By: Emily Peace What do you think of when you see someone smoking in a public area? Do you think they are really thinking about the people around them? Do you think they know that they are harming the people around them? I don’t think they do, but we know they are. Smoking in public facilities should be banned because it influences children, it causes litter and odor, and it causes second-hand smoking. Smoking influences children because when they see adults smoking they think it is okay for them to smoke too. Kids might also see adults smoking and think it is cool so they could try it. Each day, 6,000 children under the age of 18 start smoking. This number could drop if they do not see as much smoking when they are out. Smoking in public places also causes litter and odor. Cigarette butts account for millions of pieces of litter each year. Also, many people find the smell of cigarettes unpleasant and annoying. This causes them to not visit the area which causes a lack of customers. This then causes a lack in money for the area and there economy goes down. If smoking was banned in a public area there would be a litter and odor reduction and more business. Lastly, smoking in public facilities causes second-hand smoking. Second-hand smoking is also known as involuntary smoking. Roughly 126 million nonsmoking Americans are exposed to second-hand smoke. One of the risks of second-hand smoking is that it raises lung cancer risks in adult nonsmokers by 20 to 30%. If smoking was banned in a public facility, it could reduce heart attack hospitalizations by up to 36% over time. Second-hand smoke can really harm a person and this is why it needs to be banned in public facilities. I know that not all second-hand smoking will be reduced and not all litter and odor will be reduced because people will still have the choice to do it on their own properties. But, when they are on their own properties people can choose to be around them without being forced to like in a restaurant. Most smokers would disagree with me on banning smoking in public facilities because they feel if people are uncomfortable with the smoke or they feel they are being harmed they can walk away. Even though they disagree, I still think that smoking in public facilities should be banned. Smoking should be banned in public facilities because there are many risks to our environment. Smoking can influence children into smoking and it causes litter and odor. Smoking also causes second-hand smoke which harms the health of nonsmokers.
Sources Cited 1. http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancercauses/tobaccocancer/secondhand-smoke 2. http://richmondregister.com/lifestylescommunity/x546339951/5-reasons-to-ban-smoking-in-public-places 3. http://thinkprogress.org/health/2012/10/31/1114601/smoking-bans-in-public-places-can-help-curb-heart-attacks-and-hospitalization-rates/?mobile=nc 4. http://www.livestrong.com/article/240029-reasons-why-public-smoking-should-be-banned/
Cited: 1. http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancercauses/tobaccocancer/secondhand-smoke 2. http://richmondregister.com/lifestylescommunity/x546339951/5-reasons-to-ban-smoking-in-public-places 3. http://thinkprogress.org/health/2012/10/31/1114601/smoking-bans-in-public-places-can-help-curb-heart-attacks-and-hospitalization-rates/?mobile=nc 4. http://www.livestrong.com/article/240029-reasons-why-public-smoking-should-be-banned/
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