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Ban Public Smoking

Ban Public Smoking
Steven Johnson
University of Phoenix

Ban Public Smoking
Daily non-smokers are subjected to the hazards of secondhand smoke. Whose rights are actually being infringed upon when smoking is allowed in public areas? We currently have many laws on the books which are intended to protect our citizens, why is it then we are still waiting for a commonsense law about the air we breathe. Drinking alcohol is not illegal, until someone takes actions which would endanger someone else. So why are we not seeing the same attitude towards something which causes just as many if not more deaths in a years time. Certainly as Americans we should be able to conduct our daily activities without the fear of exposure to toxins which are proven to cause cancers and promote heart disease.
Whether individuals work in, or patronize an establishment which allows smoking they take health risks each and every time. People who are employed by an establishment where smoking is allowed Dr. J. Gary Sack (2004) suggests that they have a "50 percent increase in lung cancer and a 30 percent increase in cardiovascular disease over those in a similar non smoking environment." This does not just apply to employees; it also applies to communities as a whole.
On June 5, 2002 a smoke-free ordinance went into effect for Helena, Montana. Unfortunately after a legal challenge it was suspended after six months. During those six months Dr. Richard P. Sargent and Dr. Robert M. Shepard did a study on the number of heart attack victims in the area. This is the first time that there is empirical evidence, that bans on smoking shield people from the hazards of secondhand smoke. The doctors presented their findings at the American College of Cardiology meeting in Chicago. During the first six months that the ban was in place, there was a 60 percent drop in heart attack sufferers admitted into the hospital. (Ravven 2003) While during the same time period there were no...