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Should Smoking Be Banned in Public Places?

Many countries today have laws that prohibit smoking in public places because it affects non smokers as well. This damages their health against their will and could cause them lung cancer. But also it seems as though this law protects only one side and public places (which should be available to everyone for all purposes) meet only the needs of non-smokers,tobacco causes addiction and active smokers cannot spend a long time without lighting a cigarette which automatically makes public places and many other facilities unsuitable for them and their needs. Also this is bad for tourism in some parts, caterers are financially damaged by these new laws that suggest them to provide services to only one part of both residents and tourists. Is this law actually going to protect non-smokers or simply affect smokers?
Is this a noble deed or a true act of discrimination?

All the Yes points:

  1. smoking in public should be banned
  2. Yes, it should be banned
  3. yes
  4. yes or corse
  5. ITS OUR HEALTH!
  6. HeLLOOOO???? IT
  7. It needs to be banned!
  8. Bad for Health
  9. smoking should be banned in public places

All the No points:

  1. Smoking shouldnt be banned
  2. people have the right to smoke
  3. WHAT HAPPEN TO A FREE CANADA. WE ARE GOING BACK TO THE TIME WERE SLAVES HAD NO RIGHT, NOW IT IS SMOKERS HAVE NO RIGHT
  4. no because
  5. SHS is a fraud!
  6. No – it should not be banned in places people CHOOSE to go
  7. I am from the south and i smoke 4 packs a day in public places no one cares so to all u people ill puff in ur face
  8. Because its a free country!!
  9. smoking don’t necessarily have to be banned

smoking in public should be banned

Yes because…

Smoking should definatly be banned in public places. The places they do allow smoking might lose a bit of money, but it will also help with the health problems that occur. Most people beleive that someone who is not in the smoking area of the public place will not be affected by the smoke, but smoke is able to spread in a room and affect the people around. Smoking causes alot of problems not only for the smoker, but for the people around. If someone were to put together a protest for those to stop smoking in public, I bet that every non- smoker would say they should.
>
I doubt that the bars are shutting down JUST BECAUSE smokers choose not to go. Oh and by your logic, if someone is a pyromaniac and always has the need to light fires that its ok for them to run around in public with fire, the non pyromaniacs just need to avoid the fire. No big deal right?

No because…

smoking is up to the individual not others if people don’t like smoke aviod the people who are smoking. I would not say that smoking should be banned, but I do not think it is necessary that people should go as far to have to avoid another person purely for them being a smoker. What I think they should do is just go back to a smoking section with air vents leading upwards and away from people in the smoking section, making it less likely that if a door is opened to the smoking section, that smoke will go out. Also, businesess are not losing a little bit of money, there are bars that have been there for years all around me that are being completely shut down. All because people will not go there because they cannot smoke.

Yes, it should be banned

Yes because…

Obviously, the cloud of smoke exactly disturbs other people; especially non-smokers feeling. Imagine sitting in a restuarant unable to enjoy the meal because of the smoke from neighbor’s table. It should be banned because the percentage of non-smokers is higher than active smokers so non-smokers have right to clean air and also second hand smoke is more dangerous than actually smoking as well.
>
So are you saying pyromaniacs should be able to light fires as they please and theyre just being discriminated against because they dont occupy wall street?

No because…

so are you saying that the non-smokers of America don’t have rights and that America is all about the majority winning? currently we are having the occupy wall street which is demoting the minority ruling. Just because the non-smokers of America are more populous than the smokers, doesn’t mean that smoking should be banned just to please them.

yes

Yes because…

Firstly, being in High School and being surrounded by smoke after school isnt even a little bit pleasent. All of the older kids smoke so the youger kids like to be influenced by the Juniors and Seniors. They will eventually start and gett into the habit of smoking. Its also very unhealthy. Secondly, being in a restaurant and having to smell that smoke while eating is not only disrepectful but also disturbing and once again not healthy. I respect those who smoke away.

Another reason is smoking will become a tendency, which lures a lot of young people to do so. In fact, accordintg to some reliable surveys, numbers of smokers are rapidly increasing these day. Of course, we can smoke if this will affect no one. We together make some tigh and strict regulation for smokers if we dont want to have any adverse influences on our next generations.
>
You want to solve unemployment by killing everyone with cancer? O.o

No because…

it seems clear to me that most people have their opinions against smoking. nevertheless, smoking still has some positive aspect to economic sides. For example, many countries around the world, especially tropical nations, like Cuba as well as England consider cigarette as an important product to export to many other countries to get money or exchange other commodities. therefore, they can use that money to invest in some different kinds of fields. furthermore, in my country, selling cigarettes is also an easy job that everyone can do to earn more money, no matter how old they are. As a result, this can bring some jobs for people and partially solve rate of unemployment.

yes or corse

Yes because…

second-hand smoke is harmful, just like smoking is. i really feel that smoking in public places should be banned, because not only is it harming the health of smokers, but also the health of others around them. in my opinion, smoking in public places, especially places with a lot of people is a pretty selfish thing to do. i find that second hand smoke is very annoying, because everytime i walk past someone smoking, i always feel that i have to hold my breath. smoking seriously harms people’s lungs, but so can second-hand smoke. ah sorry, i misspelled the title. i meant “yes of course”
>
The problem with designated smoking areas is not alway the public, but also the employees. What if said business doesn’t have smoking employees? Say in a restaurant they have a smoking area even with ventilation. The larger the area, the larger the vent, the larger the vent the more powerful it needs to be, the more powerful it needs to be the louder it is. This would disrupt the non smokers as its just an annoying noise created to feed the poor addicts their poison. But what if we wanted to dull down the power or remove the vent all together? Keep the area away from the non smokers sounds ok but now you’re asking the waiter/waitress, busboy, manager, cleaning crew, bar tender, ect. to go through these areas to serve, clean and address customers regardless of whether they smoke or not. No a manager does not NEED to go through and would then be making it their own decision, but the other staff still needs to do their job. Asking a restaurant to hire only employees that ‘dont mind’ inhaling the second hand smoke is, in my opinion, far fetched and out of line. It is bad enough that smokers get to go outside every 30 minutes to smoke for 5-10 minutes while non smokers have to work work work work all day without those breaks. Now we’re going to suggest that smokers get jobs over them just because smoker need to inhale their cancer sticks?

