Stomp Out Smoking Essay

From JacobAllred

This is a lame essay I had to write in English 101 back on October 6, 2003. I found it in an old binder and thought I'd share, even though it is definitely not my best work.

Stomp Out Smoking

Imagine going to a high-class restaurant and ordering an expensive, juicy steak. You cut into the steak, mouth salivating with anticipation, and are about to take your first bite when the person at the table next to you decides to light up a cigarette. Suddenly your air is filled with smoke and your steak tainted with tar. As this example shows, it is becoming harder and harder for non-smokers to enjoy their lives smoke free. Most restaurants, shopping centers, beaches, cafes, raves, discos, restrooms, stadiums, and public parks allow people to smoke, but as of yet no federal laws exist to prohibit smoking in any of these public areas or the workplace. A federal law banning all public smoking would not only be feasible but healthy for smokers and non-smokers alike.

Many people argue that a ban on public smoking would be a violation of people's rights, but what about the rights of the non-smokers to live in a smoke free environment? Smoking and non-smoking sections in restaurants are simply not enough. It is not possible to confine the cigarette smoke to the smoking section of a room. Air currents will invariably distribute the smoke evenly throughout the restaurant thus disturbing the meals of those in the non-smoking section. Bill Merritt of the American Cancer Society "...[equates] it to having a swimming pool, and you tell your kids you can pee in this end but not that end" (qtd. in Yuen 3). Even worse are places like grocery stores and shopping malls where individuals can smoke anywhere they want. If a non-smoker needs to buy food, he doesn't necessarily have the option of going somewhere else in order to accommodate smokers. A ban on public smoking would allow non-smokers to eat their meals and do their grocery shopping in a healthy, smoke free environment while still allowing smokers to step outside if they need to have a cigarette.

It is also argued that a ban on public smoking would be difficult, if not impossible, to enforce and would hurt business revenue. This is simply not true. According to Careworld.net, public smoking has already been banned in Canada, Australia, Hong Kong, Ireland, and several parts of the United States, including California and New York, with much success (Ban on Smoking in Public Sought 1). In fact, government studies have actually shown that the smoking ban in California has caused an increase of business revenue and tourism (Portner 1). Some religious groups are so against smoking that they will not even shop at a business that allows smoking. I know I would rather shop at a business that has clean air and merchandise that hasn't been soiled with cigarette smoke.

If you have ever seen a designated smoking room, then you know how detrimental cigarette smoke can be. The furniture and walls are yellow and need replaced more often due to the damage caused by smoke. The same thing happens to the human body when exposed to smoke; it ages more quickly and parts of the body can fail. In fact, a recent study has shown that public smoking may be responsible for the majority of heart attacks that occur in the US. The city of Helena, Montana, experienced a 60% decline in heart attacks after banning public smoking in their community (Peck 1). Richard Pasternak, MD, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, explains this by saying that the smoke from a single cigarette can rupture a plaque in blood vessels in both smokers and non-smokers (qtd. Peck 2). People who choose not to smoke should not be subjected to such a serious health risk without their consent.

The question isn't whether smokers have a right to smoke but rather where they have a right to smoke. What they do with their bodies is none of my business until it starts to affect me. As you can see, allowing people to smoke in public can seriously affect non-smokers and violate their right to live in a healthy, smoke free environment. Most states have bans against smoking in the workplace but this isn't enough. Take a stand and contact your local and state government representatives about banning smoking in all public places.

Works Cited

"Ban on Smoking in Public Sought." 4 Jul. 2003. 6 Oct. 2003. <http://www.careworld.net/Articles/q303/july/Ban_on_smoking_in_public_sought.htm>

Peck, Peggy. "Smoking Ban Saves Lives in Montana Town." 1 Apr. 2003. 6 Oct. 2003. <http://my.webmd.com/content/Article/63/71871.htm>

Portner, Jessica. "Smoking Ban Not Bad For Business." 21 Nov. 2002. 6 Oct. 2003. <http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/business/4570796.htm>

Yuen, Laura. "Smoking Dispute Set Aside." 4 Dec. 2002. 6 Oct. 2003. <http://www.kentucky.com/mld/heraldleader/4662235.htm>