Smoking in public places: a human right



Smoking in public places: a human right?

A new law in the state of Idaho forbids smoking in all state-owned buildings and within 20 feet of their entrances and exits. This new Clean Indoor Air Law is having an unintended effect on a special group of senior citizens.

Dozens of smokers who lived at the Idaho State Veterans’ Home in cities across Idaho are now being forced to smoke outside. Prior to the passing of this new law, these veterans had not been allowed to smoke in their own rooms. However, each home had provided a specially-designed, well-ventilated smoking room for the residents to use. These smoking rooms were separated from the other rooms in the home to protect non-smokers from the second-hand smoke.

In the past, public nursing homes, including veterans’ homes, had been exempt from environmental laws banning smoking in public places. However, according the Richard Jones, the administrator of Veterans’ Services, the new law appears to have overlooked the situation of senior citizens. Mr. Jones is very worried about what will happen when winter arrives and the veterans have to leave the building to smoke.

Many of the old soldiers living in the State Veterans’ Homes are very angry about the way they are being treated in the final years of their lives. They believe that they have fought hard for their country and deserve the right to smoke inside their buildings. They are planning to consult with the Attorney General’s Office and ask the legislature to give the same exemption as in the past.

These old soldiers say they have one last battle to fight.

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1. Why are some veterans from Idaho upset?

2. What does the new Indoor Clean Air Law entail?

3. Before this law was passed, what special exception was made for veterans’ homes?

4. What is the specific concern some people have related to this new law?

5. What is the objective and plan of action for Idaho’s veterans?

VOCABULARY

FORBID

UNINTENDED

VETERAN

VENTILATED

EXEMPT

OVERLOOK

DESERVE

CONSULT

DISCUSSION

1. Should there be a special, indoor smoking rooms in senior citizens’ homes?

2. Should restaurants have smoking sections?

3. Should pubs and bars be smoke-free?

4. Should employers be allowed to ask job applicants if they smoke?

5. Should cigarette advertising be banned on television and in magazines?

6. Should retailers who sell cigarettes to under-aged teenagers be punished?

7. Should teenagers who are caught smoking on school property be expelled from the school?

8. Should doctors have the right to refuse to treat patients who will not quit smoking?

9. Should cigarettes be in the same category as other addictive drugs such as heroin and cocaine, meaning that cigarette sales and consumption be banned?

10. Is smoking around children a form of child abuse?

THE DEBATE!

Smoking in public places: a human right?

EACH SIDE must prepare arguments and the JURY must prepare questions.

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IN FAVOR

by Peta S. Cameron

Allowing smoking in public places may bring confusion for many people, especially for those who have never actually been addicted to the nicotine in cigarettes, it is difficult to gain understanding. When smoking in public place, it generally refers to spaces, which are closed spaces, or where it would intrude on other non-smoking people in society today.

Let me see, how do we define a public place. Well if you think hard, you might realize that anything-just standing outside your front gate is a public place. Now if you rent a house and your property owner tells you that you cannot smoke inside the house, would that make your home a public place?

The world is rapidly changing these days. The only thing we can be sure of will all these now rules and regulations is that perhaps the next generation of people may enjoy more important things like the smell of fresh air. It is a very interesting debate over the subject of whether smoking should be allow in public places.

This is a topic, which of course may create huge differences in opinion. For the millions of people in the world today who had taken up this ever so difficult to stop habit it has caused much anger. It would almost be an impossibility to pretend the world can stamp out smokers like they are a malignant type of growth of some kind.

Basically we all choose usually early in our lives to take up this filthy habit unknowingly at the time, that it becomes an horrifyingly addictive substance which can create more problems than we expected, if just to relax us in the first place. It is a very difficult habit and addiction to break free from.

If we look back in the early generations which knew nothing of the impending dangers to health and finances, we see that not only was smoking promoted in such places like the movies, advertising and sponsorship of events it was basically showing people that it was a very cool thing to do. Look at some old black and white movies and see how many Hollywood Stars smoked!

Of course the reason for my debating the issue of whether smoking should be allowed in public places is to make non- smoking people realize it is not always a simple and dried case of just shut up and give up.

