In June 1957, U.S. Surgeon General Leroy E. Burney first acknowledged the causal relationship between smoking and lung cancer (“The Reports of the Surgeon General”). Since then, the body of scientific research linking smoking to health problems has only increased. Today, smoking and secondhand smoking have been identified as a causal or associated factor in a wide range of diseases and disorders (Menzies). Therefore, smoking should be banned in public places in order to protect those who are exposed to secondhand smoke, especially children. In addition, the inconvenience may deter some people from smoking at all, which could reduce overall mortality and morbidity rates from smoking. Finally, the global trend toward banning smoking in public places demonstrates that there is widespread support among both citizens and lawmakers for this measure (Schmidt).

The most important reason why smoking should be banned in public places is that it can cause serious health problems for people who are exposed to secondhand smoke (Menzies). For example, research indicates that secondhand smoking is associated with the onset of cardiovascular health problems, and it can also exacerbate existing respiratory conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (Menzies). Exposure to secondhand smoke is also harmful to children, including unborn children in utero, as it may increase the risk for cleft palate, atherosclerosis, emphysema, and lung cancer in adulthood (Menzies). In total, about 890,000 non-smokers die from exposure to secondhand smoke each year (“Tobacco”). Because all citizens contribute to the maintenance of public places through taxes, they should all have the opportunity to enjoy them without risking their own health or that of their children.

Another reason to ban smoking in public places is that it may deter people from starting to smoke or even convince current smokers to quit. When smoking is banned in public places, it can become a major inconvenience to find a place to smoke. As a result, starting to smoke may seem less appealing for young people and other potential smokers. The inconvenience could also serve as a motivator for current smokers who are thinking about quitting. As a result, a ban on smoking in public places could reduce the number of deaths from direct tobacco use each year, which is currently around six million, according to the World Health Organization (“Tobacco”). It could also reduce the burden of other problems associated with smoking. For instance, by reducing overall population, tobacco use can increase the cost of healthcare for all people (“Tobacco”). It can also limit economic growth when smokers develop debilitating conditions that prevent them from working.

Finally, there is growing support across the world for smoking bans in public places. So far, most of the countries that have implemented smoke-free bans are in Europe and other areas of the developed world (Schmidt). However, there are also growing calls for bans on smoking in public places from developing countries (Schmidt), and these countries account for the greatest number of deaths per year from secondhand smoke (“Tobacco”). Given that the citizens provide the funding for public places through taxes, their concerns should be reflected in the rules that govern those places. Therefore, since smoking bans in public places are popular among citizens, they should be implemented around the world.

In conclusion, it is imperative to ban smoking in public places. Not only would such a ban protect the health of individuals who are exposed to secondhand smoke, but it could also reduce the popularity of smoking in general, which could improve overall population health and economic conditions. It is also consistent with the current trend in public opinion around the world. Thus, there is no time to waste in implementing a ban on smoking in public places.