Cigarettes are full of many harmful substances and if many people knew what they were inhaling they would probably quit immediately. Cigarette smoke contains thousands of chemicals, over sixty of which can cause cancer. Many of the ingredients in cigarettes are not substances that humans usually consume, but smokers (and the non-smokers around them) do. Some of the ingredients contained in cigarettes are a type of rat poison, a type of toilet cleaner, lighter fuel, the chemical found in mothballs, poison that was once used in gas chambers and there is even a type of rocket fuel found in cigarettes not only contain harmful substances, but they also can cause erectile dysfunction in men and illnesses such as cancer and lung disease. Cigarettes are full of substances that are harmful not only to the smokers, but also to those around them. For years it had been thought that smoking only affected smokers and non-smokers were not at risk at all, but after years of research it has been found that second-hand smoke from cigarettes causes much harm to non-smokers. Cigarette smoke causes cancer, heart disease and it causes many respiratory diseases. Thousands and thousands of people die from second-hand smoke every year and many smokers don’t realize the harm that they are doing to their friends, family and people that they don’t even know until it is too late. Many children of adults who smoke are very likely to grow up having cancer or lung disease. Many children and adults have breathing problems such as asthma and when they go out to eat dinner with their families in a restaurant, they suffer from attacks. Today, smoking kills more people than AID’s, alcohol, car accidents, murders, suicides, illegal drugs and fires all together.
There are many opposing viewpoints on banning smoking in public places. Many people (mostly non-smokers) argue that banning smoking in public places will keep non-smokers healthy, including waiters/waitresses and bartenders. Others argue that by banning smoking in public places, the government is imposing on their freedom. A counter argument to that is that by smoking in public places, smokers are putting the lives of those around them (including other smokers) at risk. Many restaurant and bar owners think that banning smoking in bars and restaurants will decrease business, but a counter argument to this is that only twenty percent of the city’s population is smokers and when the smoking is banned, the rest eighty percent will go out to bars and restaurants and that will dramatically increase business. There are many different opposing arguments to banning smoking, and the debate will probably never end.
Still and all, in my opinion, smoking should be banned in public places. Even though some think it will impose on their freedom, smoking is full of harmful substances and people should be able to go out to bars and restaurants without the fear of having an asthma attack or getting lung disease. Everyone should have the freedom to live and breathe freely.