The coming generations shall change and benefit from all the procedures in place with anti-smoking campaigning, but for the older generations of people that are dire hard smokers and may never change, we should look into designated smoking areas and that goes for everywhere we go. Any one knows that even if you are a smoker, it is just courtesy and manners to not impose on others something that is just a personal choice.

So, yes I believe smoking should be allowed in public places, but with rules and regulations put in place. Do we think about the fact that if we did not want our children to smoke; the next generation of humans, we would give up no matter how hard it was to do. Alternatively, do we consider whether smoking in confined spaces with our much-loved pets, would give them lung cancer? Well guess what I know of a cat, which is 18 years old, and doing fine thanks, and smoked near all it's life.

There is something for everyone to think about. Most of the problems arise from the way people think anyway, of that I feel quite certain. The only difference between a smoker and a heroin addict is that fact that smokers are physically damaging themselves through choice; their entire personality does not change by choosing to smoke cigarettes. With drugs, the entirety of your surrounds is affected by the evil habit. Generations come and go and I believe the future looks much better for the children to come.

For those who would like to debate the fact that it is necessary to suddenly stamp out smokers because it stuffing the environment just has a look at the big picture of toxicity in the air from factories and car pollution and that is to name a few, that is another debate in itself. Who would rather be a smoker than a drug addict or an abusive alcoholic.

AGAINST

by Jeremy Fisher

"They've taken away our freedom," was the first complaint that I heard as a result of England's public smoking ban. And so the situation escalated; "next they will ban smoking altogether, and then alcohol too!". But the point that many have failed to recognise this ban represents a freedom gained by the general public.

Now that smoking is banned in all of England's public places, the public have gained the freedom to enter whatever shopping centre or club they desire without having their lungs attacked by smoke. Second-hand smoking' or passive-smoking' are a term used to describe how people who inhale smoke, which is exhaled from a smoker, are affected. Passive smoking can cause just as much damage as regular smoking, with scientific evidence linking deaths, diseases and disabilities to second-hand smoking.

So when taking this into account, it would seem that the public smoking ban is long overdue. The selfish habits of others have been polluting the lungs of the innocent for too long and in England on July 1st 2007 this has been stopped. In October of this year, the age at which it is legal to purchase cigarettes will rise from 16 to 18 in England and Wales. After years of research proving how lethal smoking is, action is finally being taken against it.

If you have had the experience of being in a smoke free public place after a ban, you will know what a strange sensation it is. Just last night (Wednesday 4th July), my band played at the usually smoky Dry Bar in Manchester. But this night was different: from the stage, the back of the venue was actually visible! It was a welcome change, which meant that the next morning my clothes and hair didn't absolutely stink (although I have to admit that the stale cigarette smell was replaced by body odour).

Looking back to my introductory paragraph, I think the debate of freedom' is in need of further inspection. A lot of smokers, as well as some non-smokers, are outraged by England's new ban. They say that this ban represents another step towards a nanny state.' Obviously this side of the argument should not be overlooked, but the only freedom' lost by smokers has been their freedom to poison not only themselves, but anyone who comes into contact with them.

What will be the consequences of the absence of public smoking in England? Well firstly, the hygiene of all public places will increase. But another side affect may be that some smokers will give up smoking altogether, and that is reason enough to have a public smoking ban. The general health of the nation will rise, which may lead the government to think that they have shot themselves in the foot. Better national health means a greater life expectancy for the average man or woman, which will mean more money will be spent on care for the elderly. Also, if cigarette sales fall, the government will miss out on the billions of pounds generated by tax on cigarettes.

Admittedly, there are negatives to the banning of public smoking, but in my opinion they barely make a mark against the positives. The positives span right down to every individual: the chances of contracting a passive smoking related cancer will drop. Some smokers will kick their habit and stop wasting their money. Younger people will not be as exposed to cigarettes as they were, and there is hope that this could prevent some youths from starting to smoke.

To finalise, the banning of smoking in public places can only do good. Over 30 countries worldwide have implemented some form of smoking ban, and it would seem that this is a spreading trend. In England, I've already seen smoking shelters being raised and wet, shivering smokers are making more and more appearances on the streets, but I can only smile.

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