Many people in the UK are affected by the tobacco smoke of others. These people breathe in the smoke of other peoples tobacco smoke. This is called passive smoking. About 70% of the UK are affected by passive smoking and are denied the freedom to go about their lives in a smoke-free environment. Not only does passive smoking affect people around the environment they live in but also in their work place and homes.
( This information is reliable as it comes from a well known website and also this information comes from an article all about smoking. Also this article was updated recently which makes it more reliable.
Not only does passive smoke affect the environment and work place, but also the homes. Passive smoking is the leading cause of indoor pollution. It is estimated that half of all children in the UK are affected by passive smoke in their homes. One study showed that around 17,000 children under the age of five are admitted to hospital every year because of the effects of passive smoking. Passive smoking increases the risk of respiratory illnesses for children by 72%.
(This information is reliable as it comes from a well known website and also this information comes from an article all about smoking.
Tobacco was introduced to Europe from the New World at the end of the fifteenth century. About 12 million adults in Great Britain smoke cigarettes but the number of adult smokers has decreased to nearly half from 1975. The decline in recent years has been heavily concentrated in older age groups: i.e. almost as many young people are taking up smoking as established smokers are quitting. - http://www.ash.org.uk/html/factsheets/html/basic01.html
30% of adults under the age of 65 are smokers in the UK. This means that about 12 million adults smoke in the UK.
( This information is reliable as it comes from an article all about smoking.
Adult Smokers in the UK
( This is a reliable graph as it comes from a website that is all about national statistics which come from the government.
This graph shows the percentage of adult smokers in the UK and also the percentage of smokers of males and females. As you can see from the graph that the percentage of adults smoking is decreasing as about 45% of adults in 1974 were smokers while about 25% of adults were smokers in 2005. Also the percentage of both male and female adult smokers has decreased as at 1974 about 51% of males were smokers and about 41% of females were smokers, while as of 2005 about 25 per cent of men and 23 per cent of women were cigarette smokers. Overall this graph shows that the percentage of smokers in the UK is decreasing.
- What are the smoking related diseases?
-
Lung cancer. About 30,000 people in the UK die from lung cancer each year. More than 8 in 10 cases are directly related to smoking.
-
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD. About 25,000 people in the UK die each year from this serious lung disease. More than 8 in 10 of these deaths are directly linked to smoking. People who die of COPD are usually quite unwell for several years before they die.
-
Heart disease is the biggest killer illness in the UK. About 120,000 people in the UK die each year from heart disease. About 1 in 7 of these deaths is due to smoking.
-
Other cancers - of the mouth, nose, throat, larynx, gullet (oesophagus), pancreas, bladder, cervix, blood (leukaemia), and kidney are all more common in smokers.
-
Circulation. The chemicals in tobacco can damage the lining of the blood vessels and affect the level of lipids (fats) in the bloodstream. This increases the risk of atheroma forming (sometimes called 'hardening' of the arteries). Atheroma is the main cause of heart disease. It is also the main cause of strokes, peripheral vascular disease (poor circulation of the legs), and aneurysms (swollen arteries which can burst causing internal bleeding). All of these atheroma-related diseases are more common in smokers.
-
Sexual problems. Smokers are more likely than non-smokers to become impotent or have difficulty in maintaining an erection in middle life. This is thought to be due to smoking-related damage of the blood vessels to the penis.
-
Facial Wrinkles. Smokers tend to develop more 'lines' on their face at an earlier age than non-smokers. This often makes smokers look older than they really are.
-
Fertility is reduced in smokers (both male and female).
-
Other conditions where smoking often causes worse or more prolonged symptoms include: asthma, the common cold, flu, chest infections, tuberculosis, chronic rhinitis, diabetic retinopathy, hyperthyroidism, multiple sclerosis, optic neuritis, and Crohn’s disease.
-
Smoking increases the risk of developing various other conditions including: optic neuropathy, macular degeneration, cryptogenic fibrosing alveolitis, psoriasis, gum disease, tooth loss.
( This information is reliable as it comes from a website which is all about health including the effects of smoking on health. Also this information was updated recently.
