Smokers or Non-smokers: Who Should Make the Sacrifice?

When it is affecting the health and well being of other citizens who choose not to smoke, it should be restricted. Many non-smokers choose not to smoke because it is harmful to their bodies. By not banning smoking in public, the rights of non-smokers are being disregarded. .
             Another reason to ban smoking in public is because of the effects second-hand smoke has on the body. The Environmental Protection Agency suggests that approximately 3,000 people die each year due to the effects of second-hand smoke alone. There is medical evidence that second-hand smoke has the potential to cause respiratory symptoms. In addition, extended exposure to second-hand smoke increases the risk of death for non-smokers by 20-30 percent and has been found to be one of the major causes of lung cancer and ischaemic heart disease. .
             A second argument against banning smoking in public is that if the owner of a restaurant or bar is a smoker, and it is made illegal to smoke in his/her establishment, it is like saying he/she can not smoke in his/her own home. His/her restaurant or bar is private property, and he/she should have the right to smoke or not. Many people believe that dividing public areas into smoking and non-smoking sections is a good way to solve this debate. In actuality, these different sections have been proven to be an ineffective solution. Author Sean Ledig writes, "Separate smoking and non-smoking sections just don't cut it. They make as much sense as dividing a swimming pool into urinating and non-urinating section." Non-smokers should not be forced to breathe the polluted air that could simply be eliminated by banning smoking in public areas. .
             A third reason why smoking should be prohibited in all public places is that it exposes young children to smoking. It is both dangerous to the children's health and has the potential to influence them to smoke. Many adults encourage children not to smoke, yet these adults continuously smoke in front of kids, in public parks, in front of schools, and in several other places where many children are present.