoke moves, and everyone around it breathes it. This happens to people who choose not to smoke for health reasons. It is therefore important to ban smoking in public places to limit who is exposed to second-hand smoke.
Posted by: eyeslikethatBanning smoking in public places benefits all.
While I understand that smoking is an addiction not easy to cure, I also believe that another person's addiction (or enjoyment) should not interfere with the well-being, health and safety of others. Second-hand smoke is a danger to many, and can often be deadly for most especially babies, and young children.
Posted by: QuibarceThe odor of smoking is extremely unappealing and it permeates everything.
Smoking odor is so pervasive that if you go to visit a house where there is a smoker, you can tell it as soon as you enter the home. The curtains, upholstered furniture, carpet and clothing in that house retain that smell unless they are cleaned everyday, and still that does not remove some of the odor. When you leave that house and go home, you can still smell that cigarette smoke on your own clothes and in your hair.
Posted by: BMaritzaSmoking has been proven, beyond any doubt, to be detrimental to health, so smoking should be banned in these areas.
The facts are in and have been in now for decades that smoking, including second hand has adverse health effects. Non smokers should not have to endure breathing the same air that smokers pollute with their addictive habit. And smokers, for their own benefit, should be discouraged from continuing in their destructive ways. It is the government's responsibility to enforce laws protecting the general populace, and this is one of those cases.
Posted by: NettN355There should be a ban on smoking in public places because it will increase the quality of health for everyone.
It has been proved that smoking increases the risk for cancer, heart disease and a myriad of other illnesses. Secondhand smoke can have just as many harmful side effects, including impacting those with asthma. Secondhand smoke is particularly harmful to children and senior citizens. A ban on smoking in public would limit exposure to harmful chemicals released by cigarette smoke.
Posted by: WardGradChildren and Second Hand Smoke
My child was diagnosed with asthma and the idea that second hand smoke can trigger this is not only disturbing it is reckless to put a child at risk.
Posted by: AnonymousEven though I am a smoker, I agree that smoking should be banned in public places to avoid exposure of smoke to those who feel that it is a problem.
Even though I smoke, I do feel that there are many public places where smoking should be banned, for the general benefit of the population. There are many people who should not be exposed to smoke, such as young children and people who are sick or are allergic to smoke. I also believe that isolated, public smoking areas should be designated for smokers.
Posted by: R0d0FerdySmoking is unappealing, unhealthy, and should not be allowed in public places.
Smoking smells awful to those that don't smoke. The smell of smoke, also, gets on a non-smokers clothes and hair when they are in an environment where smoking is allowed. This unpleasant smell will linger on a person long after the exposure to smoke. In public places it should be banned. Why should non-smokers be subjected to second hand smoke and unpleasant odors?
Posted by: babydoll93
I do not feel smoke has an unappealing odor.
As a smoker no I do not feel that smoke has a bad odor and you should be able to smoke especially outside where there is plenty of room for the smoke to disperse. We pay a lot of money to smoke cigarettes and a lot of it is tax money that the government needs and could not afford to loose. So yes I do not feel that cigarette smoke is unappealing.
Posted by: 5h4rkEmarBanning smoking inside businesses is one thing, but banning it in all public places is taking government control way too far.
Inch by inch, we are letting our personal freedoms slip away. I may not enjoy breathing smoke, but I don't want the government to take away someone else's right to do so. The next freedom they take away may be something that is important to me. Seriously, what's next? The government controlling our health care?
Posted by: FreddyB