Keep Joe Camel Out of the Mall!
“…I marle what pleasure or felicitie they have in taking this rogish Tabacco: it is good for nothing, but to choake a man, and fill him of smoake, and imbers...” (Jonson, Act 3, Scene 3.2) These were the words of Ben Jonson, a 17th century English poet. In agreement with this quote, smoking should be banned from all public places. This opinion is supported by the evidence that secondhand smoke is very harmful. Additionally, if a child sees an older person smoke (in a public place), the child might be influenced to smoke. Lastly, cigarette smoke can affect people with allergies or other respiratory problems or diseases. The effects of passive smoke are numerous.
Secondhand smoke is very harmful. Secondhand smoke is estimated to cause 53,0000 deaths each year among non-smokers in the United States. (Garrison 44) That’s a lot of deaths. About 3,000 of these deaths are due to lung cancer caused by non-smokers breathing the smoker’s smoke. People should care more for the people around them. Some of those 3,000 were probably children. (Garrison 44) Cigarette smoke increases the risk of lung cancer and heart disease, even in a non-smoker. Even the non-smokers have to watch out. “One thousand Americans stop smoking everyday…by dying.” (Smoking Quotes 1) Some Americans die without even starting smoking themselves. Children are particularly vulnerable to the negative effects of cigarettes.
One reason smoking should be banned in all public places is that children are easily influenced by watching the actions of others. Some psychologists say people function as audiences for each other and for activities that surround them in public settings. (Poland 183) Ninety per cent of new smokers are under 19 years of age. (Bailey 54) Children regularly take up smoking despite health campaigns about the dangers of smoking. Children see smoking on pop-ups on computers, in advertising, and in public places. (Connolly, 10) As the adolescent brain seeks to specialize in rewarding activities, addictive substances can crowd out other activities, shrinking the repertoire being learned. “When you’re addicted, all your motivation gets funneled into seeking or taking the drug,” said R. Andrew Chambers, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Yale University. (McGough) This quote illustrates how easily adolescents are influence by others. Besides adolescents, another group of people that is vulnerable to smoking are people with allergies and respiratory problems.
Several EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) studies performed since the early 1970’s have concluded that secondhand smoke not only causes lung cancer in non-smokers, it worsens asthma symptoms.