by Leon Rainey

Created on: May 25, 2007

Smoking in public places kills! Cancer, respiratory diseases and heart disease are all related to second hand smoke. These illnesses can occur in people who never smoke at all such as the late television presenter Roy Castle. He never smoked but did work in clubs and pubs as an entertainer where smoking was prolific, eventually contracting lung caner which killed him. The inconvenience that smokers may feel at not being able to light up publicly is negligable to the suffering that is inflicted on innocent people who have to work in smokey areas.

Every smoker that lights up publicly is like a lottery ticket to those people around who share the risk of disease.
This is surely A good thing for everyone when you consider how many people die every day from terrible smoking related illnesses. Freedom is all well and good but the limit to freedom should always be when it can harm somebody else. The problem with this issue and why i suspect many people are so sensitive to this issue is that smoking is and has been acceptable. people have confused what is a freedom granted with a right that everyone should have. Americans have the right to sue when their coffee is too hot yet tell a smoker that you don't wish to inhale his/her smoke whilst you're eating and you'll meet a barrage of abuse.
Smoking in my opinion should be banned publicly just on the grounds that it is an anti social thing to do. Walk into a smokey room and your eyes may become sore you may find it more difficult to breathe properly and you will smell of cigarretes for the rest of the day.
Much like guns smoking has garnered the reputation of being sexy and this is one of the terrible elements of the whole habit. People's compulsion to smoke or to be part of the smoking crowd. it kicks in when you are in high school and people go to toilets to smoke or you're at a house party and everyone is doing it, you don't want to be the person that says no, so you don't. Apart from appearing cool for many children simply having a smoking parent is enough of an encouragement to smoke, so the terrible effects aren't just limited to the smoker.
If we live in a society where smokign is aceptable and in every building and on every street corner people are smoking then it becomes as normal as reading a newspaper or tying a shoe lace. eradicating smoking in public spaces would have an added benefit of making it harder to be a smoker but also to make it a conspicuous activity.
Smoking should be banned in all public places and work places in my opinion, this will enable people who have a desire but no compulsion with their battle to quit.

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