Smoking in public places Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Smoking in public places - Essay Example According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the use of tobacco is the single most preventable risk to human health in the developed countries. In addition, it is one of the most vital causes of worldwide premature deaths. In the United States, many states have already banned smoking at the public places and California is one of them. In fact, the state of California has one of the strictest laws against smoking at the public places in the world. California decided to take serious steps to control the smoking in the public places in 2001. Governor Davis signed AB188 prohibiting the smoking or disposal of any "cigarette, cigar, or other tobacco-related product" within a playground or tot lot sandbox area and establishing a $100 fine for any violation. (Not Available) Smoking is prohibited in all the workplaces, including but are not limited to restaurants, bars, casinos, gambling clubs, play pits, play structures, backstops, sports fields, tennis courts, and picnics reserved places. When adults smoke in front of young children, it would not give a good impact on their amateur minds. They start feeling that smoking is a good thing and normalizes it. According to the statistics, the average starting age of an adult smoker is thirteen years old. All city laws rely on public education, signage, and voluntary compliance while providing citation authority to peace officers and, in some cases, park rangers and environmental health officers. (Board of Supervisors) Restricted Places (LA) The restricted places in the Los Angeles County are Alhambra - prohibits smoking within 100 feet of a tot lot playground or baseball field; Baldwin Park - has smoke-free policies for its parks; Compton - has smoke-free policies for its parks; Covina - has smoke-free policies for its parks; Beverly Hills - curb-to-curb, smoke-free parks; La Puente - has smoke-free policies for its parks; Long Beach - Drake park is smoke free; Los Angeles -tobacco-free zones include play areas, baseball diamonds, sport courts and areas, and permitted picnic areas; Pasadena - prohibits smoking in all parks and public golf courses; Santa Monica - curb-to-curb, smoke-free parks; San Fernando - curb-to-curb, smoke-free and tobacco or tobacco-related products parks; and West Hollywood - one pocket park is entirely smoke free. (Not Available) From the above discussion, we can conclude that the passive smoking is as dangerous as actual smoking. The passive smoking is not only the issue of the United States - it is the prevalent issue of the whole world. Every day hundreds of people are dying just because of the smoking related diseases such as lung cancer. It is believed that there is no other way except to ban smoking in the public places to reduce its lethal effects. In the United States, many states have already taken several steps to