No because…

Yes, it is a real problem. The smoke bothers every non-smoker. But a complete ban is not necessary. I mean, those public places can save up some money so they can build special areas for non-smokers and those areas would be vent. This way would thank both parts: the part of population that smokes and love smoking while at a restaurant and the part of population that doesn’t smoke and can’t stand the smoke. So if somebody wants to smoke, let him do. As long as it doesn’t socialy harm anyone. And by using this special areas for smokers, everyone would be happy and the restaurants would make profit.

P.S.: sorry for my bad english but it’s not my native language. But i hope i proved my point.

ITS OUR HEALTH!

Yes because…

although people say that smoking is the smokers choice .. its not.. it is in some ways but not in all.. it is their choice whether they want to pay to die, but our choice whether we want them to able to smoke around us, it is not just harming them when they smoke it is also harming us. By smoking in public places all the people that go to those places have got to inhale their smoke although they have a made a choice to not smoke, they dont have a say in whether smoking will be a part in our life or not. BUT if it was banned smokers could smoke in their home and cars, and harm themselves and not others.

P.S. Sorry if it didnt make sense, but i think u will get the points that i was trying to make.
: )

No because…

nobody said you had to go to public places with smoking. So if ya’ll wanna complain go somewhere else.!

HeLLOOOO???? IT

Yes because…

Only 25% of the stuff goes to the smoker and the rest is left for us. People who have asthma need to carry their inhaler just in case of a smoker or cigarettes.
>
If you want to classify cigs as a harmful weapon and claim it “the right to bare arms” then i would have to believe everyone that ever smokes in public should be arrested for attempting homicide and for putting others in harms way. We are a county built on equality, why are you taking my right of being cancer free away? We fought for our independence and im glad we have it!

No because…

Um… HELLO????? It’s called the second amendment!!! The second amendment means you have the right to bear arms, and a cigarette is like a gun.Even though cigs are bad, they are classified as a harmful weapon that can cause serious injury or damage. Also, right now we are both breathing in campfire, barbecues, and even marijuana smoke! I do not see a ban on those items and I do not see a ban on cars? Do you? How about we just ban cars???? Also tabacco is a legal drug and so is marijuana, so you cannot just ban it! Also, I looked up that the smoke from smokers produces 0.00092% of carbon dioxide emissions in the world! I have tons more but I’m about to run out of battery, so my last point is that we are building our own natural disasters, like building power plants! Only two out of the 50000 power plants in the world produce more carbon dioxide than the smoke from smokers does in a year!

It needs to be banned!

Yes because…

Smoking needs to be banned because of people with asthma can’t or barley breath when smoke is around. Also in places like Disneyland, there is a few “smoke-zones” but even so, if you walk pass them you can still inhale the smoke that they are smoking.

No because…

boo hoo!cry me a river.

Bad for Health

Yes because…

Non-smokers should not have to suffer from the very poor choices of smokers. Non-smokers who come across smokers “Lighting up a ciggy” suffer as badly as the smokers do. I don’t think it is right that ANY of the non-smokers have to suffer, smokers only think about themselves not the people around them which sickens me and I think it is about time that non-smokers got a little justice. I don’t give a fuck about the smokers, all I care about are the people who don’t smoke who have to suffer. All the smokers in the whole fucking world may as well dig themselves a hole and smoke themselves to death, it would be a favour to all of us =).

No because…

You would just take away the rights of smokers (people just like you, only with different habits) because they like to smoke? Your argument seems very narrow-minded and shallow. Ignorance is not bliss, so instead of continuing on your pointless rant about how “bad” smokers are, how about you accept the fact that not everyone has the same viewpoint as you do. By the way, to wish ill upon a group of people is discrimination.

smoking should be banned in public places

Yes because…

In my opinion, smoking should be banned in public places. That is because non-smokers should not be forced to secondhand smoke against their will. Even though it is an obvious etiquette not to smoke when surrounded by many people, a large number of smokers don’t seem to care so much about it. For example, it’s not that hard to find a person smoking at a bus stop even if there are little girls around him/her. There should be rules restricting people who have little regard for the well-being of others. Another reason why smoking should be banned in public places is because of the garbage problem. Not many smokers throw away their cigarette butts into the trash cans. Most of them just toss it on the streets. The streets will be much cleaner if smoking is banned. However, smokers should not be treated unfairly. There should be more places where only smokers can smoke freely. Therefore smoking should be banned in public places but more smoking areas should be built as well.

No because…

Secondhand smoking is a concern, I agree. But a complete ban of smoking in public is unecessary. In fact, I believe that with a ban, more people will choose to smoke as it will be more of a rebellious / illegal act (like drugs in today’s society). To your comment about “rules restricting people who have little regard for the well-being of others”, I have nothing to say but shame on you. Smoking is a choice via that person. You cannot tell who is a smoker from just looking at them (unless affected greatly by smoking), just as you cannot tell who is a thief from just another customer at a store. Just because they smoke, doesn’t mean that they are out to get people who do not. I have friends who smoke, who are very nice people, yet I do not smoke myself. Don’t make judgements upon a group of people based on stereotypes. Overall, I think that smoking should not be banned in public, but that businesses / companies should be able to control whether or not smoking should be allowed.

