Smoking Bans Are Everywhere, Almost

November 17, 2007

Are smoking bans going too far?

Several months ago, our local hospital set a new rule … no smoking on hospital grounds, indoors or out. Now, the entire city seems to be following suit by setting its own clean-air ordinance. On January 1, a new smoking ban will go into effect in my town which states smoking is not allowed in any business facility or even within a 20-foot radius around the building. Similar bans have previously been passed in numerous other cities. More than 2000 cities and counties have ordinances that restrict indoor smoking. And more than 680 cities place restrictions on outdoors as well. Many people can comprehend prohibiting smoking inside a business, especially in restaurants, but 20 feet around the building sounds ridiculous to them. So, are smoking bans going too far?

Smokers have rights too.

Many smokers, and even some non-smokers, argue this ban. They feel smoking is a freedom and they feel each business should be able to decide individually whether their business will be smoke free or not. I do tend to agree with them on this issue. They also feel including bars in this ban is going overboard as there are no children there to be exposed to the smoke and people go to bars expecting to see smokers. Again, I see their point. They feel that their rights are being stripped away by not allowing them to smoke in public.

Good points, but consider this.

According to Health Matters, smoking related diseases remain the most preventable cause of death in our society. Half of the Americans who continue to smoke will die from smoking-related diseases. In the U.S., tobacco use is responsible for nearly one in five deaths. And if you agree that is bad, here is another stunning fact … each year, about 3000 non-smoking adults die of lung cancer as a result of breathing secondhand smoke. Secondhand smoke does cause lung cancer. And it is estimated that more than 126 million non-smoking Americans are exposed to secondhand smoke. When you consider these facts, it appears that the persons whose rights are being violated are in actuality the non-smokers. The new ordinance does not prevent smokers from smoking. It just causes them to be more respectful of those who don’t want to smoke.

So why not just quit smoking?

There have been reports that new smoking bans have convinced some smokers to quit. If you have been a smoker for many years, you may be thinking that the damage is done and there is no use in quitting. But according to the National Cancer Institute, if you stop smoking, your body will rather quickly start healing itself and your chance of dying from lung cancer decreases. Plus,

1. Your chance of having a heart attack goes down.
2. Oxygen levels in your blood return to normal.
3. Your ability to taste and smell will improve.
4. Your blood pressure, pulse, and body temperature return to normal.
5. Your lung capacity goes up and you start breathing easier.
6. Coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, shortness of breath decrease.
7. Your overall energy level increases.

How do you kick the habit?

It takes an average of five attempts to kick the habit. Research shows that smokers are most successful in kicking the habit when they have some means of support. Smokers who want to quit can find help by calling the American Cancer Society Quitline at 1-800-ACS-2345.

Smoking Bans Are Everywhere, Almost

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