Smoking in public, while legal, can light a fire under those against cigarettes. This has led to smoking bans across the United States, angering smokers who are not committing an illegal activity. Smoking in public can cause problems because of the effects of secondhand smoke, though effects can be minimized if smokers recognize where they can legally smoke and employ proper etiquette.
Secondhand Smoke
Also known as environmental tobacco or passive smoke, secondhand smoke subjects nonsmokers to breathe in nicotine and the other toxic chemicals in cigarettes. This is known as involuntary smoking or passive smoking. This is classified as a cancer-causing agent by the Environmental Protection Agency, and passive smoking causes approximately 3,400 lung cancer deaths each year, according to the American Cancer Society. It also leads to 46,000 deaths from heart disease, additional breathing problems and lung infections and increased asthma in children.
Smoking Etiquette
If you choose to smoke in public, do so responsibly by being aware of nonsmokers around you. If you're in the company of a nonsmoker, ask him if he minds whether you light a cigarette. Even if you're not actually acquainted with the people around you, try to keep the smoke away from other people's faces so they are not forced to breath it.
It is also recommended to dispose of your cigarette butts responsibly. Etiquette tips by Modern Manners Guy suggests not throwing the cigarette out the window of your car or dropping it on the ground. Instead, extinguish your cigarette fully and dispose of it in a trash can or cigarette receptacle.
Indoor Smoking Bans
In the 20th century, the public began to realize the health problems associated with cigarettes, and restaurants began to separate their establishments into smoking and nonsmoking, according to the website NoToSmoke.com. In the 1990s, California issued the first smoking ban in restaurants, and other states have since followed---37 have some sort of smoking ban as of 2007, according to an article from ABC news.
Extending this ban to all public places nationwide could save $92 million in heart attack-related costs in a year, according to the article. A total ban on smoking in public and private offices, restaurants and bars could mean 18,596 fewer acute hospitalizations, according to a study by Dr. Mouaz Al-Mallah at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.
Outdoor Smoking Ban
While studies have proven the harmful effects of smoking indoors, it's not as clear whether an outdoor smoking ban would be beneficial. According to a April 2010 article in the Los Angeles Times, California has considered an outdoor smoking ban, as a state EPA report has determined the effects of smoking outdoors to be the same as those indoors.
Reacting to Comments
Smokers sometimes have to deal with requests to extinguish their cigarettes. If someone asks you to put your cigarette out, either comply with the request or move to another location, recommends Modern Manners Guy.
References
- American Cancer Society: Secondhand Smoke
- Quick and Dirty Tips: Smoking Etiquette
- ABC News: National Indoor Smoking Ban Could Prevent Thousands of Heart Attacks
- Science Direct: The impact of a smoking ban on hospital admissions for coronary heart disease
- NoToSmoke.com: Smoking Ban - Obstruction of Freedom?
