Smoking in Public Places: Your Lungs or Mine

Smoking in Public Places: Your Lungs or Mine

Smoking has been an epidemic of the human race ever since it was introduced by the Native Americans to the new British colonist in the "New World." Fast forwarding to present day we find ourselves in the debate on whether or not smoking should be banned in public places. This debate shows the people that there is an issue that many are uncomfortable with and others are willing to die for just to express their rights as Americans. Many business owners also feel that ban on smoking would help their business by increasing productivity and increasing there profit.

One side of the smoking argument states that if smoking is banned, it infringes on people's rights to freedom of expression. Others feel that if smokers have a right to freedom of expression, they also have the right to express themselves by saying that they do not want to smell or come into contact with their smoke because it will make them sick. Both sides propose a good argument and are just a matter of personal preference. If people would like their leisure and relaxation from cigarettes or cigars or other types of tobacco products, they are allowed to argue that point. Some people also feel that smoking is diminishing the health of the nation and the world.

Many smokers feel offended that their rights have been infringed upon. But are their rights really being infringed upon? The right that gives a smoker the freedom to smoke also gives them the right to lower the living standards of those around them because of the health risks involved with smoking. Hundreds of thousands of people die every year because of smoke related illnesses, like lung cancer (from primary and secondary smoking). "Smoking is a type of suicideÐ'.... Steps should be taken to prevent smokers from committing second hand murder," of other people who do not smoke (Califano 65). This brings the conclusion that although smoking is a form of freedom of expression, it is also committing a crime of murder. Since the most recent studies have shown that smoking does kill, and that is a form of murder/suicide, steps should bee taken to ban smoking from public places.

"Scientists on three separate occasions have failed to show any real health problem for non-smokers from smoking" (Serevane 65). But hundreds of other studies have also found that smoking is a health risk to non-smokers, like in recent press releases from the University of Rochester Medical Center and the University of Wisconsin Medical Center. These press releases show that studies have been recently conducted that prove that second hand smoke can diminish a person's health and causing lung cancer and higher risk of heart attacks. Smoke also triggers asthma attacks and other respiratory problems. This just isn't for adults but it's also the children that suffer the effects the respiratory problems from second hand smoke. Since children's bodies are at the early stages of development into their life, smoking can cause long term health risks. "Asthma attacks are perhaps the most well-known health effect of secondhand smoke exposure among children. Secondhand smoke exposure increases the frequency of episodes and the severity of symptoms in asthmatic children" (EPA). This comes to show that adults