Smoking shouldnt be banned

No because…

look, everyone should not be so botherd about smoking and live with it. All smokers go outside to have a smoke (at least in countries where it is banned indoors), non smokers stay in the pub (or wherever you are). Non smokers complain about everyones health, but smokers are not stupid, they know it can harm them.

no not really this is a tipicall lie okay bye

Yes because…

If we should not ban smoking because smokers are well aware of the health issue, should we remove the speed limits on all the highways as well? People aren’t stupid, they know that speed driving can be dangerous and they don’t care or they will stop doing it… So people should be allowed to drive for as fast as they want regardless if this can lead to car accidents which can do harms to other people. And smoking should be allowed too because smokers aren’t stupid and do not care about their health even if the smoke they produce can harm other people. Exact same principle here, and obviously speed limits is on, so should the ban of smoking? Tbh we are seriously not interested in how you manage your health; we don’t care if you care or quit or anything, we just don’t want you to harm us just as we don’t want a car to hit on us.yea this is also true

people have the right to smoke

No because…

What kills the most is Drinking you have Heart problems, Liver, Cancer, Drunk Drivers,Talk about health, put the no smokers sign up so smokers can have rights too, Keep them out , We are old enough to make what life we want put a baned on them or build a bubble to put all the none smokers in or build places only for smokers keep signs up to keep none smokers out . see how they like it, THEY SAY WE HAVE A FREE CANADA ? WHERE
thank you
joanne bc

Yes because…

http://lungcancer.about.com/od/whatislungcancer/f/lungcancerdeaths.htm

^135,000 die per year from lung cancer caused by smoking in the US
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6089353/ns/health-addictions/t/alcohol-linked-us-deaths-year/#.T5fZG7OmiRw

^ 75,000 die per year from alcohol related deaths in the US

What kill the most is Smoking` you had lung cancer, as well as an increase in the likely-ness of heart disease, stroke. Besides lung cancer you’re at risk of many other cancers including pancreas, stomach, esophagus, kidney, mouth, throat and vocal folds. Though smoking does not have effects like drunk driving it does kill babies in the womb if the mother is smoking. Also it release of toxic chemicals into the air that turn non-smokers into victims. Your free canada is the non poluted air, the safer environment created by the reducing of public smoking

http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/health_effects/effects_cig_smoking/

Yes, I completely agree with your argument that everyone has the right to smoke. But what they don’t have the right to do is to inflict the dangers onto us who have taken the free choice not to. Passive smoking is enough to give someone COPD, Lung Cancer and Heart Disease, so why should we suffer because you want to practise a disgusting habit?

WHAT HAPPEN TO A FREE CANADA. WE ARE GOING BACK TO THE TIME WERE SLAVES HAD NO RIGHT, NOW IT IS SMOKERS HAVE NO RIGHT

No because…

What gives the government the right to tell us to put signs up to say smokers allowed or to tell smokers to stay out? This is similar to the white only/no blacks signs that there used to be. These are rightly considered discriminatory and these smoking signs should meet the same fate.

Yes because…

You are sooooo wrong. the signs don’t say “no smokers” they say “no smoking”. They are not saying you can’t go in, they are saying you can’t smoke in their. It is not saying you are any less of a person, you are personally taking it that way which shows a sign of depression, to be honest. It is not an attack against a person (or type of person) but against an action. Its almost like how you can’t take a gun on an airplane. They aren’t saying hunters cant go on the plane, they just can’t be waving a gun around on the plane.

They’re not demanding you stop smoking but enforcing that you respect those around you who do not want to die of cancer. Learn something for once, please.

no because

No because…

They should start off with the drinking and driving and not worrier about the smokers if the none smokers dont like well its to bad its not there life its our life its our health YOU SEE MORE PEOPLE KILLING OTHER PEOPLE BY DRINKING AND DRIVING AND JAY WALKING HOW ABOUT STARTING DRINKING IN THE PARKS AND ON THE ROAD WHERE THE SMOKERS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO BE THERE BUT YET WE WILL GET FINED WHY DONT THEY WORRIER ABOUT CARS BUSES FIRETURCKS ITS ALL POLUTION THAT WHERE WE ALL GET SICK FROM IS THERE POLUTION ITS NOT THE SMOKERS AND DRINKING AND DRIVING CAUSE LIVER FAILER THE GOVERNMENT is total wrong about the smokers the GOVERNMENT SHOULD THINK ABOUT THE DRINKING AND DRIVING AND THEY USED TO SAY FREE CANADA WHERE BULLSHIT THE MOST NONE SMOKERS ARE VICTIMS OF ALCOHOALISIM ANYWAYS THEY SHOULD PUT THIS ON FACEBOOK AND SEE WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT THE SMOKER CAUSE THERE IS MORE SMOKERS THEN NONE SMOKERS

ALINE CHARBONNEAU

they are buses, cars, trucks, suttles, airplanes they should put a ban on those things stand out side in the moring take a good wiff that is killing us smoking is only 1 % of what is killing us

Yes because…

I would like to start this counter-debate by saying you see more drunk driving deaths than smoker deaths because news reporters report car accidents, not cancer victims.

Secondly, Please, do some research: http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/health_effects/effects_cig_smoking/

I would like to quote: “More deaths are caused each year by tobacco use than by all deaths from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), illegal drug use, alcohol use, motor vehicle injuries, suicides, and murders combined”

Third, id like to inform you that your debate being typed in random caps is making me feel you don’t really understand much of what you’re talking about. Debating in a naive way only makes me feel as if your information is built on opinion alone. Well, maybe it’s also your lack of periods and questions marks. You dont have any end to sentence and its difficult to follow.

None-the-less smoking is killing people, like it or not. Your free canada is the cleaner air. In regards to buses, cars, trucks and the sort, what has a better purpose? Cigarettes for cancer of vehicles for transportation? Not only that, but arguing the way you are could only result in the loss of something else thats great.

SHS is a fraud!

No because…

The only people that concern themselves with other peoples smoking are either those that stand to make a buck from sales of snake oil or mindless automatons that believe what they are told. SHS does not cause cancer. It does not cause heart attacks. It does not cause asthma attacks. If you believe any of those, you are simply a useful idiot. EVEN IF IT DID…Lets suppose that one tenth of one percent of the population were actually vunerable. (In truth, the real truth, you are 4 times more likely to die from a meteor impact than SHS; but I digress) Should a business owner who has taken all the risk of opening a business that caters to the 99.9% be forced to cater to the 1/10%? The world is a rough place cupcake. I didn’t cause your problem, so I am not obliged to bankrupt myself to cater to you. Don’t like the smoking? Leave and good riddance!

