Smoking in Public (Should smoking be banned in public places?)

Member Name: yahtonie

Product:	Should smoking be banned in public places?
Date:	14/01/04 (421 review reads)
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To begin, im a non smoker so some of you may think that I've no write to comment on those who do smoke. Well, I disagree. In answer to the object of this opinion I want to see a ban on smoking in public places (apart from the general outdoors i.e walking down the street). Oh I can hear the out cries already, 'its our right to smoke, what about our liberties, blah, blah, blah. Sorry to seem so bloody nasty but what gives someone the right to pollute the air that I breath?

I'll slow down a bit here. Heres a little info about myself that you all dont know. When I was a child I was struck down by tuberculosis. As a consequence, I only have the equilent of one fully working lung. My lungs are so badly scarred that the smallest irritant can cause me to have trouble breathing. One such irritant is smoke from others. Ok, Ok there are other irritants but to be honest taking in a diluted lung full of fag smoke causes my heartrate to jump as I try to expell the foul stuff. Its worst than anything else, mainly because its a burnt irritant.

Im sure that Im not the only one that finds smokers to be quite rude when it comes to smoking in public. Every day I encounter some idiot ignoring the no smoking signs. Yes there are some nice people out there who smoke but the majority that I see are complete gits. What god given right do you have to smoke in the confined carriage of the Tube? What gives you the right to blow smoke in my face as I walk pass? For most, if not all non smoking areas in public places are there for a reason. Not because some one like me is wingeing about the smell. How did the Kings Cross fire get started eh? One single discarded fag butt kill all those people and yet on the tube theres some smart arse lighting up. Yes you may smile my boy but how would like to be trapped in a cylinder tube travelling at 35mph underground while a fire breaks out? No, guess you didn't think about that now did you? And in restraunts. Why cant I enj


oy my meal without the joy of burnt tobacco? Hang on a minute, you're in a restraunt to eat. So how do you manage that with a fag hanging from your lips?

Now I know that Ive pissed some people off already but frankly Ive had enough. This is all due to the smokers cry of 'its our right to smoke'. Is it? Up to a little while ago I was of the opinion that if someone fell ill due to smoking then thats their fault as they brought that on themselves. Well, that was until I found out a very sickening fact. Every year the government spends 1.5 billion pounds on treating smoking related diseases. Yes, you read that right, 1.5 BILLION. Granted the government makes a lot of money back. The Treasury earned £9,510 million in revenue from tobacco tax between 2000-2001, £7,648 million in excise duty and £1,860 million in VAT. That makes a grant total of £19 odd million pound which, when you compare the two, theres a bloody big difference. So wheres this excess money coming from? Well, its from every other poor bugger who doesn't smoke. That right, non smokers are paying for the people who inflict this habit one themselves. Now I have no sympathy for these people. Call me a cold hearted bitch but tell me why I should? The money spent on treating them could be spent on someone who has brest cancer, or a small child with leukemia, or an middle age person with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis in both hips. Many people are very quick to defend their habit but give me a good reason why you should smoke in public?

Having said all that, and yes I am totally against smoking, smoking in your own home is fine with me. Ok, you're still costing the country money when you fall ill but at least your not polluting everyone elses air. Remember, you've made the choose to smoke, others haven't. Baring this in mind, dont ever, ever smoke in the presence of a child. Not only are you forcing them to breath in your second hand smoke but yo
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ending out the message that its ok to smoke, thus more than likely to educate the future generation on how to light up.

Your probably thinking that Im not very sympathic to people who smoke and that I should be as they are addicts. Well No. YOU'RE the one who put the fag in your mouth, YOU make the choice to smoke. Dont give me that crap about will power, yeah you may find it hard to give it up but have you really tried? Leaving a emergency pack lying around the house during a quiting session isn't really trying now is it. Right. Im sorry, that was a bit harsh. Yes I understand its hard, but the decision was yours in the first place. If you cant give up your self then dont encourage anyone else, especially children, to start. The problem with most smokers is that the try giving up all at once. Why dont you try cutting down two fags a day to start with and then increasing the amount. Its a bit rich of me to give advice on this seeing that Ive never had the misfourtune of being a smoker but really seeing that its my and other non smokers taxes that is paying for your little trip into hospital I think Im allowed a say.

And so, back to the topic. Smoking in public is bad. Not only is the habit enforced on other, it encourages other to smoke too, especially influencial children. Not only is it bad for your health, you are causing a hazard to others health. Lastly, its a danger. Many fires have been started by people discarding butt ends. You may scoff at this but no one has the right to endanger other adults and children. So next time when you light up in public, just take a second to consider others around you, or the effect your having on your health and Joe Public's health. Yes its your right to smoke, but its my right not to, so dont force me to.



Statistics provided by http://www.ash.org.uk/html/factsheets/html/fact16. html

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