Sometimes the human race is pretty stupid. I’m sure we can all agree with that statement even if you may not agree with what I’m about to write. I’m not referring to smokers with that statement. Instead, I’m referring to the fact that smoking in public places, such as on the street, is still allowed.
Smoking has been around for a long time and its popularity kept on increasing until the 1960s when scientific research discovered that smoking cigarettes are actually pretty bad for people. Although this discovery was made dozens of years ago, it took a long while for the government to take active measures against smoking for our health and safety. In more recent years, smoking has been banned in nearly all enclosed public spaces such as bars, restaurants and workplaces in several European countries. Since March of this year, smoking is also forbidden in queues in the top 20 amusement parks in the Netherlands. Other measures that several countries have taken is increasing the taxes on cigarettes every year and placing disturbing pictures on cigarette packs to scare people off. I can imagine that measures like this can be frustrating for people who like to smoke, however, I find it even more frustrating that people are still allowed to smoke in public areas.
Smoking cigarettes is harmful to your health. One in two smokers will die from a smoking-related disease and I’m sure we’re all aware that smoking increases the risk of lung cancer and many other sometimes deadly diseases. Even if you’re one of the lucky ones, smoking will still decrease the functioning of your lungs. Having said that, I think it’s everyone’s own choice whether to smoke or not. However, according to some studies, inhaling second-hand smoke, the smoke from someone else’s cigarette can be as damaging to my lungs as if I would smoke myself.
I don’t want to damage my lungs or inhale any smoke so I choose to stay away from cigarettes but when I’m walking on the street where someone else smokes this choice is taken from me. Sure, I can walk away so I don’t inhale the smoke, but why should I? I am not the one creating the possible difficulty to breathe by smoking in a public place; all I’m doing is walking past or standing there.
Don’t be a pain, just walk away, is what you might be thinking. Well, what if I’m waiting at a bus stop because then I can’t. Or what if I’m on my way to university and someone’s walking in front of me- I can’t just stop walking, wait 5 minutes and be late for class, (I mean I can but I don’t want to and I shouldn’t have to). Or, even more frustrating, what if I’m playing a football match and someone is smoking on the sideline. Why would you smoke in an area where people literally need to use their lungs? Honestly, you shouldn’t be smoking next to a pitch unless you’ve checked the direction of the wind and ensure that the cigarette doesn’t leave a trail of smoke heading towards the pitch. And what about our children on the playgrounds? Shouldn’t smokers steer clear there?
To be fair, I don’t think smokers are generally aware that they might bother other people as they’re probably just enjoying their cigarette. And why would they be aware as the government says it’s okay to smoke in public.
The government knows that cigarette smoke is bad for our health. In fact, they claim it is their reason for increasing cigarette prices each year. But if the government really cared they wouldn’t increase the prices because you don’t stop someone from smoking like that or increase their awareness about it. I think increasing the prices is something they do to create the illusion that something is done about smoking while it simultaneously earns them more money. Where are the real measures?
I don’t think people need to be forbidden from smoking but I would like the government to regulate it better. Forbid cigarettes in certain places such as playgrounds, theme parks, bus stops, schools and around hospitals and actually enforce the rules. Create better spaces for smokers, not open spaces right next to ‘free from smoking’ spaces.
I really wish that I didn’t have to worry about people smoking every time I have to wait at a bus stop or visit the doctor.