Yes because…

Are you one of those people that are like “hmmm i don’t believe this though they did a study and i didn’t”? because thats what you’re saying.

No – it should not be banned in places people CHOOSE to go

No because…

If by public places you mean any place where people are obligated to go, I can see banning it for the comfort of all concerned. Such places would include any publicly funded building e.g. libraries, post offices, government offices etc… But in privately owned businesses where people CHOOSE to go like restaurants, bars, cinemas, malls etc… NO! Smoking or non-smoking should be no one else’s choice but the owner’s. Don’t like the owner’s choice, don’t go.

Yes because…

Making the non-smokers struggle though their days just because a smoker can’t put down their addiction for an hour or two only shows how weak cigs really make you, it proves the point that they should be banned from public places.

I am from the south and i smoke 4 packs a day in public places no one cares so to all u people ill puff in ur face

No because…

It true

Yes because…

This is not an argument it is a statement of fact (or otherwise). In fact it is more of an argument for proposition as it shows that smokers do not care about the effect they are having on others and indeed wish to exacerbate the problem by ‘puff[ing] in [yo]ur face’. If this is the case then legislation is necessary to prevent them being a public nuisance.

Because its a free country!!

No because…

Its our choice if we wanna harm ourselves not yours!

Yes because…

Only if you a, dont harm others by ever smoking near to them and exposing them to second hand smoke and b, pay for your own healthcare (or rather pay as much as you take out of the healthcare system).

smoking don’t necessarily have to be banned

No because…

there are areas where smokers can smoke , so they don’t have to ban it. some people that smoke should know that if you see other people standing around then they must have respect and go and smoke somewhere else. Non-smokers should also have a brain and think that if you see some one smoking then walk away or ask them if they can stand and smoke some where else. but in-hailing other peoples smoke can be irritating.

Yes because…

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Lol
4 years ago

It stupid

EL
4 years ago

people should be more respectful of others. They say its our choice, but it’s not. I have asthma and I have to drive almost an hour to the next grocery store bc there are so many people huddled at the door smoking not thinking of how harmful that really is to others. There are little kids with underdeveloped lungs that are inhaling all this smoke from others. Also, Most people (not all) just toss cigarettes anywhere they feel like. I can’t tell you how many times someone has thrown cigarettes in MY yard bc they were done with it. If they won’t ban cigarettes at least make special bins for them so it stops the littering. The cigarettes are still hot when i pick them up to dispose of properly; that could start a fire.

C
4 years ago

The U.S constitution does not give smokers any special protection. Which means that “you have a right to smoke”

:)
4 years ago

just do what you want. and have a nice day :)

Miss Know-it-all
4 years ago

After smoking is allowed in public places, smokers can choose to smoke or not smoke it is the smoker’s choice. But non-smokers or other pedestrians do not have a choice, they only can do nothing and inhale the stinky second-hand smoke.

Smoking should be banned in public places because smoke spreads. Smoking doesn’t just affect the smoker, but also other people. Allowing people to smoke in public places means allowing people to smoke anywhere public. It may make smokers feel happy but we also need to consider the negative consequences.

Imagine someone was smoking near or inside a restaurant, it isn’t very pleasant or healthy to smell smoke while eating. It is worse if the restaurant is indoors. Smoke can also be a distraction as some people like to study or relax in a study room or library. Also, workplaces will be affected as some employees will smoke while working, disturbing the other employees. Smelling smoke would make those people annoyed and uncomfortable because they are not used to smelling smoke for a long time. Smoking creates a poor environment to study or relax or work.

If a ban on smoking is against the rights of a person to enjoy themselves, well second-hand smoking is against the rights of all non-smokers because they can’t enjoy themselves. Sure they can go somewhere else but then they aren’t truly enjoying themselves because they are not in the place they wanted to be at first, for eg if I was at my favourite playground and playing with some of my friends and a smoker settled himself near us; should I move…? or tell him to stop or smoke somewhere else? Of course, I should tell him to move, the smoker is harming all of us.

Smoking increases health risks and should be banned in public places. Banning smoking in public places can reduce the number of deaths and disease infection. Research has shown that only in the US, there are more than 480,000 deaths each year! More than 10 times as many U.S. citizens have died from cigarette smoking than have died in all the wars fought by the US. Smoking causes about 90% of all lung cancer deaths. Smoking can cause cancer almost anywhere in your body.

With all these health risks and deaths caused by smoking, there is no doubt that it is better to ban smoking in public places to at least ensure non-smoker’s safety. Research and estimates have shown that if 1 of every 3 cancer deaths in the US would not happen if nobody smoked. Therefore, smoking should be banned not only because some people don’t like to smell smoke, but also because it is extremely unhealthy.

Making the non-smokers struggle though their days just because a smoker can’t put down their addiction for an hour or two only shows how weak smoking makes people, it proves the point that they should be banned from public places.

Smoking not only is unhealthy and increase health risks, but it also is an addiction. Smokers who smoke very often has a high chance of getting addicted to smoking. When smokers are addicted, they just crave cigarettes. A new study shows that 10% of youth who become hooked on cigarettes are addicted within two days of first inhaling from a cigarette, and 25% are addicted within a month. This is very dangerous.

Being addicted to smoking will make people can’t stand not smoking for just an hour or so. Heavy smokers smoke around 25 or more cigarettes. A day has 24 hours. So smokers smoke at least once within an hour. Cigarette addiction is one of the top ten or ten worst addictions. According to a report, it is estimated that about 3 out of 4 high school smokers will become adult smokers – even if they intend to quit in a few years. The addiction changes the way people think, it alters your mind. It changes you into a different person.

