Have you ever enjoyed a walk through the park? Unfortunately there are some places where many people can not enjoy a walk through the park without inhaling a cloud of smoke. There is an easy solution to the problem which has been displayed in states such as Illinois. “The Smoke-Free Illinois Act prohibits smoking in virtually all places and workplaces, including offices, theaters, museums, libraries, educational institutions, schools, commercial establishments, enclosed shopping centers and retail stores, restaurants, bars, private clubs and gaming facilities.(Smoke-free Illinois)” This act became effective on January 1, 2008. Smoking is dangerous, to those working in the places, those trying to enjoy it, and the smokers themselves. A ban on public smoking will provide and incentive for some to quit when they can not do it freely if they would like to. Smokers will smoke less in their homes as …show more content…
Secondhand smoke kills at least an estimated 65,000 people a year in the U.S. who not smoke according to a 2006 report by the U.S. Surgeon General (Smoke-free Illinois). Secondhand smoke causes a variety of health complications. Secondhand smoke is commonly known to trigger severe asthma attacks, respiratory infections, ear infections, and sudden infant death syndrome in infants and children. For adults, secondhand smoke causes lung cancer, strokes, and coronary heart disease (Health Effects of Secondhand Smoke). According to the CDC, “breathing secondhand smoke can have immediate adverse effects on your blood and blood vessels, increasing the risk of having a heart attack.” No protection for those smoking from non-smokers within an enclosed environment results in the only means to protect people is to eliminate smoking indoors (Smoke-free Illinois). Second hand smoke increases the risk for stroke and the risk of developing lung cancer by 20-30%. Lung cancer deaths to due secondhand smoke result in more than 7,300 deaths among nonsmokers in the U.S. each year. Nearly 34,000 premature deaths from heart disease occur each year in U.S. nonsmokers from secondhand smoke (Health Effects of Secondhand Smoke). A ban on smoking would be beneficial to those nearby smokers, but also to the smokers themselves. A ban would encourage smokers to smoke less or give up completely. Since they can not smoke in public places, their bodies