Maryn Long

ENG 102
Salyers
20 Sept 2015
Public Smoking Bans
There are around 443,000 smoking-related deaths that occur in the U.S. annually (Chew).
Medline Plus estimates that the United States would see 18,000 fewer heart attacks within a year
if each state passes a complete ban on smoking in public places. Smoking is considered to be a
right and, therefore, cannot be banned in its entirety, but it can be banned in all public places.
Smoking should be banned in public places because smoking is the number one cause of death
and disease worldwide. It affects the population, causes premature deaths, and is a substantial
financial burden to society.
The history of smoking dates back to as early as 5000 BC in the Americas in shamanistic
rituals. With the arrivals of the Europeans in the 16th century, the consumption, cultivation, and
trading of tobacco quickly spread. It started as a status symbol, used to intimidate others
(Khilawala). Now people say that it is a way to clear their minds, but a non-smoker could easily
say that its all in the mind.
So why do people think that it is a cool thing to smoke? Studies done at the University of
Southern California looked at a group of kids ranging from sixth to twelfth grades in the United
States and Mexico. Team leaders asked the students a variety of questions regarding their
potential smoking habits. Some of their questions included if they had ever tried to smoke and
what their smoking habits were over the past 30 days if they did smoke. They also asked the
students how they thought their friends felt about smoking, and how many students they thought

Long 2

smoked at their age. The study found that if a student thought their close friend smoked, theyd
be more likely to smoke, whether or not the student had actual proof of their friend smoking
(Plafke). The study also found that students who were smokers ended up becoming friends with
other smokers, which makes sense, since smokers tend to take smoke breaks together. Thomas
W. Valente, the lead author of the study, noted that popularity is a strong predictor of smoking
habits. So its not necessarily that smoking makes you popular or cool, but more that popularity
breeds smoking (Plafke). Your body definitely does not think that smoking is cool, though.
Smoking affects the population in many ways. It affects smokers' health and controls
their smoking habits and use of time, and the spiraling cost of tobacco makes it an
expensive pastime (Chew). Secondhand smoke affects others and pollutes the environment.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, children are susceptible to the effects of
secondhand smoke because they are growing and developing. Children exposed to secondhand
smoke have increased risks of sudden infant death syndrome, middle ear infection, asthma,
pneumonia and bronchitis (Chew).
The smoke that is exhaled by an individual while smoking, contains harmful substances
that pollute the air around. The people who inhale these substances through the air, become
prone to respiratory troubles as well as other forms of illnesses (Cherney). Moreover, sometimes
these substances also affect things such as furniture, clothing, and so on. Their deterioration
speeds up in many of such cases. Risks due to fire are also lessened to a large extent due to
smoking bans. Fire is a risk when more and more people smoke because we are surrounded by
innumerable flammable materials such as oil, wood, plastic, rubber, paper, etc. If a smoker
forgets to extinguish his cigarette after smoking, chances of these materials, and many more,
catching fire that may lead to fatalities, are extremely high. The ban may aid in curbing such

Long 3

chances (Cherney).

A recent study showed that smoking bans imposed in public places and workplaces
resulted into lesser instances of deaths and hospitalizations due to respiratory problems, heart
attacks, and cancer (Cherney). The policy is extremely beneficial to the nonsmokers, who happen
to inhale the secondhand smoke and thus, breathe in the same substances as the smokers. This
exposes even the nonsmokers to the smoking-related health hazards in the future. The policy is
extremely beneficial to the nonsmokers, who happen to inhale the secondhand smoke and thus,
breathe in the same substances as the smokers. This exposes even the nonsmokers to the
smoking-related health hazards in the future.
Annually, one of every five deaths in the U.S. is related to smoking, due to conditions
such as pneumonia, bronchitis, lung cancer and emphysema, according to the CDC website.
Smoking may affect sexual performance and increase the risks of heart disease and infections
(Chew). Deaths attributed to smoking varied from state to state during the years 2000 to 2004,
with Alaska reporting 492 deaths and California reporting 36,687 deaths, notes the CDC. The
good news is, according to a report from the CDC, some states show signs of improved health of
their citizens and a decrease in smoking rates, deaths and health care costs due to increased
awareness, education and resources available to help people fight the smoking habit.
Smoking puts a financial burden on society. According to the CDC, this burden continues
to rise, with approximately $193 billion spent annually in the United States---$97 billion from
lost productivity and $96 billion due to smoking-related health care costs, respectively. The
Society of Actuaries reported in 2006, which is the latest data available, that secondhand smoke
costs the U.S. around $10 billion a year: about $5 billion in medical costs associated with

Long 4

secondhand smoke and $4.6 billion in lost wages---youth exposure was not included in these
costs. A smoking ban leads to a much lesser amount spent of smoking (Chew). This saves a lot of
money both, of the individual as well as of the state. On the individual level, money is saved as
lesser or no cigarettes are purchased. This money may, in turn, be utilized for some other
productive purposes. According to the Center for Disease Control the government incurs an
average of $16 after every single pack of cigarettes smoked, with regards to lower productivity
and increased number of health issues. Smoking bans may help decease, if not completely
eliminate, these costs (Chew).
Everyone can have their own opinions on the smoking ban. I know that I, along with the
rest of my family, have many different views on the subject. But smoking bans have already been
implemented in some places, and they are here to stay. The pros of the smoking ban definitely
outweigh the cons and the ban ultimately makes for a healthier world. The American Heart
Association points out that no amount of secondhand smoke is safe, no matter how small. For
this reason, Medline Plus urges that all states ban smoking in indoor places as well as outdoor
public places to protect non-smokers.

Long 5

Works Cited
Chew, Norma. Three Reasons Why Smoking Should Be Banned. LIVESTRONG.COM.
LIVESTRONG.COM, 16 Aug. 2013. Web. 14 Sept. 2015.
Khilawala, Rashida. Smoking Ban Pros and Cons. Buzzle. Buzzle.com, 27 Feb. 2013. Web. 14
Sept. 2015.
Cherney, Kristeen. Pros of Smoking Bans. LIVESTRONG.COM. LIVESTRONG.COM, 27
Jan. 2015. Web. 14 Sept. 2015
Plafke, James. Science Finds Smoking Really Is Cool. The Mary Sue Science Finds Smoking
Really Is Cool Comments. N.p., 6 Sept. 2012. Web. 20 Sept. 2015.
Smoking and Tobacco Use. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Center for Disease
Control and Prevention. 22 July 2015. Web. 20 Sept. 2015