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The Smoking Ban

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Ban Smoking in Public Buildings For several decades, smoking remains one of the most common and most unhealthy of human habits. Smoking, specifically in public, had generally been regarded as a personal choice that bystanders had little control over (Hsein-Ho 174). Now for the first time, the act of public smoking is becoming regulated, even restricted in many cities worldwide. Environmental activist Al Gore was quoted; “Secondhand smoke isn’t just unpleasant, it’s a risk to public health” (Smoak 130). The issue is that smoke directly affects everyone in the vicinity of a public place, restaurant or bar. Based on the evidence that a ban on smoking prevents secondhand smoke, it is important that an amendment banning smoking in public buildings is added immediately. The first and most pressing issue with smoking in public buildings is the major health risks involved with secondhand smoke. It is reported that over 50,000 Americans are killed annually by passive smoking (Garrison 44). Of that 50,000; 35,000 died from heart disease, 3,000 died from lung cancer, and the other 12,000 deaths are caused from other cancers. With this major death toll, it ranks second hand smoke as the third leading cause for premature deaths, it trails alcohol related deaths and smoking as the two leading causes (Smoak 129). Granted that not all secondhand smoke is consumed in public buildings, some people are exposed in their homes, over 2,000 people died in one year because of secondhand smoke and they did not smoke or live with someone that did (Garrison 44). Besides adults being affected by passive smoking, children are strongly affected and can become seriously ill. It was estimated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) that between 150,000 and 300,000 children under the age of eighteen months got pneumonia or bronchitis because of secondhand smoke (USEPA 33).

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