Should Smoking be banned in public places?
Many surveys, studies and scientific research has proved that smoking is injurious to health. Smoke is unhealthy and suffocating. It pollutes the environment. There are two types of smokers - active and passive. The person who smokes is active and other who are near to him and inhales the smoke are passive smokers. Both are equally affected by the ill effects of smoking. Smokers and non-smokers meet at many places like offices, hotels and other public places. So, considering the bad effects of smoking on individual's health, environment as well as individual rights, it should be banned in public places.
The smoking of cigarette is glamorized through advertisements. More and more young boys and girls are attracted by this. Even the 'statutory warning' on the cigarette packets does not stop them. The young generation think that those who smoke are smart, modern and intellectual.
However, smoking is not a good habit. Those who smoke suffer from many health problems for example: heart attacks ,asthma, other respiratory infections and lung cancer. The dust particles in it may cause irritation of the eyes and emphysema.
Smoking is more harmful for teenagers. The people who start smoking at an early age reduces from certain disabilities. Their speed and accuracy to grasp information reduces and it becomes difficult for them to retain it in their mind.
Scientists have also discovered that smoking can cut 11 years off a woman's average life expectancy. If a pregnant woman smokes, it is not only harmful for her own health but also for the expected baby.
Therefore, if smoking is injurious to health, why do people make it a habit ? In a democratic society, people talk about their freedom of life and freedom of liking. He may justify his smoking habit saying, "It calms me, it helps me work, think and forget the worries". But he has no right to disturb others by his smoking. Therefore, keeping all the consequences of smoking in mind, the Government's policy to ban smoking in public places is justifiable.
Moreover, full banning on smoking may cause an economic scare for the government. The tobacco industry will face a decline. Millions of people working in these industries will be without employment.
But if a government cares for the health of its citizens, it should rise above the economic consideration and find a way out for this. So, the government should ban smoking at least in public places. In India, the government has already implemented this policy in some parts of the country. It has also strictly instructed that children below 18 years of age should not be employed in tobacco industries. They cannot sell tobacco for their livelihood.
Lastly, banning smoking in public places will give some justice to the non-smokers. Separate smoking sections should be introduced in workplaces. The smokers can go to that section for a puff and at least leave the non-smokers free of pollution.