Step Out and Smoke: The Smoking Ban in Public Places

Numerous solutions to the problem of smoking have been proposed and tried. This is due to staggering reports of increased risks of tobacco smoking related diseases and worldwide deaths reaching up to 3 million people a year. Some countries have resorted to banning smoking in public places such as cafes, pubs, and restaurants. In Norway, where tobacco advertising has been banned for thirty years and a pack of cigarettes costs £6, one in three people smoke and there has been an increase in tobacco related deaths. In Canada, where graphic images of the damage done to internal organs by cigarette smoking cover cigarette packs, smoking levels are some of the lowest in the world. In Ireland, where a strict anti-smoking legislation has been introduced, most smokers have observed without much contest. Different countries have produced different results as they ban smoking in public places. The question is: will it work for us, too? Is a smoking ban necessary and effective? Who will actually implement it?

Pros and cons of banning smoking in public places

There are several advantages to banning smoking in public places. It’s going to help government agencies dealing with air pollution and health. It’s going to earn money in countries where fines for individuals and premises where smoking is caught is imposed. It’s going to reduce the risk of incurring smoking related diseases and the colossal number of smoking related deaths which is the threat behind the issue. And it also means allowing non-smokers the freedom to exercise their right to clean air and healthy lungs, which gets stepped on every time they inhale involuntary smoke.

Some against it would say that it is bad for business, since some smokers’ responses have been they would rather drink and smoke at home. But in countries where the ban has already been implemented, businesses did not wane and some have actually gained wider support. If all businesses implement the ban, then they leave consumers with “virtually” no choice – simply step outside a pub or bar every time they want to smoke, or quit smoking, which is easier done in an environment where a quitter does not have to be reminded so often of, or does not have to breathe in, his past habit.

Implementation and effectiveness

There is guaranteed way of finding out if banning smoking in public places is the only solution to the smoking problem in the United States. If we look at other countries we will see different results. And there will always be opposition, whatever the final decision will be. It is up to the government to decide on what to prioritize: the health, safety and wellbeing of its citizens, or the freedom of choice? And once it has finally been decided upon, its success will largely depend on its implementation. There is fear that even some officers will not enforce it, just like what happened in Scotland. Yet in Ireland, regional health boards are involved in the enforcement of the ban. They can take away licenses from premises ignoring the ban and impose fines.

Extreme vs. alternative measures

Banning what could be the world’s biggest addiction or industry is an extreme measure, so extreme positive and negative responses are met expectations. To present it more pleasantly to people and to generate more favourable results, some countries slowly implement the ban through compromises. Pubs can be 80% smoke-free. Others group the same kind of businesses together, so different types of businesses will implement it at different times – a slow but steady implementation, some sort of shock absorber. Advertising can also be utilized to advertise the health effects not just on cigarette packs but also in print and TV.

The government can not, despite allegations, altogether remove personal freedom. It can only do so much as to prevent non-smokers from suffering the ill effects of actions they did not commit. A ban on smoking in public places, or other alternative measure, might just enhance one’s awareness of the rights of other people, or improve the use of one’s freedom.

Article Source: http://www.content.onlypunjab.com

Visit us or share your opinions at the worlds best homepage or free content resource. Do you want to quit smoking? Visit Smokefree England for further information.

Please Rate this Article

5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5 

Not yet Rated