by Matthew Zipple

Created on: October 25, 2009

When the Declaration of Independence was signed by 56 brave and forward-thinking Americans on July 4, 1776, this revolutionary document established that that, "All men are by nature equally free and independent, and have certain inherent rights, of which, when they enter into a state of society, they cannot, by any compact, deprive or divest their posterity; namely, the enjoyment of life and liberty, with the means of acquiring and possessing property, and pursuing and obtaining happiness and safety." In other words, all humans have natural rights and that these rights can not be justly infringed upon by anyone, whether it be an individual or the government. This quotation from the founding document of our nation gives a short and simple answer to the question "Are smoking bans infringing on smokers' rights?" The previous document establishes that all citizens have an inalienable right to safety, meaning that no one may endanger this safety without consent, thus prohibiting the production of smoke that could harm other citizens through "second hand smoke." Many health organizations worldwide have established that second hand smoke is hazardous to one's health, and that it can cause cancer in humans. Among these organizations are the World Health Organization, the United States National Institute of Health, the United States Surgeon General, and the United States National Cancer Institute. The United States National Cancer Institute has gone so far as to say that any level of second hand smoke is unsafe, and can cause permanent health problems for an individual. Second hand smoke contains beryllium and arsenic, which are metal toxins. It also contains polonium-210, which gives off radiation. In several studies, this radiation has been shown to produce cancerous cells in animals, which soon spread and lead to the eventual death of the animal. The argument that smoking does not harm anyone other than the smoker is clearly incorrect, and is therefore negligible when considering a smoking ban. The argument for a designated smoking area in public places, rather than an outright ban is also negligible because studies have shown that second hand smoke can travel up to six hundred feet from its source, making it virtually impossible to establish safe public areas in which to smoke. The only logical conclusion from the presentation of these facts is the enactment and enforcement of a total ban on smoking in any public place in which another citizen may become the victim of second hand smoke.

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