More offices, restaurants and retail shops are banning smoking in their premises. This reaction is on account of the health concerns for the large majority of non-smokers. Personal choice or freedom is permissible but within limits. Take for example freedom of speech and expression — we do own this freedom but not to the extent of hurting others sentiments or image.
Reports suggest that illnesses caused by tobacco consumption can cost more American lives than accidents or illegal drugs can. The annual expenditure on health care is also recorded to be about $90 million for the United States.
Measures to Control Public Smoking
Some effective measures taken for protecting public health are listed below:
- Smoking cessation classes
- Warning labels
- Health providers are taking the initiative of helping smokers to quit smoking
- WHO reports suggest that smoking in early childhood is also being curbed
- The age for buying cigarettes is also being increased to prevent kids from smoking
- Government providing monetary assistance to tobacco controlling and awareness programs
- Banning advertisements that promote the consumption of tobacco
- Anti-tobacco campaigns are resisting the cigarette manufacturers for taking the side of smokers in this debate and also trying to check the sponsoring of various smoking groups
Secondhand smoke is certainly very harmful for non-smokers. Infact, it leaves children both born and unborn open to an array of health problems. As smoking in cars has been prohibited because children and other non-smokers are the obvious victims, it is suddenly appearing to the conscience of people not smoke in cars.
Lawmakers are going to the extent of penalizing the parents in monetary terms for exposing their kids to secondhand smoke. Probably this could help but people have a lot many bucks to spend too. The need of the situation therefore is for smokers to realize what harm they are causing to themselves and others.
Society which is completely manned by us and by no alien is giving the rights for casino’s to thrive. For example, gambling is considered to be evil as it can promote cheating even in the most irrational or obsessive way. Yet casinos with continuous gambling, smoking and drinking still exist. So it is a question of society having to decide what it really wants — that is, whether public health can be sacrificed for the personal choices or freedom of smokers or not?
