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RE: Argumentative Essay Public Smoking Bans in the US
Introduction:
In the United States, for every eight smokers that die from tobacco use, one non-smoker dies as well (Clarke 2010). In recent years, a growing awareness of the deadly effects of smoking has led to the enactment of tobacco control policies throughout the industrialized world. Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death worldwide (Jones 2009) estimating that one billion people are expected to die during the 21st century as a result of tobacco-related disease”(Cole 2012). Secondhand smoke (SHS) contains hundreds of toxic chemicals and is linked to cause cancer, coronary heart disease, and respiratory problems. Innocent individuals of all ages should not be impacted by the poor choices of smokers around them. After all, there is no risk-free level of exposure to someone else’s drifting smoke. The debate on smoking bans has rose significantly in the pass two decades. There are two types of bans, partial and full smoking bans. Full bans make it illegal to smoke in any public area. Although smoking is seen to be a personal right to many Americans, smoking should be banned in all public places. As a result the ban will overall reduce health risks, change smoking behavior in workplaces and improve the economy.
Reducing SHS, Health Benefits:
First, enforcing a public smoking ban decreases exposure to second-hand smoke, reducing the many health risks associated with smoking. Levels of SHS are found to significantly drop in public smoking places following the implementation of public smoking bans. Maria Lopez conducted a before and after study on the health of workplaces and hospitality venues from eight regions of Spain. Repeated samples of vapor-phase nicotine concentration were taken in 398 premises including private offices (162), public administration offices (90), university premises (43), bars and restaurants (79), and pubs (24). Second-hand smoke levels