Smoking Ban in Public Places

Public places are bars, restaurants, discos, toilets, sporting stadiums, cinemas, work, street, shops schools and transports. In some countries, smoking is already banned and in a few of these public places such as schools, cinemas and public transports.

The groups of people who smoke are now changing. Over 55% of all smokers are aged between 12 and 24, while in the 1960's; only 15% of the total smokers were aged between 12 and 24. About 46% of all males in the general world population smoke while less than 30% of women do. However, trends in tobacco consumption show that the percentage of women is increasing, while the percentage of males is decreasing. Currently, one of the ethnic groups with highest percentage is the American Indians/Alaskan natives with a smoking prevalence of 36.2%. A research conducted in the United States showed that people with less formal education tend to smoke more. Developing countries are now smoking as much as developed countries. 41% of men and 21% of women regularly smoke cigarettes in developed countries while 50% of men and 8% of women smoke in developing countries (Cigarette Litter Organization, 2003).

Many people start smoking for different reasons. Once they start, it's very difficult for them to quit. Only 6% of people who start smoking regularly have successfully quit smoking permanently. People may start smoking because they wish to lose weight which was proved not to be very efficient. Lack of confidence on someone's character can have a link to start smoking. For example, people smoke because they want to socialize and fit in with their friends, because of peer pressure or because it's an easy way to meet people. Parent's influence also clearly increases the probability of the child to smoke. Advertisements from cigarette are now targeting teenagers who are influenced with more ease. Once they start smoking regularly, the cigarette company has a guaranteed life-time client. Stress causes a lot of people to start smoking, especially older people (Coalition for a Tobacco Free Pennsylvania, 2003). After a person starts smoking regularly, he is very likely to smoke for the rest of his life due to the addictive substances in cigarettes. Nicotine is proven to be more addictive than Heroin, possibly the most addictive drug. Nicotine also makes smokers feel depressed when they stay too long without smoking.

Smoking has several bad effects. A single cigarette has over 2,000 harmful chemicals. It has a very obvious link to lung cancer. Over 90% of all lung cancer and 60% of all types of cancer is caused by smoking. The tar in cigarettes can block the bronchioles provoking asthma and other respiratory related diseases. Upon 25 years of smoking, your body could've received over 10 litres of tar. Other ruthless chemicals inside cigarettes include formaldehyde (preservative), carcinogen (cancer causer) carbon monoxide (car exhaust) and nicotine (used in insecticide). The Carbon Monoxide that is inhaled can cause several toxic effects on our bodies. First, it impairs the oxygen transportation in our blood. This impairs ...