Ban Smoking in Public Areas

The issue of smoking in public areas has often elicited mixed reactions from people. In recent decades, many jurisdictions have prohibited people from smoking in areas designated as public. However, many smokers do not welcome such measures. They see the government's decision as punitive and unnecessary. As expected, advocates of the smoking ban have come out strongly in support of regulations and laws that make public spaces smoking-free zones. In support of their quest, they have cited various studies that show why smoking should never be in public. This essay will discuss some of the reasons why smoking should be banned in public.

Smoking poses a danger to non-smokers. Generally, the smoke from cigarettes does not only affect the smoker. People within the surroundings also inhale the smoke. Hence, they become passive or secondhand smokers. Unfortunately, passive smoking has dire consequences on health, almost close to that of active smoking. One major health risk is heart attack condition. Usually, smoking tends to increase the likelihood of a heart attack. This situation is true even for secondhand smokers. Besides heart attacks, smoking also causes emphysema, lung cancer, and pneumonia. To protect people from these ailments, authorities should ban any behaviour that endangers the population's health. By making public areas smoking-free, governments can save lives and avoid straining healthcare resources. For this reason, protecting public spaces from unhealthy practices must be a priority for all jurisdictions.

The protection of people with respiratory problems is another reason why public areas should be free from harmful substances like tobacco and related products. Typically, people with respiratory-related issues are highly susceptible to tobacco smoke, whether firsthand or secondhand. The smoke triggers asthmatic attacks for those with asthma and worsens the condition of those with chronic sinusitis and chronic bronchitis, among other related diseases. Currently, millions of Americans have these respiratory conditions due to factors like air pollution. Obviously, the only way to safeguard the health of such people is by ensuring that public areas do not become disease-trigger zones. Thus, institutions and authorities should have policies and regulations that minimize exposure to tobacco smoke.

Safeguarding people from involuntary carcinogenic exposure is a good reason for banning public smoking. Every person has a right to be free of exposure to carcinogenic substances. The federal government regards tobacco smoke as a known human carcinogen. As such, the precautions used when handling other harmful substances should also apply to tobacco smoke. For instance, when working with asbestos (a carcinogenic product), people take care to avoid its spillage into the air. Thus, like asbestos, tobacco smoke should receive the same precautionary treatment.

Elimination of public discomfort is also another reason to ban smoking. Many people feel irritated by the smell of smoke. It pollutes the air and makes individuals uncomfortable. Since public spaces belong to everybody, it is imperative to ensure that the environment remains clean for all to enjoy. The laws and rules should protect people's rights to clean and breathable air.

In conclusion, governments should ban public smoking to protect the well-being of the majority of citizens. Doing so minimizes diseases like heart attack, pneumonia, lung cancer, and breathing-related conditions. The ban also protects people from unwanted exposure to carcinogenic substances and reduces the irritability that emanates from the smoke's smell. Therefore, all authorities must take measures to ensure all public areas are smoking-free zones.