Ban on Public Smoking in Canada

Essay by htebazile61High School, 10th gradeB, April 2009

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According to U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona, a whopping 126 million non-smokers are exposed to secondhand smoke, which puts them at increased risk of death from lung cancer, heart disease and other illnesses (Arbogast). Smoking should be banned in all public places. Smoking harms not only smokers themselves, but everyone else around them as well. In addition, banning smoking in public places will help people cut down on smoking or even quit altogether. Third, the odour of cigarette smoke is completely unappealing and intrusive to others, and it is distracting to try and eat a meal at a restaurant when the smell from the smoking section is wafting over. Smoking should not be allowed in public places such as restaurants, stores, and building entryways.

Smoking affects more than just those who smoke. Smoking is dangerous: it can cause cancer, strokes, and heart disease. It also strongly increases the risk of developing cancer of, to name a few examples, the lungs, pancreas, kidney, liver, and bone marrow (Greenfacts).

However, it does not just pose all these risks to the smoker, but also to people nearby, who breathe in the smoke. This is known as passive smoking. Passive smoking is defined as "the involuntary inhalation of tobacco smoke by a person, especially a nonsmoker, who occupies an area with smokers or a smoker" ("Passive Smoking"). People should only be exposed to harm if they understand the risks and choose to accept them. Another commonly disputed misconception is that people choose to passively smoke (Greenfacts). Smoking is everywhere and there is no way to completely avoid it. Passive smokers have no choice in the matter. Smokers choose to smoke, but people nearby do not choose to breathe in the cancerous chemicals. In addition, the number of smokers will decrease if public smoking is...