In cigarettes, the chemical called nicotine makes people addicted. What nicotine can do to you is very dangerous. When taken in small amounts, it causes pleasant feelings and distracts the user from unpleasant feelings. This makes the user want to use more. It also affects the user’s mood, it is enough to speed up the heart and raise blood pressure! Nicotine reaches the brain within seconds after taking a puff and its effects wear off within a few minutes. The user starts to feel irritated. Usually, it doesn’t reach the point of serious withdrawal symptoms, but the smoker gets more uncomfortable over time. This is what most often leads the smoker to light up again. At some point, the person uses tobacco, the unpleasant feelings go away, and the cycle continues. If the smoker doesn’t smoke again soon, withdrawal symptoms get worse over time. When smoker reaches a certain nicotine level the smoker will need to keep up the usage to keep the level of nicotine within a comfortable range. Smokers become quickly dependent on nicotine and suffer physical and emotional withdrawal symptoms when they stop smoking. These symptoms include headaches, irritability, nervousness, and trouble sleeping. The true mark of addiction is that people still smoke even though they know smoking is bad for them.

Smoking is very hard to quit. About 2 out of 3 of smokers say they want to quit and about half try to quit each year, but only a few succeed without help. This is because smokers not only become physically dependent on nicotine – there’s also a strong emotional dependence. Nicotine affects the smoker’s behaviour, mood, and emotions. If a smoker uses tobacco to help manage unpleasant feelings and emotions, it can become a problem for some when they try to quit. The smoker may link smoking with social activities and many other activities, too. All of these factors make smoking a hard habit to break.

And that is what smoking does to people. It makes people weak and dependent. It should be banned in public places to reduce the number of people who smoke.

EL
4 years ago

beautifully said ma’am

Smarty Pants
4 years ago

Yes, people should stop smoking

After smoking is allowed in public places, smokers can choose to smoke or not smoke it is the smoker’s choice. But non-smokers or other pedestrians do not have a choice, they only can do nothing and inhale the stinky second-hand smoke.

Smoking should be banned in public places because smoke spreads. Smoking doesn’t just affect the smoker, but also other people. Allowing people to smoke in public places means allowing people to smoke anywhere public. It may make smokers feel happy but we also need to consider the negative consequences.

Imagine someone was smoking near or inside a restaurant, it isn’t very pleasant or healthy to smell smoke while eating. It is worse if the restaurant is indoors. Smoke can also be a distraction as some people like to study or relax in a study room or library. Also, workplaces will be affected as some employees will smoke while working, disturbing the other employees. Smelling smoke would make those people annoyed and uncomfortable because they are not used to smelling smoke for a long time. Smoking creates a poor environment to study or relax or work.

Smoking increases health risks and should be banned in public places. Banning smoking in public places can reduce the number of deaths and disease infection. Research has shown that only in the US, there are more than 480,000 deaths each year! More than 10 times as many U.S. citizens have died from cigarette smoking than have died in all the wars fought by the US. Smoking causes about 90% of all lung cancer deaths. Smoking can cause cancer almost anywhere in your body.

With all these health risks and deaths caused by smoking, there is no doubt that it is better to ban smoking in public places to at least ensure non-smoker’s safety. Research and estimates have shown that if 1 of every 3 cancer deaths in the US would not happen if nobody smoked. Therefore, smoking should be banned not only because some people don’t like to smell smoke, but also because it is extremely unhealthy.

Making the non-smokers struggle though their days just because a smoker can’t put down their addiction for an hour or two only shows how weak smoking really makes people, it proves the point that they should be banned from public places.

Smoking not only is unhealthy and increase health risks, but it also is an addiction. Smokers who smoke very often has a high chance of getting addicted to smoking. When smokers are addicted, they just crave cigarettes. A new study shows that 10% of youth who become hooked on cigarettes are addicted within two days of first inhaling from a cigarette, and 25% are addicted within a month. This is very dangerous.

Being addicted to smoking will make people can’t stand not smoking for just an hour or so. Heavy smokers smoke around 25 or more cigarettes. A day has 24 hours. So smokers smoke at least once within an hour. Cigarette addiction is one of the top ten or ten worst addictions. According to a report, it is estimated that about 3 out of 4 high school smokers will become adult smokers – even if they intend to quit in a few years.

In cigarettes, the chemical called nicotine makes people addicted. What nicotine can do to you is very dangerous. When taken in small amounts, it causes pleasant feelings and distracts the user from unpleasant feelings. This makes the user want to use more. It also affects the user’s mood, it is enough to speed up the heart and raise blood pressure! Nicotine reaches the brain within seconds after taking a puff and its effects wear off within a few minutes. The user starts to feel irritated. Usually, it doesn’t reach the point of serious withdrawal symptoms, but the smoker gets more uncomfortable over time. This is what most often leads the smoker to light up again. At some point, the person uses tobacco, the unpleasant feelings go away, and the cycle continues. If the smoker doesn’t smoke again soon, withdrawal symptoms get worse over time. When smoker reaches a certain nicotine level the smoker will need to keep up the usage to keep the level of nicotine within a comfortable range. Smokers become quickly dependent on nicotine and suffer physical and emotional withdrawal symptoms when they stop smoking. These symptoms include headaches, irritability, nervousness, and trouble sleeping. The true mark of addiction is that people still smoke even though they know smoking is bad for them. In fact, most people who smoke want to quit.

lillie abernathy
4 years ago

yes because so many people die a year because of second-hand smoke (41,000 to be exact) and people who smoke may not realize what damage their addiction has caused. I think that we should get rid of it to bring down the deaths of people and for people who do smoke stop being heartless and care more about the environment!

Unknown
5 years ago

Imagine your favorite restaurant, only filled with disgusting smoke. You can’t enjoy your favorite burger, hot dog, chicken nuggets or steak because you have to breathe in the awful air polluted by cigarettes. Many years ago, public spaces were like that. The horrible air ruined the walls and discolored them. Not only that, but it also could affect your health in a negative way. In the US, as many as 135,000 people die per year by lung cancer from smoking. Even nonsmokers who breathe in the smoke have an increased risk of heart attacks. In fact, studies have shown a nationwide public smoking ban could avert a whopping 154,000 heart attacks, or prevent 26% of heart attacks per year.

Smoking has also been banned in a lot of outdoor public areas such as parks or beaches. The reason for this is, besides polluting the air, cigarette butts cause an increased risk of wildfire in the woods of parks. Additionally, they don’t want young children to pick up bad habits by seeing adults smoke. The wind can also blow secondhand smoke towards nonsmokers and that can increase their risk of heart attacks. Also, throwing a cigarette to the ground after smoking on it is littering and an animal could find it, think it’s food, eat it, and that could lead to sickness and even death. In other words, smoking is bad for the environment.

