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About Banning Smoking

Scientific evidence has proven that smoking is harmful to one's health. For this reason, smoking bans are becoming more popular across the United States. However, smoking bans are not without controversy. Knowing some basic facts about these bans can help a person decide whether they wish to support or oppose them.

  1. You Still Can Smoke

    • Most smoking bans prohibit smoking in public places and places where people tend to gather. Such places include government offices, most workplaces and restaurants. Bans typically do not include a person's home or vehicle.

    Non-Smoking Section Myth

    • Opponents of smoking bans sometimes argue that separating smokers from non-smokers in a public area adequately protects the non-smokers from secondhand smoke. This is not true. Often all that separates a smoking section from a non-smoking section is a few feet, and cigarette smoke often can drift through the air easily from one section to another. The only way to protect against second-hand smoke thus is to eliminate the smoking altogether.

    Economic Impact

    • The economic impact is not easy to determine. According to Jonathan Tomlin, an economist with the LECG research and consulting firm, the surgeon general previously has supported bans by referencing more than 100 studies that demonstrated that bans have little impact on business revenue, but these studies have statistical shortcomings because of their methodology. Other factors that may affect revenue may not have been considered in some of these studies, for instance.

    Goals

    • There are two main goals of smoking bans. The first is the reduction of health problems that are related to smoking, such as cancer. The second is an increase in the aesthetic appeal of the environment, since cigarettes create hazy smoke, can smell bad to some people and often are tossed onto the ground.

    Prevalence

    • Smoking bans are gaining popularity as the health risks associated with smoking (and with secondhand smoke) become irrefutable. The first ban was instituted in California in the 1990s. Since then, as many as 17,068 municipalities in 38 states have anti-smoking regulations for the workplace, restaurants, and/or bars. In all, 31 of the 38 states with bans have bans that are state, rather than locally, enforced. Even in states where there are not heavy restrictions, bans can still be found whenever smoking may cause a safety hazard. An example of this is a laundromat that bans smoking due to the risk of fibers igniting, or a gas station where an open flame may cause a dangerous explosion.

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