- How many people die from smoking related diseases?
About half of all smokers die from smoking related diseases. This means that’s about 106 000 people in the UK die each year due to smoking. Smoking-related deaths are mainly due to cancers or heart diseases.
On average, a smoker’s life expectancy is 8-12 years shorter than a non-smoker. This may be because the longer a smoker smokes the higher the chance of an early death.
()- This information is reliable as it comes from a website which is all about health including the effects of smoking on health.
() – Although this information comes from a website which is against smoking and could mean this information is biased, this information still is regarded as reliable as it comes from a website which has got nothing to benefit from argue against smoking.
The above pie chart shows percentages of deaths by tobacco-related diseases. As you can see that cancer is the most lethal tobacco-related disease taking up about 39.7% of deaths. Heart disease and COPD follow with about 20% of deaths each. Other tobacco-related disease including stroke also take up about 18.3% deaths each. Also, 0.7% of tobacco-related deaths are a result of passive smoking.
- What does smoking do to the lungs?
Although not only smokers get lung cancer, 9 in 10 cases can be blamed on tobacco smoking. Lung cancer usually occurs in people aged over 40.
( Although this information comes from a website which is against smoking and could mean this information is biased, this table is reliable as it comes from a website which is all about smoking.
This table shows the relation of death caused by lung cancer to smoking males and non-smoking males. As you can see from looking at the table, the more cigarettes someone smokes the higher the chance of death compared to a non-smoker.
Smoking a cigarette means you take in tar which destroy the cilia, the tiny hairs that keep your lungs clean. When you smoke a cigarette, you smoke in tar. Tar causes the cilia in your lungs to be stickier which means that the cilia won’t be able to do their job properly by sweeping out the dust and germs from your lungs. This results in hazardous dirt being left in your lungs causing problems. Mucus also gets piled up, and germs don’t get swept out. Overtime, as smoking gets heavier and more frequent, the cilia dies and the lungs is exposed to even more dangerous substances.
( The above information could be regarded as reliable as the website which I got this information from is written by a health expert.
Even if you don't smoke, your lungs are still in danger if you breathe in smoke from another person's cigarette. This is called second-hand smoke, and it is as dangerous as smoking the cigarette yourself! -
- What are the rules of the Smoking Ban?
The new rules create three new offences: permitting others to smoke in no-smoking premises; smoking in no-smoking premises; and failing to conspicuously display warning notices in and on no-smoking premises.
No-smoking premises are defined widely. Premises used wholly or mainly as a place of work or premises to which a section of the public has access will be covered – including offices, bars, pubs, hotels, libraries, public toilets, factories, schools, hospitals and even public telephone kiosks.
Step outside and smoking will be legal. But the ban also catches any business that permits smoking in a room that is wholly enclosed except for doors, windows and passageways, or is enclosed apart from an opening that measures less than half the area of its walls.
Accordingly, designated smoking rooms, currently used in many workplaces, will no longer be permitted. The provision of ventilation to such rooms will not be a defense. According to the Scottish Executive, while ventilation removes the smell and sight of smoke from the room, it does not remove the toxic carcinogens.
The ban will also extend to cover vehicles used for business purposes. Individuals using their private or company car for business purposes will, however, be exempt.
Residential accommodation, adult hospices and designated rooms in certain premises such as hotels, adult care homes and offshore installations are also exempt from the rules.
Local Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) will enforce the rules and will also work with businesses to help them in complying with the law. Employers or managers of no-smoking premises will be liable to a fine of £200 if they are found to be breaching the rules, while individuals found smoking in no-smoking premises face a fine of £50. –
This information is reliable as it from an article all about the smoking ban and also this article was updated recently.
- What other countries will have the smoking ban?
Many countries have enforced a smoking ban including Albania, Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Bhutan, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Guernsey, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Jersey, Lithuania, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales, USA, Uruguay all have also introduced some kind of smoking ban activity.
The only country in the world to have banned the sale and smoking of tobacco is Bhutan.
() - This information is reliable as it comes from a well known website and also this information comes from an article all about the smoking ban. However, it can be unreliable as it is open to the public to change and edit its information.
