Should smoking be banned from public places?

Question

i am doing this discussion on the 13th of december for my key skills certificate, but i am not sure whether to be for or against the motion. can you please be as detailed as you can and including reliable facts would be wonderful.

Answer 1

yes ofcource....

we have it in Pakistan...

Answer 2

Gradually the anti smoking lobby will succeed here and already has in some countries.

Lets face it , cigarettes are the only product you can buy that if used in accordance with the manufacturers instructions will kill you.

Smokers can thumbs down me all they want ...whatever.Thats a fact .

The only trouble is that there is indications that this smoke can also harm others who are subjected to it for long periods.

There is the problem.

I fully support the right of smokers to smoke , the same way I support homosexuals to partake of whatever they want to in the privacy of their own homes,the same way I support freedom of choice in abortion, , , . They may not be my choices but i support your right to make a lifestyle choice..

Some places try and have smokers areas, or lounges with a warning of what patrons subj etc themselves to.The Other side of this issue is that the staff that work these areas are put in harms way and put at risk which puts the hotelier, restraint, etc outside the Occupational and Safety Acts and regulations opening cases for liability and huge fines..

Many insurers are demanding that institutions do not hire smokers, allow smoke breaks , have smokers areas and run programs to stop people smoking or else get fired. This is not uncommon and it is growing.

Whether or not it should be banned will soon be outweighed by outside regulations, like the health and Safety regulations, that will restrict servicing of smokers in various areas to the point that it will not be feasible to offer any services that will serve or condone smoking in these establishments.

Unfortunately because smoking can and probably does affect those around the smoker it cannot be simplified into a freedom of choice thing.

People say it is ridiculous that they can buy cigarrettes in a shop but they cannot smoke them there, does that mean that if you buy toilet paper you have a right to take a dump in the middle of the aisle?

Despite the bans , the warnings and the restrictions people still smoke, new smokers are emerging and this trend will never be stopped unless total draconian measures are put in place , like total bans on sales of cigarettes or prescription only supplies.

This will never happen ..why? because most free world government's get huge revenues from tobacco sales and smokers, this is good if the money is used for medical treatments etc , however most smokers are being turned away now from transplants and cancer cures unless they give up and stop.

It would seem that whilst governments decry smoking as the new leprosy they pocket an inordinate amount of spare change from those that smoke.

Should smoking be banned in public places , it will but as a result of pressure from insurers, workplace safety regs and education, not by any legislation.

Are smokers a dying breed, yes the facts are smoking will kill you , the sets show that the number of smokers is not diminishing significantly enough to make the tobacco companies sweat....yet.That is an education issue...

Will there be 100% total smoke free workplaces with in the next ten years.. absolutely........ , employers will not leave them selves open to liability.

Will smoking ever be banned entirely..unlikeley but possible, if it was banned it would probably go underground like narcotics .

Will smoking die out because of people stop smoking in sufficient numbers...probably but. not in this century

Answer 3

Enclosed or what? - public places what definition is used of 'public'- like say a park - that's hard to justify because what harm is someone doing to anyone else? Also fines are imposed on Taxi drivers etc - because the cab besides being personal property it is considered a 'workplace'. In other words the aim of legislation is to generate revenue not to satisfy other 'public health' aims.

If you ban smoking in bars for instance - there is an economic impact. Some bars will close, others will have to find ways of replacing the income lost - it leads to higher food prices in some places.

Smoking has increased where smoking bans have been implemented - in Scotland from 6.3 million cartons to 6.6 million cartons.

State interference is unwelcome and is just finding a moral basis for more interference in our lives by a nannying government.

Answer 4

Absolutely not. This is a common sense issue. First, when I (a non smoker) go into a bar/restaurant I expect to see four things - 1) tasty beer/liquor, 2) nice looking ladies to see, 3) a pool table, 4) and a thin layer of smoke. Who goes to bars/restaurants expecting to come out healthier than when you entered? Secondly, what sort of nonsense and argument can a person make to say "I FEAR lung cancer from my two hour exposure to tobacco"; but, "it's OK that I kill liver tissue with alcohol and steadily harden arteries with ribs and deep fried onion rings." You are 2.5 times more likely to die from a bad diet and inadequate exercise (heart disease) than if you regularly smoke and suffer from lung cancer. http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/news/cancer_deaths_take_over_deaths_caused_by_heart_disease.htm
Second hand smoke and cancer related deaths are almost nonexistent. Those cases are regular smokers of at least 20 YEARS! Last thing, when you look at most of these 'activists' that complain of cigarette smoke, how many have used ILLEGAL drugs and/or are 50 pounds overweight. I'm betting on the majority. Hypocrisy is ever present

Answer 5

i agree with the idea of stoping people from smoking in hospitals/any medical institution, schools (all the way thru to university) and goverment buildings (all levels: municipal, state and federal). however i think business owners should have the right to decide wheter or not to allow smoking but only in restaurants/bars/hotels and that smoking outdoors or neer the doors is acceptable, but at that point we might as well force people to walk every where or use electric cars because here in ontario we aren't aloud to smoke if we are under a roof (permanent or non-permanent) even if the "roof" is an umbrella and are not aloud to smoke within 9 meters (27 feet) of any public building or store/restaurant/anythings door) if we get caught we can be fined $125+ depending on the offence. in my opinion, thats pushing it too far.

Answer 6

In parts of India smoking is banned in public places. But whats considered public place is a bit different. The streets are public place, but a bar isnt.

Answer 7

banning smoking in its entirety in a liberal society is an infriengement on the rights of those who have form the habit of smoking. But in public places like public transport hospitals schools and thearters it might be right. this is due to the fact that so individuals are allergic to such smoke. those individuals with medical conditions ie brochitis and asthamatic prone patientes safety in public places is protected health wise. but the smokers should be given smoking areas in public places like parks coz many enjoy smocking at such open public place. forget not that they also pay tax and have rights to the extent of not infrienging on others and the public.

Answer 8

Ok per say, you want me to stop smoking in public, some feel it's bad for them, I see the point, But I'm over weight every time I see someone eating in public I get hungry which in turn for me would be bad, more I eat the fatter I'd get, people who are whinning about smokers do stuff in Public others don't like yet still do it, do you hear me whinning, No I could careless what someone else does................... to each their own

Answer 9

Banning smoking in government buildings and the workplace is fine with me. What I object to is imposing bans on business owners of bars and restaurants. If the owner wants to allow smoking they should be able to do so. If people object to smokers, they can simply not go to the bar/restaurant that allows smoking. Unlike government buildings and workplaces, people have a choice about which restaurant or bar to frequent.

Answer 10

I say yes. I am a non smoker and don't want to go to a restaurant and be breathing in discusting smoke while I am trying to eat. Not to mention how you end up smelling after being exposed to smoke.

Answer 11

how could anyone be against the motion?
check out the site below,
there's a ton of research revealing ALL the negative impact of smoking on smokers, non-smokers in the presence of smokers, as well as the economic impact on the larger scale, if you prefer the easier argument- go with "for"