Ashleigh Drinkwater
Should There Be A Ban On Smoking In All Public Buildings?
Most smokers believe that a ban on smoking in public places is just another ploy by the government to cut down the number of smokers in the UK. Even though this maybe the case on the increase of taxes, it is not for the same reason for the suggestion of the ban in public areas.
Individuals in the UK all seem to have different views about this issue as many people know about the risks that excessive exposure to tobacco smoke can cause. This is mainly due to tobacco companies trying there hardest to hide the true effects of inhaling smoke, not only for smokers but for non-smokers too. What they do not inform you on is the fact that tobacco smoke contains four thousand different chemicals, some of which are highly toxic and are known to cause cancer in humans. (1 & 2) However, the government would not have such a big issue if all the chemicals were inhaled and ingested by the smoker, as it is a choice of their own free will. The amount smoke inhaled by the smoker is only around fifteen percent, whereas the rest of the eighty-five percent escapes into the atmosphere. (3) This smoke that is inhaled and exhaled by the smoker is called sidestream smoke and potentially it contains the highest amount of toxic chemicals. As these chemicals are released into the atmosphere, there is a high percentage that other individuals will inhale some of this sidestream smoke, which is called passive smoking. Many non-smokers do not know of the risk they are under through passive smoking as many individuals place themselves and their children in smoky confined areas that contain highly concentrated toxic chemicals. It has been scientifically proven that through passive smoking, circulatory and respiratory problems can occur in both adults and children. (4 & 5) Passive smoking is more dangerous in children and pregnant individuals as the child/foetus is still growing so their immune system is still relatively low so they are more vulnerable to infections due to the second-hand smoke. (6) This is proven by seventeen thousand children being admitted to hospital last year, suffering from symptoms related with inhaling smoke. (7) Therefore passive smoking is a main concern that the government is facing, due to the medical implications. The British Medical Association, estimated at least one thousand deaths per year in the UK. (8) However, in articles on this matter the true figure is believed to be much higher, for example, Professor Jamrozik, of the Imperial College of London, estimated that passive smoking causes three thousand and six hundred deaths a year on illnesses such as lung cancer, heart disease and strokes, while from just the exposure to the second-hand smoke in the environment it is believed to cause seven hundred deaths per year. (9) So as the amount of individuals who begin smoking increases, so will the death rate of individuals who suffered from diseases related to smoking through no fault of there own.
