Smoking in Public Places - Persuasive Essay

Smoking in public places - to smoke or not to smoke? This is the question of the day. Indeed, smoking in public places becomes the issue of primary concern, and the society seems to be divided into two camps, - those, who consider smoking in public places to be allowed, and those, who adhere to the opinion that smoking in public places should be banned. As far as it is difficult to support one's opinion with having no clear understanding of the problem, the aim of this paper is to bring the light upon smoking in public places, and to increase awareness of people concerning smoking. Thus, to avoid biases, the paper presents the opinions of both people from 'pro' and 'con' camps, and persuades that smoking in public places is dangerous, and therefore, should be banned.

The vast majority of people like the idea that smoking in public places is not allowed. This ban gains support from both smokers and non-smokers. For example, being the non-smoker, I hardly can imagine the non-smoker, who wants to be a second hand smoke. Those, who present their arguments against smoking in public places, often bring in support the claim that being a second hand smoke is even more dangerous than to smoke. Moreover, there is an opinion that the decision to consume poisonous toxins can be the free choice of a free person, but to force other people breathe the air poisoned with smoking is an intentional crime.

Besides, health factor is also an important one. The physicians consider that the link between smoking (both smoking and second hand smoke) becomes considerably stronger, and therefore, putting ban on smoking in public places will allow to reduce risk factors to minimum.

At the same time, there are smokers, who consider that such a ban will allow them to refuse from their bad habit or, at least, will reduce the quantity of cigarettes they smoke per day. For example, my father considers that in case people will be allowed to smoke in specially equipped places, they start smoking less. It is really truth, as my father has been smoking more than twelve years and notices that in case he visits a coffee-shop or a restaurant, where smoking is not allowed; he smokes significantly less compared with places, where the smoking is not forbidden. Obviously, banning smoking in public places is of great help for smokers as well. Besides, to a certain extent as far as the person involuntary smokes less, the chances that he will stop smoking also increase.

However, as in any other dispute, where there are two 'opposing' camps, there are people, who consider smoking in public places to be allowed. Let's examine their arguments in support of smoking. First of all, the vast majority of such people are inveterate smokers, - the people who smoke a lot and for a long period of time. The smokers consider that there is no need for ban smoking in public places, as the government undertakes enough measures to deal with the potential effects of second hand smoke.

In addition, they consider that smoking in public places should be allowed, as prohibition violates their rights. As far as they consider, tolerating no smoking in public places is a severe infringement of human rights. Smoking is their own choice, and those people dislike when someone deprives them of their choice.

Naturally those people are also the citizens of our country, and they should have free and equal access to all rights and freedoms, guaranteed by our Constitution. At the same time, the inveterate smokers forget that while they are trying to protect their rights, their choices violate the rights of other people, - those who do not like smoking. Besides, smoking in public places can cause damage to the non-smoker's health, as some of them may have heart or pulmonary diseases. Smoking in public places may affect health of asthma sufferers as well. In this case, smokers should understand that their freedom ends there, where the freedom of the other people is violated. The solution is, as proposed by the government, creating places for smokers and non-smokers, where each of them can enjoy their freedom with no violating the freedom of the other one.

Personally I am against smoking in public places. Although I understand that personal rights of other people should be respected, it seems that smokers often neglect the rights of other people. For example, several times I have seen people smoking in bus and train stations, and they didn't care about a ban, or about the fact that their smoking bothers other people. They continued smoking unless somebody asked them to stop. I believe that smoking in public places should not be tolerated.

As we have understood, smoking in public places should not be allowed (except of the places specially equipped for the smokers). Now, being the citizens of our country, we also can make a contribution in relation to this problem. Among other things, we can take part in the activity of public organizations promoting healthy lifestyle, and to increase public awareness of danger of smoking and second hand smoke, to mention a few. However, the most important thing we can do is to understand that smoking in public places really bothers other people, as well as to understand the importance of respecting other people's right. For example, prohibition to buy cigarettes until a certain age can be easily ignored, because the youth and children easily get round this age restriction by asking adult people to buy cigarettes for them. Some shopkeepers also break the law and sell cigarettes to the young people. Therefore, the most important is to understand that smoking is not as funny and great as it is seems to be. In case everyone understands this, the solution will be found, because no one can affect our view except of ourselves.