Everybody knows about the harmful effects of smoking tobacco. It does significant damage to one’s lungs, as well as teeth and skin. Moreover, smoking is addictive, and quitting the bad habit once it has been acquired becomes a serious problem with time. In addition to that, smoking strongly affects one’s budget: heavy smokers go through one or two packs a day. However, people still prefer using regular cigarettes daily to using such devices as vapes. There have always been concerns about banning smoking in public places and there are several reasons that prove this ban is necessary.
First of all, passive smoking may be just as bad for one’s health as regular smoking. Unfortunately, in this case, an individual is not able to control the fumes intake because he is not the one with this bad habit. Cigarette smokers are responsible not only for their health but also for the health of those around them. Since there are always many children in public places, there is a high risk of them being affected by smoke. According to Wenzel, “smoking causes early damage to the adolescent body” (p 5, par 4) that can be applied to passive smoking as well. Children are more prone to suffering from its effects, according to Monson and Arsenault (par 33) many people have certain respiratory conditions, like asthma, and the effect that tobacco fumes can have on their health is severe. Even breathing in drifting tobacco for a short period can be fatal.
Moreover, it is annoying for most people to be exposed to smoke involuntarily and have no other option but to breathe in the fumes instead of clean air. Not all non-smokers can stand the irritating smell of tobacco; the fact that the smoke tends to linger on clothes and hair for days annoys people even more.
Restrictions on using tobacco products could solve that problem. In addition to this, the ban on smoking in public places will benefit the environment, as there will be less litter. Not all people are responsible when it comes to using bins and trash cans to throw away the rubbish. Cigarette butts can be found not only on the streets but also on playgrounds, sandboxes, and beaches, which makes them a potential hazard for children. The remains of cigarettes still contain harmful substances that can damage one’s health. It is also important to mention that not only children may be in danger: birds and animals may accidentally swallow cigarette butts. Establishing a ban will protect wildlife as well as people.
Restriction on smoking in public places may contribute to achieving several important benefits. It will solve certain environmental issues, protecting animals and birds and making cities cleaner. Little children will not be at risk of touching possibly contagious remains of cigarettes. The ban may help smokers quit their bad habit, making it inconvenient and even impossible for them to maintain it. It will improve the overall health of the world’s population by getting rid of the cause of many illnesses. Apart from that, the ban will remove the potential allergen that triggers people with respiratory conditions, like bronchitis or asthma. Not everyone will indeed follow the law right away, but establishing it in the first place is an important step towards a better future for the planet.
Works Cited
Monson, Eva, and Nicole Arsenault. “Effects of enactment of legislative (public) smoking bans on voluntary home smoking restrictions: a review.” Nicotine & Tobacco Research, vol.19, no.2, 2017, pp.141-148.
Wenzel, Amy. The SAGE Encyclopedia of Abnormal and Clinical Psychology. SAGE Publications, 2017.