Ron
5 years ago

Smoking should be banned in public

Smoking is a selfish act, I think we can all agree on that. Non-smokers have a problem with selfishness of the smokers that do it in public. It’s just like someone who speed drives, he does a selfish, and endangering act, and that’s why there are speed limits. If you want to smell bad, and harm yourself, do it in an environment where it doesn’t affect others. If I’m waiting in the buss stop and a smoker decides to light up a cigarette near me, the solution in your opinion would be “stay away from the smoker, go somewhere you aren’t smelling the guy”, but that’ll make me not only miss the buss, but also make me seem weird in the eyes of others. Whenever I want to go out with friends (who don’t smoke themselves but have no problem with secondhand smoking) I have to just stay home because I’m their opinion places who don’t allow smoking near them or inside them are not as successful as ones who do allow smoking, making me a shut-in in those cases, so the only place I can truly hang out with my work buddies is simply at work and no where else really…
the problem with smokers is that they restrict people who don’t smoke and when people complain they make themselves the victim and blind themselves from others problems, making themselves selfish. If I hang out in a public place and someone decides to smoke near me, what he’s doing is simply forcing me away from where I was standing, without even asking if it’s okay or anything. It’s selfish and can be considered as bullying.

Fefe
5 years ago

This is absolutely a ridiculous debate, of course it should be banned and especially within enclosed areas or where there is high congestion of people in outdoor public spaces such as theme parks or outdoor events and venues. Laws are created to protect individuals from their rights to freedom of privacy, health, etc being encroached on by others. Even if I were to leave my car or house unlocked, that does not justify a burglar to enter a property that does not belong to him. Second hand smoke poses greater risk to non smokers who don’t have a filter at the end and are inhaling cancer causing fumes. Cigarette smoke, just like any smoke or fumes, creates orders that ruin the ability for non smokers to enjoy their food or experience whether it’s dining, work, etc. ever been in an office environment where someone burned their popcorn and see everyone’s reactions? The purpose here is us to assume that the individual did not intend to burn their popcorn and destroy everyone else’s experience to enjoy their work or dining experience due to the fumes and smoke caused by the burn. This is not the case with cigarettes. One person states public places should be allowed because a person chooses to go there, well a person also chooses to light up a cigarette. This is not on a doctor’s orders or required by law. My ability to enjoy a good time without being inundated with toxic smoke should not be infringed on because someone chooses to smoke. Established sections that once occurred in planes, schools and restaurants are completely ineffective due airflow and I’m well old enough to remember how the bathrooms were always located near the smoking section and don’t get me started on airplanes. My right to experience anything should not be hindered over the optional choice of someone to smoke a cigarette. To all the smokers out there, enjoy the extra 100 plus dollars a month you also now have to pay in insurance because of increased risk to cancer due to the toxins in cigarettes. Save all that money and just stick your face by your exhaust pipe from your vehicle.

Ko
5 years ago

It’s not like drinking, that for the most part, it only effects the consumer, smoking effects everyone around the smoker. It poses health risks to those who aren’t even choosing to partake in such a habit. Smokers often say “well, then don’t go where we are,’ but it’s usually inevitable, especially if you’re walking and smoking, everyone else has to suffer the consequences of other’s poor choices. And why should we? Perhaps make smoking pubs for those who are reluctant to quit, at least then no one can complain about the smell or any other complaint non-smokers have bc they shouldn’t be in there if they don’t like to smoke.

In New York, public drinking is illegal, so you have to do it in your own home or in another private place like a bar or someone else’s home, perhaps they should do the same for smoking.

I understand it’s your right to do so because it’s your body and you should be able to choose whether or not you want to take care of it, however, it’s not just detrimental to your health, but to mine and to everyone around you, and at that point, it’s almost inconsiderate. I would never want to take someone’s right to treat their own body the way they want to, but there should be ways where it accommodates everyone.

Mark
6 years ago

I think that there should be pubs and clubs that cater for both smokers and non smokers and that you make a choice go in or don’t! If a place allows smoking then no sale of food! No smoking if children are allowed! I’ve never been on a plane or owned a car (I’m 44 years old and smoke 10 to 15 cigs a day) so think even though I’m a smoker that my carbon footprint is lower than alot of non smokers who take 2-3 holidays a year and drive a car.. do these people sit on the plane saying that they feel bad for polluting the world. Also how many car journeys could they have walked instead!.. people love to tell everyone else what they should and shouldn’t be doing,eating etc.. a smoker goes to see their gp (paid more than there fair share in tax for this service) and no matter what the ailments are the doctor will say it’s because of smoking.. of the people they claim died of cancer due to smoking how many would have got cancer even if they never smoked? How do smokers live to 100 when they have smoked 85 years plus? Smoking 40+ a day.. would they have lived to 140 years if never smoked as at school they told me each cigs shortens your life by 5 mins.. your all brainwashed and don’t realise. Government and media just brainwashed society against single parents and people on benefits (showing women with 3 to 4 children).. now universal credit has got them living in poverty. Yet I was happy to pay tax to keep them as either way I pay the same tax I didn’t want the kids to suffer!!

