Dear Smokers, Please Don't Kill Me With Your Breathe

This blog is not about how smoking is bad for you or how to quit smoking. It is not about information on how smoking deteriorates the body of a smoker. This blog is about how smoking affects other people. If you choose to smoke, that is your problem, but keep it away from the nonsmokers. If you choose to kill yourself from smoking, that is also fine and dandy, but don't kill innocent people, or even people you love, who don't smoke.
The main point here: raise awareness about the effects of smoking on nonsmokers, and explain the binary argument of smoking in public places.
There are many people in the United States, such as politicians and activists, who are working to ban smoking in public places. These public places include restaurants, bars, sports games, bowling arenas, fairs, planes, and any space which is open to the public. One thing in common with all of these places: there are a lot of people present at any given time.
To some, secondhand smoke is not an issue. They believe secondhand smoke is not cancerous and cannot cause any risks to health. In addition, these people who do not think secondhand smoke is dangerous, also believe their rights are being taken away by banning smoking in public places. It is the right of freedom that brings up issues on the opposing side of prohibiting a non-constitutional right. It is stated in the first amendment to the Constitution that there is a degree of freedom of expression and speech. This right of expression is supposed to be without intervention from the government, and most people believe smoking is an expression of who someone is. Smoking is not everything they are, but it is definitely an important contribution to the person. So is the Constitution evidence enough for smokers to be able to smoke whenever and wherever they want?
I would say that there has to be more information on the health risks of smoking toward other individuals other than the smokers themselves in order for smokers to be able to smoke wherever they want. Some people who are against the banning of smoking say that there are designated areas in many places for smoking and non-smoking customers, and also ventilation and air-cleaners to get eliminate the chemicals in secondhand smoke. Some say these places are separate and do not interact with each other in order to cause harm to simple observers. Others say this is false information.
So why not install ventilation systems in smoking areas and have separate rooms or areas for smoking and nonsmoking customers? Well the logic is somewhat simple. Ventilation systems are expensive and they can't get all of the chemicals out of the air from secondhand smoke. Smoke drifts in the room, therefore, all of the chemicals and all of the smoke cannot be extracted from the air in a certain area. Ventilation systems cost around $1,000 to $10,000 depending on what kind and how big of a space is being ventilated. Different types of ventilation include exhaust vents, cigarette and cigar vents, and others as well. An other issue is having different areas for smoking such as in Disney World. A problem with separate areas for smoking and non-smoking is that the areas are not completely in isolation of each other. So each area is exposed to the other, so smoke can drift the non-smoking area, and there is always a medium where the smoking and non-smoking sections meet. This medium is an important place because it is the most dangerous place for a non-smoker to sit or even be near.
Why isn't there a law against smoking in public? The initial reason there is still smoking allowed in public places is because there is no significant evidence stating secondhand smoke is an immediate cause for cancer. Even though there are studies where the odds are greater of getting cancer or heart attacks if you are around secondhand smoke, it is still an issue that is not yet proven.
Another main reason smoking is still mostly legal in public places is the tobacco industry. This industry is very important for the United States' economy. It is a large contributor to the economic success of our country, and without the tobacco industry, many states would go into debt and become unstable. In North Carolina, tobacco is one of the most important agricultural needs. Some believe we need tobacco in order to prosper as a state. Getting rid of smoking in all public places would probably cause some people to quit smoking and raise the tax on a pack of cigarettes. This would not be good for the economy because less people would buy the cigarettes because they couldn't smoke where they wanted to, and they couldn't be able to afford to buy the pack they crave each day.
So, enough about how smoking should not be banned. Smoking is the choice of the person. Fact. Constant exposure to secondhand smoke causes health risks. Fact. Secondhand smoke is preventable. Fact. According to the American Lung Association, there was a challenge made by the organization to try and get all of the states to be smoke-free in public places by year 2010. They have to get 10,000 signatures on a petition of people who want their community to be smoke-free. They believe they can do this because 21 of the states and territories of the US are already banning smoking in public places such as restaurants and bars. As stated on the National Cancer Institute's website, 250 chemicals in secondhand smoke are harmful and 50 are known to cause cancer. This is a fact that is way too high to not matter.

"Secondhand Smoke And Its Effect On...
The fetus and newborn: Maternal, fetal, and placental blood flow change when pregnant women smoke, although the long-term health effects of these changes are not known. Some studies suggest that smoking during pregnancy causes birth defects such as cleft lip or palate. Smoking mothers produce less milk, and their babies have a lower birth weight. Maternal smoking also is associated with neonatal death from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, the major cause of death in infants between one month and one year of age. "
-AAO-ANS
So, as you can see from above, secondhand smoke also affects babies born to mothers who are exposed to it. Even though the risks are small in each instance listed above, these birth defects do happen in everyday situations.
Furthermore, smoking in public places is a binary issue because of the fact that it can be supported with evidence such as the tobacco industry and the belief secondhand smoke doesn't cause health risks. Under the FAQ section on this site, a person does not believe smoke is dangerous to one's health. On the contrary, it can be supported that secondhand smoke is hazardous to one's health and the government should therefore take control in protecting the health of citizens.