Is it fair for people to have to endure second-hand smoke because people smoke in public places?

Topic:
Health Debates

18 Contributors
in this discussion.

Yes
22% of users

  • No, second-hand smoke causes health issues no matter where smoking is allowed.

    There should be more taxes on cigarettes and continued growth in banning it in public places. The smell and the choking feeling my lungs get make me give praise to the people who got that idea going. More and more cities are imposing that law. These days I will refuse to patronize a place that allows it. Because the next town over that has a smoking ban has that same restaurant or place of business, I will go further for it.

    Yes WilldL0v3ly

  • Public means for everyone, not just for non-smokers.

    When someone leaves their house, they are exposing themselves to whatever is in the air - secondhand smoke, car exhaust, food odors, pollen, etc.. People who choose to smoke are making a personal decision, which is not up to the rest of the world. People who choose not to are also making a personal decision. Just because both people are in the same area doesn't mean that one always gets to force their personal choice on the other. If the property belonged to one or the other, that person would get to decide whether smoking is allowed; public means it doesn't belong to either of them so neither can force their decisions on the other.

    Yes Qu3yNea

  • People don't have to sit there and inhale it, they can move!

    If someone doesn't like second hand smoke, they can easily get up and move away from it. And, if the second hand smoke is in an outdoor area, there is no real danger of inhaling it unless the person is sitting right next to the smoker. In such a case, they can simply get up and move.

    Yes R0m4nticCar

  • Yes, the reaction to second hand smoke has gone too far.

    The causes of cancer are complex, and it is a long stretch to say that exposure to periodic second hand smoke causes cancer. Air pollution alone may be a far larger cause of cancers. If the issue is therefore only having to deal with bad odors, then people who wear cologne or don't bathe shouldn't be allowed in public.

    Yes R43Shep
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No
78% of users

  • No, smokers should find a place where they will not endanger others.

    Any public place where non-smokers would have to endure the health hazard of breathing someone else's second-hand smoke, should not allow smoking. It is not fair for people who have made the choice not to smoke to have to subject themselves to the same health risks as smokers, just because they're out in public. There should be smoking locations in public places that let smokers smoke, without endangering others.

    No R3yGoobIe

  • People shouldn't have to face health risks due to the choices of other people.

    No one should have to risk developing cancer or other health problems, due to the choices of those around them. People who smoke cigarettes should do so in private places, such as their own residence, or outdoors, so that no one else has to inhale the smoke. This issue goes beyond common courtesy, as people's lives can be at stake.

    No TwoVic

  • Second-hand smoke is dangerous, and smoking should be regulated to certain places.

    Many states within the United States already have laws restricting the consumption of alcohol in public spaces. The same should hold true for smokers. Second-hand smoke is extremely dangerous, studies show even more dangerous than smoking itself. Smoking in public is not a right bestowed by the Constitution or by law. Therefore, it is unfair for smokers to smoke in public spaces without regards to regulations.

    No AmusingTanner32

  • Non-smokers should have the right to breathe clean, non-toxic air.

    It's been scientifically proven that second-hand smoke carries the same amount of health risks as smoking does. People who choose not to smoke should not be put in situations and places where they are unwillingly subjected to the unhealthy carcinogens that smokers choose to produce. Aside from being downright rude, it infringes on the non-smoker's rights.

    No MarkBuII

  • No, it is not fair for people to have to endure second-hand smoke, as people should not have others' unhealthy choices forced upon them.

    No, it is not fair for people to have to endure second-hand smoke, as people should not have others' unhealthy choices forced upon them. Second-hand smoke has been shown to have a number of significant negative health effects on those experiencing it. While everyone can make up their mind as to whether they are willing to bear the negative effects of smoking on themselves, they should not be allowed to force this danger on the people around them. Smoking in public places unfairly exposes others to dangerous substances against their will.

    No PreciousMiguel78

  • It is unfair for people to endure second-hand smoke, because it is something that affects their health.

