Why smoking in public places should be banned

My cousin died three years ago from second hand smoking. Her fault? Working in an office full of smokers. The smokers are still around, she is dead after being bedridden with a pitiful, metastasizing and deadly lung cancer.

My answer to the debate if smoking in public places should be allowed comes loud and clear. Smoking should not only be prohibited but rather strictly prohibited from any public place.

We live in a civilized world where any harm done to another person will result with a penalty. Lets look at it this way, a man is driving under the influence of alcohol/drugs. Everybody knows that his driving is potentially going to injure or kill an innocent on the street. So what happens? Due to the danger involved, driving under the influence is prohibited and stiff penalties as a consequence will arise.

I know that smoking in public and driving under the influence are two different scenarios, but after all what are the differences? The drunk driver may cause a crash and injure or kill immediately, the second hand smoker may cause cancer and injure or kill, but only years later. Timing is the only difference, as they are both iffy circumstances, the driver may cause a crash, the smoker may cause cancer. There is irresponsibility and disregard for others in both instances.

Now thinking of it, I am pretty sure my cousin would have rather died swiftly in a car accident rather than seeing her body deteriorate before her eyes.

After all, if we think of it, who allows smoking in public places? Just a handful of greedy employers-(maybe smokers themselves)- and business owners that only care about making money and care less about other people's well being.

While more and more public places are proudly prohibiting smoking there are still a few places that are far away from doing this.

An example are pubs and discos. They still have that suffocating, cloudy appearance which I personally, cannot bear. If I should decide to go, I will return home hoarse and with bloody red, irritated eyes. I have come to the point of no longer going. The owners of such businesses are greedy and careless.

The cause of pubs and disco owners' reluctance to ban smoking may be related to the fact that for some reason smokers seem to gather heavily in these places.

What these business owners are unaware of is the fact that even if smoking should be prohibited, chances are the smokers may return, leaving their cigarettes at home.

Airlines have prohibited smoking for many decades and smokers continue to fly and the airline companies continue to strive. I have never heard of smokers not traveling because of the non smoking factor. I am sure they are annoyed, but they are able to sit and cope with their abstinence issues rather stoically.

Smoking after all, is not necessary for our survival, it is worthless, however, some people seem to need to inhale a cigarette with the same urge a non -smoker needs to breath oxygen.

Smoke is a killer and should be treated accordingly. It's like a man approaching you with a ticking bomb. A countdown to doom...

Public places must realize the risks that second hand smokers pose to the public. They must put aside their greed and understand its lethal consequences.

Smokers on the other hand must understand that sometimes the best place to put the cigarette is in the ashtray and kiss the butt goodbye......