The Harmful Effects of Second Hand Smoke

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The Harmful Effects of Second Hand Smoke

An Australian courtroom, November 2002, has banned a mother of a ten year old boy from smoking in her household (Watts). This is because of the numerous harmful effects that go along with second hand smoke. The court was protecting the child from these dangers; the mother and grandfather both admitted to smoking approximately 40 cigarettes everyday (Watts). The ruling was done by the anti-smoking lobby, and was a first for this type of case. The father of the boy brought this case to court not only because of his concerns for his son, but also because of his son’s complaints about the vast amount of smoke which existed in his household. The boy also stated that he dreaded going home because of the heavy smoke. The verdict was that the mother and grandfather were no longer permitted to smoke in the household or car while the boy was present, or if the boy was expected within the hour (Watts). Additionally, the mother is not allowed to return indoors after smoking until the smoke has gone away. The director of Action on Smoking and Health explained that this is a popular topic, and he expects there to be more similar cases to follow (Watts). Far too many children are harmed from second hand smoke. Several parents do not realize the types of dangers to their children that result from smoking, explains Peter Weygers, the president of the West Australian Council for Civil Liberties. (Watts). He states that parents should be forced to be educated about the dangers they expose their children to. This would significantly reduce the amount of smoking that occurs near youngsters across the world.

Second Hand Smoke can be defined as the tobacco smoke inhaled b...

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...ke, it is a very selfish act. If these people would like to out themselves at risk, that is their choice, but it is not their right to put others around them at the same risks because it is not their choice. Instead of smoking in their homes, they should consider stepping outside where no one is around before they light up. Moreover, they could enroll themselves in counseling in order to help them quit for good. For the others who do not know about the effects of second-hand smoke, they need to be informed by their family, friends, and doctors. There should also be more advertising about this topic to ensure that smokers are completely educated on passive smoking. This should lower the amount of people who are affected around the world due to second hand smoke. Last, if a smoker is unable to quit, they should be considerate to others by not smoking around them.

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