    There are many non-smokers who specifically choose not to smoke because they do not want to have their health affected by smoking. It is not fair for a smoker then to light up in public and pollute the air for someone who chooses not to smoke. There are many, too, that have illnesses that would be worsened if they breathe the smoke in. Judgment should be made on what is healthier for society.

    No eyeslikethat

  • People should not have to endure others second-hand smoke in public places.

    People choose to smoke or not to smoke. Those who smoke have that right, but others should not have to endure their second-hand smoke in public places. If they want to smoke in the privacy of their own homes that is their privilege, but they should not be allowed to smoke in public places where others frequent. People who choose not to smoke should be able to go to restaurants, stores, etc. without being subjected to others' second-hand smoke. If they wanted to be subjected to smoke, they probably would have taken up smoking themselves. Also, if you are around people who smoke, you smell like it when you leave. I do not want to smell like smoke because I have been at a restaurant where someone is smoking.

    No babydollxix

  • I agree that it isn't fair for people to inhale second-hand smoke, because it can be lethal.

    Not only is it not fair, it's criminal for someone to be exposed to second-hand smoke against their will. Take children, for example. It should be unlawful for parents to smoke within 50 feet of their kids, or in any enclosed space of any size. It's against the law to knowingly give someone AIDS, and this is no different. Smoking kills, period.

    No N3vinFace

  • People should not have suffer the side effects that come from enduring second-hand smoke because people smoke in public places.

    There are many proven ill effects of second-hand smoke. If someone breaths in enough second-hand smoke, if could have nearly the same cancerous affects of being the actual smoker. Second-hand smoke also carries a bad odor that will stick on people's clothes, and makes some people cough or get sick.

    No EImerN4th

  • Just because someone wants to smoke in a public place doesn't mean they should be allowed to.

    Second hand smoke is dangerous to all involved. If someone doesn't smoke then they are vulnerable when around someone who is smoking. Workers and customers in bars and restraints who don't smoke have to put up with the smokers and it is affecting their health. If smokers want to jeopardize themselves they can but others should not be placed in the path of danger because of their habit.

    No B3rkIffy

  • Non-smokers should not ever be forced to endure second-hand smoking.

    The known risks of second hand smoke are such that no one should be forced to endure them. Work places, and true public places (airports and the like) should ban smoking except in segregated areas. While private businesses should have the option of providing smoking bans (thus choosing to cater to a smoking or non-smoking clientele), no one should ever have to endure second-hand smoke in a public place.

    No N3r0nKrooI

  • It is not fair to have to endure second hand smoking, it is a health risk, smoking should be banned in public places.

    The people who choose to live a lifestyle where their health is put at risk should not be given the power to affect the health of those around them. Second-hand smoking is actually more dangerous than first-hand smoking and if a person ,who is a non-smoker, has to endure the experience of taking in smoke in public places just because that area is not a smoke free zone, they have every right to be upset. If they themselves are not out to ruin their health, why should they give anyone else the right to? It is greatly unfair that the elderly, pregnant women, little children all have to become victim to the poorly chosen lifestyle of another.

    No MyHier

  • It is not fair for people to have to endure second hand smoking because the smokers are damaging people's bodies who don't smoke themselves.

    I believe that people who have to endure second hand smoking because of people smoking in public places, is not at all fair. The smokers are damaging other peoples bodies because they are smoking and the excess smoke goes it someone else's system. This is just as bad if they were the ones holding the cigarette, but nothing can be done anyway.

    No N34rIyGaIv

  • Innocent bystanders should not have to breath in other's nasty habits.

    I do not think it is fair that people in public places are forced to breath in smokers' second hand smoke. With second hand smoke being just as bad, if not worse, than smoking, it should be banned in public places. Smoking is a personal choice, but if you choose not to smoke, you should not have to face the effects just by being in public. People should have more respect for others.

    No OIi0IymPic
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Is it fair for people to have to endure second-hand smoke because people smoke in public places?
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