- What do people think about the smoking ban?
The smoking ban has brought in different views for or against the ban. Many people agree with the ban but some do not. Some believe that the smoking ban is violating their human rights and see the ban as ridiculous. They believe that people should have the right to smoke in public.
Also, people who own businesses such as pubs and bars believe that the smoking ban will be bad for business as fewer smokers will be willing to go to their pubs and bars. "I'm doing it for the simple reason that this is my home. My wife and I work 200 hours a week in this pub. It's private property and there's no way they can stop us doing it. Pubs have been smoking for goodness knows how long and you just can't do that. It's been brought in on the back of a pack of lies", says pub owner Tony Blows who feels the smoking ban is ridiculous as he feels smoking in pubs is an act of tradition.
However, the majority of people favour the smoking ban and say that the ban will give them their freedom to smoke-free environment. They also think that the smoking ban will encourage more people to quit smoking which would result in a healthier nation.
() - This information is reliable as it comes from a well known website and also this information comes from an article all about the smoking ban and peoples views towards it. Also this article was updated recently which makes it more reliable.
Presentation of argument
FOR
-
Passive smoking causes 700 deaths per year. According to research from Professor Konrad Jamrozik at the Imperial College, approximately 700 people die from lung cancer, heart disease or stroke every year at work because of passive smoking as the smoke from cigarettes contain chemicals such as particles of tar which can cause these health problems. This means if the smoking ban was in effect, approximately 700 lives will be saved every year.
- Also according to research from Professor Konrad Jamrozik, a further 3600 people die from passive smoking in Britain in their homes, per year which also means that if the smoking ban was introduced 3,600 peoples lives would be saved.
- Also according to Professor Konrad Jamrozik’s research, the smoking ban will help 300,000 people give up smoking, which will result in a healthier environment. "Making these places smoke-free not only protects vulnerable staff and the public, it will also help over 300,000 people in Britain to stop smoking completely" says Professor Konrad Jamrozik.
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3715691.stm)- This information is reliable as it comes from a well known website and also this information comes from an article all about smoking where the information written on the article was about an investigation done by a professional scientist. Not only this but this article was published recently which makes it more reliable.
- The majority of people favour the smoking ban. According to a BBC poll, the majority of people want a smoking ban in workplaces including pubs and bars.
- According to the Wanless report on public health, the “voluntary approach” to ban smoking had limited success as pubs and bars still allowed smoking. This means that a smoking ban would be needed if passive smoking were to disappear from the environments and workplaces.
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/actionnetwork/a2702143) - This information is reliable as it comes from a well known website and also this information comes from an article all about smoking which was published recently.
- According to a poll by Mintel, 15% of smokers will quit if a smoking ban was introduced. This means that there will be less smokers if there was a smoking ban resulting in a healthier nations.
(http://reports.mintel.com/sinatra/reports/search_results/show&&type=RCItem&page=0&noaccess_page=0/display/id=4189) - This information is more unreliable as the information comes from a website which hardly has anything to do with smoking, although the information does come from an article about smoking.
- “The British Medical Association argues that people have the right to live in smoke free environments and currently 70% of the population are currently denied this right.”
(http://www.bma.org.uk/ap.nsf/Content/smokescreen) - This information is reliable as it comes from a website all about health and the information also comes from a section of the website which is about smoking.
AGAINST
- The majority of people favour smoking restrictions rather than a smoking ban according to a populous poll.
- The majority of smokers believe the smoking ban will affect their freedom of choice and will affect their rights; however this information could be unreliable as it was obtained from Forest which is an anti-smoking ban campaign.
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/actionnetwork/a2702143)- This information is reliable as it comes from a well known website and also this information comes from an article all about smoking. Also this article was updated recently which makes it more reliable.
- The smoking ban could damage businesses and could lead to closure of businesses as Licensed Victuallers Wales say that the smoking ban could lead to a closure of more than a quarter of pubs in Wales.
(http://www.wales.gov.uk/keypubassemsmoking/content/0205-paper6-e.htm)- This information is reliable as it comes from a government website and also the information was published recently.
