Banning Smoking in Public Areas

Smoking in a Public Area

Smoking in public areas has emerged as one of the controversial topics in the recent past, especially in light of the impact of smoke on people's lives. The controversy associated with this issue has been centered on debates regarding the positive or negative effects of smoking. Some people have argued that they have the right to smoke whenever they feel the urge to do so while others contend that they have the right to breathe smoke-free air. While the debate and controversies continue, there have been several considerations on banning public smoking. Actually, many countries across the globe are increasingly considering establishing measures for preventing public smoking.

There are several reasons for the need to ban public smoking regardless of the ongoing debate on whether such a measure infringes the right of smokers to smoke whenever they want. First, public smoking should be banned because it exposes non-smokers to severe negative health consequences since smoking in public areas not only affect smokers themselves but also has considerable health effects on non-smokers (Rutherford par, 2). Generally, public smoking exposes non-smokers to health risks and harms that they do not understand and are unwilling to accept. This violates the rights of non-smokers because people should only be exposed to risks and harms they understand and choose to accept regardless of the potential negative impacts. Therefore, banning public smoking helps in protecting non-smokers from the public health dangers associated with second hand smoke or passive smoking.

Secondly, smoking in public places should be banned because second hand smoke or passive smoking that affects non-smokers generates huge medical costs. These huge medical costs are associated with the fact that passive smoking or second hand smoke generates devastating health impacts. Non-smokers as well as the government incur these huge medical costs because of the impact smokers have on the society when they smoke in public.

The third reason for banning smoking in public areas is the increased need to safeguard people's health than to protect businesses. While businesses play an important role in the growth and development of the society and nation, they should not be allowed to operate in a manner that generates significant negative health impacts and endangers the lives of people in the society. Actually, allowing public smoking is regarded as a means for protecting the interest of businesses i.e. cigarette companies at the expense of people's health and well-being. Through banning public smoking, the government and relevant stakeholders will help ensure a balance between protecting businesses and safeguarding people's lives.

The other reason is that prohibiting smoking in public areas generates significant benefits for smokers themselves. As evident in recent surveys, smoking bans in public places have seemingly encouraged and supported quitting smoking through making it more inconvenient for tobacco addicts to remain smokers. This is primarily because any kind of ban on smoking acts as a strong educational message to smokers that their conducts are despicable and considered as annoying and irritating by others i.e. non-smokers ("Reasons for Banning Smoking," p.3). By supporting and encouraging quitting smoking, banning public smoking helps reduce the negative health impacts and their associated costs on smokers.