Gladys
6 years ago

Personally I think smoking in public places should be banned, by all means!! Because smokers poison not only themselves but also other people,that‘s, nonsmokers! Although it is true to say people who smoke have the right of smoking, other people also have the right to breath fresh air!

rappletail06
6 years ago

Smoking affects every part of your body. Your body will be rotten and be damaged. I can’t understand WHY you guys spend your own precious money be smoking that bad, cancer thingy? It is not even good for your health, and the environment! Okay… It is people’s choice? Eventhough it is YOUR choice, I would prefer saving your environment.

your local teen who is way smarter than you
6 years ago

I believe that this is a great subject tat should be brought up and introduced too many. smoking should be banned in public places. There shouldnt be one person who disagrees with me. First of all, there are absolutley no benefits that come with smoking. when you smoke your just destroying your body. you may think that smoking one ciggarette cant harm you but while smoking that ciggarette every drag you take makes your heart beat faster and faster which isnt good at all since your heart is only suppose to beat a certain number of times per minute. Also, when you decide to just go and by a pack of cigs your literally just paying to die. Smoking comes with lung cancer, tooth straining, gum disease, heart disease, ect. sure smoking may help with weight loss but why take all the risks just to lose weight when you can just go and workout its honestly not that hard (dont be lazy). And, all of you out there who claim that smoking calms you thats just a bunch of bull. The nicotine in ciggarettes is a
mood-altering drug that tricks you into thinking that your calmer while increasing your stress levels. Second of all why should someone have to go somwhere else just because someone decided to smoke where they were planning to visit.I think that if someone wants to go somewhere they should be able to go there and not have to leave because they dont want to be around smoking and care about there health. if you want to smoke, smoke somwhere where your not going to ruin somenes plans,like just go and smoke at your house or something. im not saying that smoking should be banned period because i get the whole “rights” thing. but it should atleast be illegal in public places so that its not affecting others well-beings. Also left over residue from smoking left in the air, on funiture, clothing, and other materials, can be toxic when mixed with air pollutants like perfume, air fresheners, or other sprays. In other words im sure you dont have to smoke right then and there you can wait untill you get to your house or and un socail area.

Bushera
6 years ago

I strongly believe that , many governments should be prohibited Smoking in public places because of many different reasons. First reason is that, it iseffected badly to non-smoker’s Health conditions by its dangerous contents such as sulfrit asid, nicotin, petrolium…etc.Secondly, the people who are addicted to smoking and lighted cigarrets in almost ones per every ten minute generally dont think and show a tendency to other people’s feelings espeacilly non-smokers feelings. As for as ı am concerned , we need attach importance to other people’s view about on smoking not only as a person but also as a sociaty that living together obeisantly.to sum up, the smokers must should be carried about the non-smokers feelings and thoughts because the second hand smokers are more effected than smokers due to unhealty and chemical contents of smoke that come from cigarretes.

chloe woods
7 years ago

umm, i do believe smoking should be banned in public places because of the children, do you really want them to possibly develop lung cancer, or some other disease caused by second hand smoke, like osteoporosis? or will you help pass the ban and stop smoking entirely? luv, anon

Yusuf
7 years ago

Fundamental rights and duties go hand in hand .you can’t smoke in public ,neglecting others health and justify it by its you “RIGHT”. YOU ARE KILLING OTHERS RIGHT TO HEALTH.

Chardime
7 years ago

OKAYYYY!! Shout out to all the people who say that “everyone has a right” or those who are implying “that smokers can do whatever they want, when ever they want, where ever they want”… FOH with you BS!! If smokers have a right then non-smokers have a right to fresh air!! sorry bout it if all we ask for is a cleaner environment… oh and this free country you mentioned?! The more you smoke in public, the more you slowly kill this country, the people around you slowly fade, and as for selfish, opinionated smokers like you!! you are going to die along with everything else knowing regretfully that you are the cause of everyones anguish and pain..
#personalchoice?! #beconsiderate

Johnny Aitken
8 years ago

Yes am worried sick of losing my family through it , its already taken away my brother. Its a disease, its poison, get rid of it everywhere, smokers will thank us for it in the end, after all what good is it doing them? None but they can’t see it as its taken over them and controls them they know they cant give up and are kidding themselves on if they think they can. They should be forced to give it up for the good of everyone.

ANON
8 years ago
Reply to  Johnny Aitken

I’m sorry to say and I’m not trying to be offensive and I’m sorry for your loss but your family members chose that way to die. I used to smoke and I had absolutely no problems quiting on the spot for good. It’s all about self control and getting a grip. It’s as easy as drinking a cup of water if that’s what you REALLY want for yourself. Most people say they would like to quit and put no effort into their words. It’s all about the mind control your mind and you control your life don’t let your life control you.

Smarty Pants
4 years ago
Reply to  ANON

To ANON, It may be easy to quit for you because you weren’t very addicted. Everyone is different and some people just can’t recover. And I am sorry about Johnny Aitken’s family members.

Diti
8 years ago

They should ban bars and pubs as well. Too many deaths are caused by alcohol. The entire idea about going to a bar is to smoke and drink. Drinking and smoking is a social thing. Remember the american way of life means spending more on tobacco and alcohol than for food.

John
9 years ago

Yes we deserve our rights of choice. But the people’s choices don’t just affect themselves. Far too many people are in financial crises. To plus to that smoking has an impact on people’s athletic ability and life threating cancers. Although smokers can smoke for 40 years, quit and have no affects, but far too many are killed from cancers. Around 5,300 deaths were contributed from smoking in NSW, Australia alone (2007). One quarter of NSW school students say they have smoked at least once, 17% say they have smoked in the last year, and 7% say in the last week. In my school I know 10 kids who smoke twice a week. As for second hand smoke more than 600,000 NON-SMOKERS die each year a third of which are children. In Australia alone 2.7 million people smoke. This may not seem like much and this is because people are starting to smarten up and do the research. Here is a small list of the cancers created from smoking; lung, larynx, mouth, throat, stomach, pancreas, kidney, bladder, and cervix. Some people say that we don’t know what causes cancers but we know smoking contributes greatly. Along with this we have cardio diseases like hypertension (which is high blood pressure), congestive heart failure (weakened heart muscles), coronary heart disease (narrowed arteries), blocked blood vessels, and the one of the biggest killers, stroke. Smoking during a pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, asthma, premature birth, learning and behaviour problems, and difficulty maintaining pregnancy. Even though we have all these affects people are still smoking. In a cigarette there are more than 4,000 different chemicals some of which some people find addicting but think of the other 250 chemicals which harm people. Yes everyone has a right to make a choice, but every choice should be the right one. My generation needs to be shown the right choice to try to get this out of our society.

#ohiostatefan
9 years ago

I think that smoking should be banned because the non-smokers don’t have to suffer from smoke because of smokers.