- Some people believe the link between passive smoking and illnesses are unproven which means there would not be any need for a smoking ban.
(http://www.forestonline.org/output/page16.asp) - Although this article was written recently, the information is most likely to be unreliable as it comes from a website which is made by a campaign which is against the smoking ban and therefore this information could be biased.
- Some people believe the smoking ban is not the solution to the problems of passive smoking, but self regulation is. They believe if market forces, pubs, bars and restaurants should introduced smoke-free areas and better ventilation tailored to customers’ needs; the answer to the problems of passive smoking will be answered.
(http://www.forestonline.org/output/page17.asp)- Again this information is most likely unreliable as it comes from a website which is made by a campaign which is against the smoking ban and therefore this information could be biased.
For and Against comparison
As you can see from looking at my FOR and AGAINST table, there are more points for the smoking ban than AGAINST it. Using the different points on my table I will now compare them and say whether my FOR and against table is arguing more for the ban or against the ban.
My first three points on my FOR side are points from an article about a study on the affects of smoking: .
Theses points state that passive smoking causes 700 deaths per year at work, also another 3600 deaths occur at British homes due to passive smoking and that the smoking ban will help over 300 000 people quit smoking. My first two points could be considered as scientific facts as these points were results from a scientific study. On the other hand my third point could be regarded as an opinion as it is an opinion of a professional scientist. My first point states that passive smoking causes 700 deaths at work per year. This also means that 700 lives will be saved at work every year if the smoking ban was introduced. My second point also suggests that a further 3600 lives will be saved if the smoking ban was put in affect. This means that over 4 000 lives will be saved if there was a smoking ban. Furthermore my third point says that over 300 000 smokers will quit if there was a smoking ban which could mean that less people will smoke which would result in a healthier nation. Overall the information I used for these points are reliable as the information comes from a well known website and also this information comes from an article all about smoking where the information written on the article was about an investigation done by a professional scientist. Not only this but this article was published recently which makes it more reliable.
My fourth and fifth points on my FOR side was that more people favour the smoking ban and that the ‘voluntary approach’ had failed and that pubs and bars still allowed smoking. Both these points could be regarded as facts as the fourth point was a result from a BBC poll and the fifth point was from the Wanless reports which would be expected to be reliable. My fifth point states that businesses are not willing to put up a smoking ban so this means the smoking ban will have to be put in affect if people want smoke free environments in public places. Overall the information I used is reliable as it comes from a well known website and also this information comes from an article all about smoking which was published recently.
My sixth point on my FOR side was that 15% of smokers will quit if a smoking ban was introduced. This point could be considered a fact as this information came from a poll from Mintel which shows that 15% of smokers will quit if the smoking ban was put in affect. So this means that 15% of smokers will quit if there was a smoking ban which would result in a healthier nation. Overall this information is more unreliable as the information comes from a website which hardly has anything to do with smoking, although the information does come from an article about smoking.
My seventh and final point for my FOR side is that the BMA argues 70% of the population are denied the right to smoke free environments. This point is more of an opinion as it is an opinion from the BMA. This point means that currently 70% of the public are denied the right to smoke free environments, so this means without the smoking ban peoples rights are violated. Overall this information is reliable as it comes from a website all about health and the information also comes from a section of the website which is about smoking.
My first point for my AGAINST side is that the majority of people favour a smoking restriction rather than a smoking ban. This could be regarded as a fact as this information was a result from a BBC poll. Overall this point is reliable as it comes from a well known website and also this information comes from an article all about smoking. Also this article was updated recently which makes it more reliable.
My second point for my AGAINST side is that the majority of smokers feel their rights are violated by the smoking ban. This point is more of an opinion as it is an opinion from the Forest campaign. This opinion says that most smokers feel their rights are affected by the smoking ban which also means most smokers are against the ban. Overall this point is more likely unreliable as it was obtained from Forest which is an anti-smoking ban campaign which also could mean this point is biased.
My third point for my AGAINST side is that the smoking ban will damage businesses. This information could be regarded as an opinion as it is an opinion from the welsh government. This opinion states that businesses in England such as pubs and bars will be damaged as a result of customer loss. Overall this opinion is more reliable as it comes from a government website.
