Smoking in Public Places: A Health Hazard
Smoking in public places is a health hazard for the smokers as well as the non-smoking public. The main dangers of smoking in public are often health-related as well as accident fires. More fatalities arise from public smoking are connected to the adverse effects on health because of the second-hand smoke and the third-hand smoke which often affects more people than fires caused by irresponsible smoking habits. As a result, more cities are creating restrictive policies such as fines and other kinds of penalties against public smoking. As established in research by the World Health Organization (WHO) and NCBI, states with a large smoking population such as Kentucky have lower chances of banning smoking.
Smoking in Public Places: The Global Perspective
However, a considerable number of countries in the world such as Australia, Saudi Arabia, Costa Rica, Bhutan, Uruguay, and Malaysia. The extent of the restrictions differs among nations such that some countries have formulated rules that allow smoking in private places that are defined explicitly while other countries like Canada have a total ban on use or sale of tobacco which extends to cigarettes in almost all areas. Consequently, this paper argues that smoking in public places should be banned due to the numerous adverse effects associated with it, especially concerning human health.
Second-Hand Smoke
Unlike other harmful effects caused by indulging in alcohol, overeating, or eating of unhealthy food, many people who suffer from health problems related to smoking are passive smokers which mean that they do not voluntarily participate in smoking. As a result, it begs the question whether as much as smokers have the right to obliterate their individual well-being, are they also entitled to destroying other people's health? Research conducted in Australia reveals that passive smoking poses more severe risks to human health compared to active smoking (Wilhelmsen 243).
Therefore public places such as restaurants that have designated smoking zones should be discouraged by the use of penalties or fines since most of these areas are not well sealed or even ventilated to ensure that no cigarette smoke reaches the non-smoking sections. Most importantly, passive smoking poses severe risks to asthmatic people since most of them are unable to breathe in the presence of cigarette smoke which can also lead to fatalities (Wilhelmsen 243). Also, second-hand smoke exposes the non-smokers to carcinogens and deadly health conditions like cancer. Sequentially, more people will be protected from contracting respiratory diseases and death which will ultimately result in a reduction in expenditure by the health department on issues of health related to passive smoking.
Reduce Litter
Cigarette smokers often dispose of the cigarette bits inappropriately in bars, parks, restaurants and public toilets. As a result, it creates terrible odors than make the littered environment conducive to good human health. Also, the smell of the smoke tends to stick to stick on the clothes of the participants and the nonparticipants alike and it lingers in the clothes for several days after the smoking incident. This is dangerous especially for the babies as it is categorized under third-hand smoke. Third-hand smoke consists of nicotine, smoke, and tobacco (Darden 1470).
A study on the effects of third-hand smoke on babies shows that the chemical toxins arising from the same have similar impacts as second-hand smoke even after months have elapsed if the clothes are not washed properly (Denson 529). The exposure of the toxins to the little children is common with men who smoke while at work then cuddle the toddlers at home before taking a shower and changing into clean clothes. Therefore, the toxins can cause permanent or even fatal health complications in babies which could be prevented by banning the use of tobacco or smoking in general.
Violation of Rights
Smoking in public violates the right for the non-smokers to work in a healthy environment. Many workers prefer to work in places where smoking is not allowed, but they choose to continue working with colleagues who smoke in the office bathrooms because they need the employment. This puts the non-smokers at an even higher risk because they may have health conditions that such as asthma or heart disease thus shortening the life expectancy of these people. To prevent this, employers should prohibit smoking while at work to minimize the health risks and safeguard the wellbeing of the employees who do not smoke. The Health Act 2006 states that the ban on smoking in workplaces helps in protecting visitors, workers, and customers from the impacts of second-hand smoke (Denson 532). The Health act also specifies that:
- A public place is a place used by more than one person where people may go to seek for services or goods
- The law applies to people at all ranks at work.
- Smoking at all places that are outside and where people work are prohibited and that employers can decide to create a designated smoking area that can be controlled. Also, the law presumes that it is illegal to smoke within a structure where over half of the walls are mounted.
