Reasons for Banning Smoking in Restaurants

Smoking does not just have ill-effects on the smoker, it is a public health hazard. Second-hand smoke is dangerous when a person is constantly exposed to it, but just one exposure can be dangerous to people with pre-existing conditions. As of 2010, legislation across the United States has banned smoking in restaurants to protect restaurant workers and non-smoking patrons.

Reduces Long Term Health Risks

• Banning smoking helps the health of the workers.

  Long-term exposure to cigarette smoke leads to long-term ill health effects. Those who inhale second-hand smoke on a regular basis have the same risks as smokers. These include cancer, heart disease and emphysema. Restaurant workers in businesses that allow smoking showed detectable levels of NNK. NNK is a carcinogen in cigarettes that has been directly linked to the development of lung cancer. In 2004, the University of California conducted a study, which found the banning of smoking reduced heart attacks by as much as one-fifth. Finland also has a ban on smoking in restaurants and a study by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health found the number of sick days in the workplace was reduced by thousands.

Protects Customers and Workers With Pre-Existing Conditions

• Exposure for customers or workers with pre-existing conditions can be fatal.

  For some people, the effects of tobacco smoke are instant. Approximately 100 million Americans have breathing conditions such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, chronic sinusitis, emphysema and more. Inhaling second hand tobacco smoke can irritate these conditions or even trigger asthma attacks and bronchial infections. Cardiovascular conditions can also be triggered by exposure to second hand smoke. For those with an elevated risk of coronary problems, the Center for Disease Control found that exposure for as little as 30 minutes elevates the risk of a fatal heart attack to that of the smoker.

Encourages People to Quit

• The inconvenience of the smoking ban led to an increase in quitting in England.

  Addiction to cigarettes is both mental and physical. Cigarette addicts do physically crave smoking but they are also addicted to the motions and the lifestyle. Banning smoking in restaurants prevents customers who enjoy smoking while they eat or drink alcohol. For smokers who go to restaurants often, this is an inconvenience which has positive effects on their health whether they like it or not. England banned smoking in restaurants in 2007 and within one year an estimated 400,000 people quit smoking cigarettes. During the next 10 years, the ban could prevent more than 40,000 smoking related deaths in England alone.