My fourth point for my AGAINST side is that some people believe that the link between passive smoking and illnesses are unproven. This is an opinion as it’s an opinion from the Forest campaign. This opinion suggests that passive smoking does not cause any illnesses which also mean that a smoking ban will not be needed. However this opinion is most likely unreliable as it comes from a website which is made by a campaign which is against the smoking ban and therefore this information could be biased.
My fifth and last point for my AGAINST side is that the smoking ban is not the solution to the effects of passive smoking, but self regulations is. This is also an opinion as it is an opinion from the Forest campaign. This opinion suggests that there is no need of a smoking ban but there is a need of self regulations from market forces; this opinion suggests that businesses should introduce smoke-free areas and better ventilation tailored to customers’ needs; so then the answer to the problems of passive smoking will be answered.
In conclusion to my FOR and AGAINST table, my research argues more FOR the ban, than AGAINST. My table contains more points for the ban than AGAINST and also most of my FOR points are scientific facts which come from reliable sources unlike my AGAINST points which are mostly opinionated that usually came from an unreliable source. So overall my table is FOR the smoking ban.
Conclusion
After all my research on smoking I have come to a conclusion which is I agree with the smoking ban but I do not agree fully with all the rules of the ban.
The main reason why I agree with the smoking ban is because of the damage to health caused by smoking. As I have said and explained earlier smoking causes many health problems and about 106,000 deaths per year in the UK alone. If there was a smoking ban, this figure could be reduced as 15% of smokers say they will quit if the smoking ban was introduced. Also not only do I agree with the smoking ban because of the health problems that occur to a smoker, but also because of the effects of passive smoking. When inhaled, smoke from cigarettes can cause a number of problems including heart disease and lung cancer as smoke from cigarettes contains many chemicals including carcinogens. If the smoking ban was put in effect, people will stop suffering from passive smoke in public places and at their work which will result in a healthier nation.
Not only will England be a healthier nation because of the ban, but also a wealthier one. The smoking ban will save the NHS thousands every year as less people will suffer from smoking and passive smoke and also it is predicted that the British economy will save £4bn a year.
However, some people may disagree with my ideas although the majority of the population would prefer smoking restrictions rather than a ban and also some people may not want the smoking ban altogether.
People who disagree with the smoking ban are usually smokers or people who own businesses. Typically smokers would disagree or argue against the ban as the ban affects them the most out of everyone. Some smokers feel that their rights are violated by the ban as smokers feel that smoking is a personal matter and feel they have the right to smoke in public. Some people also believe that there is no link between passive smoking and the number of health problems that is said to be caused by passive smoking.
Not only do smokers argue against the ban but also some businesses may argue against the ban. Businesses such as pubs and bars may suffer from customer loss as some customers who smoke may not visit smoke free pubs and bars. This will result in income loss for businesses and may also result in the closure of businesses. Licensed Victuallers Wales say that the smoking ban could lead to a closure of more than a quarter of pubs in Wales which could be the same in England. Not only would businesses such as pubs and bars suffer from the smoking ban, but also cigarette companies-which will probably suffer the most. As I mentioned earlier that 15% of smokers say they will quit if a smoking ban was introduced. This will result in customer loss for cigarette companies as they will lose customers. Not only will this loss affect cigarette companies, but also cigarette companies may have a decrease in sales of cigarettes as people may need fewer cigarettes if the smoking ban is put in effect.
Having examined all the evidence available including Human Rights and that passive smoking causes many diseases, I have come to the conclusion that I agree with the smoking ban because it is only right that people can avoid second hand smoke if they do not want it, and the government will lose less money due to less diseases from passive smoking. Some people might, however, disagree with me because they have views like it is a Human Right that people can smoke if they wish and also businesses could disagree with me because they will loose out. I think that we should make it unlawful to smoke in all public sectors, however, private smoking sectors be made because I think it is unfair to punish people because they have developed the habit, but its equally important that non-smokers can avoid smoke. I think the smoking ban will result in the decrease in the number of smokers in the UK which is better for the whole populations.
Bibliography