- It also gives authority to the person managing the smoking premises obliging them to stop anyone from smoking on the premises.
- It states three penalty rules that are potentially incriminating on the employees, employers, managers, and controllers of premises. They include fines for smoking in smoke-free locations, fines for failure for the employer to control smoking in the nonsmoking premises is considered guilty and can be fined.
This could also be beneficial to the company's profitability because fewer employees will be applying for sick as well as continuity of employee productivity.
Financial Instability
Smoking also impacts negatively on the financial stability of an individual. A study carried out in the US indicates that individual smokers spend 700$ by smokers is even higher annually on tobacco. Further, the research shows that expenditure on smoking (Palali, and Van ours 1713). The adverse effects of this kind of spending also have a significant negative impact on the national economy since the money spent on cigarettes could have been saved for economic development. Additionally, governments are required to allocate a substantial amount of money to the ministry of health to finance medical insurance for people suffering from health conditions caused by the use of tobacco.
Moreover, smoking damages the user's taste buds, which forces them to eat less and smoke more. The bodily immunity against diseases is reduced thus increasing vulnerability even to minor infections. At this juncture, an excellent medical insurance cover is imperative since the person will need regular medical attention. The most effective way of controlling the national expenditure on smoking-related health problems is by restricting the use of tobacco and its products as well as enlightening people about the financial effects of smoking (Palali, and Van ours 1723).
Conclusion
Banning smoking requires finesse and thoughtful planning. Many countries would be better places for both adults and most importantly, the children. Some countries like New Zealand have large smoking populations hence wholly prohibiting smoking could cause riots as well as a general disruption of peace. Tobacco is undoubtedly a poisonous drug that continues to deteriorate lifestyles globally considering that the cost of buying cigarettes keeps increasing. As savings, the expenditure on smoking can help improve lifestyles for many families. Additionally, addiction to hard drugs such as heroin and cocaine begins in school with regular smoking cigarettes and then it escalates to the potent drugs.
Banning cigarettes can bring a significant impact on the fight against drugs in schools which can reduce severe effects of the drugs on the general human behavior adversely depending on the nature of the person's body mechanisms because some will create a craving for more in the short run and eventually stronger drugs. According to the WHO, the fatalities caused by smoking will be twice as much as the current one. As a result, the WHO has created a framework with150 parties to control tobacco and also identify key, and effective policies for the exercise. However, individual governments must even commit to implementing effective regulations for tobacco control in their respective countries to fulfill the primary right of the citizens to good health.
Therefore, growing tobacco to produce cigarettes should be prohibited in states where tobacco regulation is at an advanced stage. As for the countries where smoking is excessively, and rampant such as the New Zealand, the ban should be administered in phases which may include taxation, as well as punitive fines for smoking in restrained places and also sensitize citizens on the adverse effects of smoking both short term and long term respectively.
Works Cited
Darden, Michael. "Smoking, Expectations, and Health: A Dynamic Stochastic Model of Lifetime Smoking Behavior." Journal of Political Economy, vol 125, no. 5, 2017, pp. 1465-1522. University Of Chicago Press, doi: 10.1086/693394.
Denson, K. "Passive Smoking in Infants, Children, and Adolescents. The Effects of Diet and Socioeconomic Factors". International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health, vol 74, no. 8, 2001, pp. 525-532. Springer Nature, doi: 10.1007/s004200100258.
Palali, Ali, and Jan C. Van ours. "Love Conquers All But Nicotine: Spousal Peer Effects On The Decision To Quit Smoking." Health Economics, vol 26, no. 12, 2017, pp. 1710-1727. Wiley-Blackwell, doi:10.1002/hec.3489.
Wilhelmsen, Lars. "Coronary Heart Disease: Epidemiology of Smoking and Intervention Studies Of Smoking." American Heart Journal, vol 115, no. 1, 1988, pp. 242-249. Elsevier BV, doi: 10.1016/0002-8703(88)90644-8.
