Should smoking be banned in public places Essay

Should smoking be banned in public places - Essay Example There are studies to prove this case. Even though there are no laws that prohibit smokers from smoking, the places where cigarette smoking should be allowed can be regulated. Banning cigarette smoking in public places will do a lot in preventing illnesses caused by passive smoke. Smoking as a habit has been around for a long time now, and it has been regarded as both a bad habit and symbol of status. Up until the nineteenth century, cigar-smoking was almost exclusively done by socially elite males. Cigarettes were actually derived from cigars as they were essentially tobacco residues which were swept and collected and later on smoked by poor people. Cigarette smoking then became popular in the 1880's, with the advent of cigarette-making machines. Though cigarettes were cheaper and widely available, smoking it was still not popular at that time. Cigarette smoking just became popular World War I when tobacco companies gave away large quantities of cigarettes to American soldiers to boost their morale. Only after this event that Americans were hooked to cigarette smoking (Grannis, n.d.). It was only after a few years of research that people learned of the harmful effects of cigarette smoking. One of the Surgeon General's findings was cigarette smoking was not o nly harmful to the smoker but also to the non-smokers (commonly referred to as passive or second-hand smokers) surrounding them. As a result several action groups sought total cigarette bans on shopping malls, theaters and other public places. Bad effects of smoking Various cancers were eventually found out to be linked with cigarette smoking. These cancers develop due to the 43 carcinogens and other chemicals found in cigarette smoke, leading to carcinogenesis or the formation of cancer causing cells due to smoking (Burns, 1991). In the 1950's, extensive research about the relationship between lung cancer and cigarette smoking were done in the U.K. and the United States. Findings from these studies showed that smoking and lung cancer were indeed related. Previously, lung cancer was one of the rarest types of cancers in the world. In the 1970's, cases of lung cancer suddenly boomed when cigarette smoking went popular during the period. This sudden increase made lung cancer into one of the deadliest cancers in the world (qtd. From Grannis, n.d.). Lungs are not the only organs in the body that are affected by cigarette smoking. The brain and the rest of the nervous system is also affected by cigarette smoke. The brain's cognitive functions which handles the brain's capacity for stimuli and attention as well as regulation of automatic body processes such as digestion and breathing is negatively affected by cigarette smoke. This happens when blood containing carcinogens are pumped into the brain's bloodstream. Different carcinogens have different physiological effects. For example, nicotine acts upon the brain within 10 seconds, causing an almost instantaneous mood change in the user ("TheHealthConsequencesofSmoking.." 2005). Independent studies made in the University of Aberdeen and University of Edinburgh investigated the various effects of smoking in the cognitive skills of smokers and non-smokers. The results, published in an issue of New Scientist showed that most smokers fail in five unrelated cognitive tests. Another series of tests