Anonymous
9 years ago

I’ve never seen such selfishness in my life. This solipsistic mindset is getting out of hand.

Is any of the “no” sayers aware of secondhand smoking ?

My throat has been aching for about 4 days. I keep discharging heavy amounts of yellow-dark green mucus and phlegm, because the debris from a cig I haven’t put in my damn mouth still haven’t left my lungs yet.

My voice is -temporarily- gone. I have to carry napkins around with me every time, I can’t sleep due to lungs constriction, my asthma is exacerbated etc.

All this for what ? I’m punished for something I’ve never done, and I’m told to put up with that because people can do whatever they want ?

Sure you can do whatever the hell you want. Want to kill yourself ? Ok. Want to harm yourself ? Ok. But do that in private or places with like-minded people.

I’m not going to stop going outside because my life is endangered every time someone takes a puff in public.

Eagletje
11 years ago

Prevent people from getting cancer, polluting the

atmosphere? I think you need to look at the

industry/factories, traffic etc for that, smoking isn’t

really the reason for the biggest pullution. Every single

one of us has a cancer cell and and in fact we don’t know

what activates it, it can be chemically treated food you

eat, it can be lemonades you drink, nailpolish or aftershave you use..so many things

including smoking yes but not as the only and biggest of

reasons. Some people get cancer and they have never been

anywhere close to cigarette smoke. This is against human

rights or there need to be arranged proper comfy places at

work for the smokers to have their pauses or have their

dinner or do their shopping in. Smokers have the same

rights with the same price for healthcare and education etc as non smokers do.

jenny
11 years ago

So should wearing perfume. It gives me a headache. So should yelling at your children. It makes me uncomfortable and stressed. So should recreational driving. It makes the air I breathe dirty. And did you know that eating beef contributes to air pollution more than anything else? Prohibit eating beef. Chickens are more efficient.

#ohiostatefan
9 years ago
Reply to  jenny

I HATE THE PERFUME PEOPLE WEAR! It makes my nose hurt.

jenny
11 years ago

So is waddling into an Italian restaurant and consuming 3500 calories worth of refined carbohydrates and 3 days worth of saturated fat. But so far it isn’t against the law even though the resulting heart attacks and 50 percent increase in diabetes is a terrible thing. Your point is????

hamish
9 years ago
Reply to  jenny

i agree but since when did that ever hurt anyone else…? besides the fact that waddling into an italian restuarant …; stimulates the economy.
if a ban on smoking is against the rights of a person to enjoy themselves, well second hand smoking is against the rights of all non-smokers because they cant enjoy themselves. sure they can go somewhere else but then they aren’t truly enjoying themselves because they are not in the place they wanted to be originally, eg if i was at my favourite bbq area and a smoker settled himself near to me; should i move…? or tell him to stop or smoke somewhere else? also my neighbour smokes often near our fence and playing games outside im often driven inside because of the cigarette smoke wafting over the fence. there should be a ban on smoking anywhere that others could be affected by it.

jenny
11 years ago

a) I imagine the 53,800 people you state who die of second-hand smoke each year are not dying from the highly diluted smoke they occasionaly inhale from outdoors smoking. They are probably living with smokers who smoke in their own house or car where the smoke is concentrated. So banning smoking outdoors is more of an “I don’t like the smell, so it should be illegal,” than a “I got a whif of cigarette smoke today and I will probably die from it! Ban smoking everywhere I may be or pass by.” b) Young children are indoctrinated in school that smoking is horrible. If they start smoking when they are older, it is more because they think it is a “tough” or “rebelliously cool” thing to do, NOT because they are ignorant of the health risks. And it is already illegal for minors to smoke. There are fewer and fewer smokers to over-tax these days, so it’s only a matter of time before that tax revenue source will be shifted to the growing overweight population who far outnumber smokers and over-tax the health care system more. With the national health plan going into effect, there is certain to be more and more finger pointing and regulation.

Raquel Lindo
11 years ago

Smoking should be prohibited in public areas for many reasons. 1) 53,800 people die of second hand smoke each year in the United States 2) Dangerous for the smoker and peoples around. The people around can get lung and heart disease and asthma and other health issues. 3) Influences young children who see people smoking. 4) Bad for the environment. We already have so much pollution in the air why should we add to it.

Solution:
The best solution to solve this problem is to never even start smoking no matter what your environment is. If you have already started try to quit ASAP! But if you just cannot quit try switching over to electronic cigs with the water vapor. The electronic cigarettes are sooooo much better for the smoker, people around, and the environment. Electronic cigarettes do have nicotine, which is what gets you addicted, and also has different flavors. I have heard that you can smoke the electronic cigarettes just about every where. In addition, you can lower the amount of nicotine as you progress, this is a good way to slowly quit smoking.

NotLikeYouCare
12 years ago

I think this debate is a very good one.
Personally, I am more towards the “smoking should be permitted” side. I don’t see any reason why a person can’t enjoy a smoke every now and again. Yes, yes, it’s bad for you. But so is McDonalds. ;) And yes, second-hand smoking is no joke. But are we in the United States going to take away yet another right of the American people? Does it make sense for our local governments to begin banning smoking tobacco and begin to permit marijuana possession?
I’ve never smoked in my life, and I got brochitis as a small child from second-hand smoking. Yet I still believe that the American people do have a say on whether or not they can smoke in a public place.

your local teen who is way smarter than you
6 years ago
Reply to  NotLikeYouCare

i agree as well that this is a good debate but do you really think that smoking should be allowed in public? do you not know of all the negative outcomes? you should really research your side better next time because everything you shared meant nothing in the debate world. no one is going to notice your side when it has absolutley no information. Its like eating a candy with no flavor like what is the point. sure you mentioned how McDonals is just as bad, but thats not entirely true. the worst thing that comes out of McD. is diabetes (which can be controlled by workingout), when smoking is obviously way worse. Plus in the deate world nobody is going to care about mcdonalds there going to care about the juicy facts that you’ve provided, which you havent provided any.

Sincerely, your local teen who is way smarter

hjK
4 years ago

THIS IS SO TRUE

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