In contrast to this many people suggest that there should be designated smoking areas that aren’t as public as, say the main street or shopping centre. People walking down the street don’t want a huge cloud of smoke hurled into their face as they enjoy a day shopping. Smokers, at least, should have some consideration for people who don’t want to ruin their lives through smoking cigarettes. The damage done to the lungs through passive smoking is devastating. This destroys tiny air sacs called alveoli, which exchange carbon dioxide with oxygen. This process is needed to live and with fewer alveoli you may find that you get short of breath quite easily than that of a non-smoker who has perfect lung conditions. This shouldn’t be ruined by smokers blowing their smoke around and letting it to be breathed in by even youngsters.
Many people do go to the town but not only to be greeted by smokers but even worse. Car exhausts produce much more harmful gases than that of a cigarette. Lead compounds in the air destroy your lungs and can poison you. Carbon monoxide can cause a great deal of damage though no cars have been removed from public places. Targeting smokers is unfair and is discriminating against them enjoying them selves.
Smokers not only pollute public areas but also pollute the ground. When you glance down at the ground there are numerous cigarette ends lying about. An unsuspecting child could pick these up and put them in their mouths. Not only are adults at risk from smokers smoking in public areas but also children have a greater risk, as their lungs are not fully developed. In family restaurants there very well might be designated smoking areas but it doesn’t take much for that hovering cloud of air to pass by you and your family.
Smokers have the right to smoke where they want, when they want. They pay the government millions in VAT for example in 1997 they earned £1915 million in VAT. Also its found that smokers would rather live to 60 and have enjoyed life than living to 90 and never taking a single risk in other words living life by the book.
Smokers who smoke amongst non-smokers must realise that it is very unpleasant. The rancid smell from the cigarette and the coughing from the smoker would put you of from going back into the town. Many people would rather stay at home than to face the smokers. This is why we have to ban smoking in public places, where smokers smoking in the public eye should be an offence. Its just like spiking someone’s drink, they don’t realise at the time that its effecting them but soon after they start to feel the effect of the drug either by coughing or a sore throat.
This type of ban would also be drastic as smokers pay thousands a year, the money then goes to the government and they use the money to aid public transport, new roads and better lifestyles for people to day and also better service to the community. The smokers have a right to smoke as they are aiding the community. This injection of money into the government by the smokers should not be thrown back into the smokers faces with advertising campaigns to stop smoking and health warnings on each packet. Since the government are getting this massive sum of money, why then are they wanting to ban it? Banning smoking will bring in less money into public services, schools and the community.
To conclude I think that smoking should most definitely be banned in public places as to protect the next generation from the harmful effects of smoking and to discourage teenagers to start as I have found this to be the immediate source of the problem.
