Previous studies and researches have often mentioned that millions of people die prematurely every year from smoking across the world. By analyzing the harmfulness of tobacco, one can recognize the fact that cigarettes are harmful to humans. It is common knowledge that social, demographic, economic, and personal factors affect the execution of laws. In U S A, the implementation of laws for prohibiting smoking gained serious attention from the media. The issue of prohibiting smoking contributed to serious debates in various fields such as social, economic, demographic, healthcare, and economic in Kentucky. The initial stance is that prohibition of smoking is essential and the government and local authority should take effective law-making procedures against smoking in public places.
Smoking and related health problems have become controversial issues in the United States and all other nations. It is increasing by the day. This is the main reason why I personally chose this topic. Kentucky is the place that has the highest death rate more than all other states in U S A. (Kentucky has the Highest Death Rate Due to Smoking). Studies have mentioned the fact that Kentucky has the highest death rate due to smoking. “The death rate in Kentucky demonstrates around 371 deaths per 100000 adults aged 35 years or more.” Smoking-related deaths are mainly due to cancers, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and heart disease” (“Smoking- The facts”). If one is a long-term smoker then the average life span of that smoker is about half the number of years less than a non-smoker. If someone starts smoking at a very young age and becomes a regular smoker, chances are that they are more prone to tobacco-related health hazards and most are not aware of this quick attacking victim, tobacco. A minority believe that smoking is a part of personal enjoyment and oppose the debates of smoking probation.
Cigarette smoke contains nicotine, tar, and carbon monoxide. The presence of nicotine can cause some sort of irritation, hunger, difficulty in concentration, and restlessness. The presence of tar chemicals can result in damaged lungs. Similarly, the presence of carbon monoxide affects the presence of oxygen-carrying capacity that is present in the blood. Smoking health illnesses can persist or develop in the body very slowly and attack the person from within. There are many types of illnesses that can arise due to smoking. Those illnesses are explained below. Lung cancer: Studies show that thousands of people living in Kentucky are dying because of lung cancer which is directly related to smoking. Habitual blockage of the lungs significantly affects the lungs of victims does result in fatalities of around 25,000 people. At the same time, researchers have identified other reasons for lung cancer and other severe diseases.
Coronary ailments
This is one of the major killer diseases in Kentucky claiming human lives through ailments connected with coronary ailments.
. In this nearly 1 in 7 deaths happens due to severe smoking. Other cancers: Various other cancers that can happen due to smoking are in the mouth, kidneys, pancreas, nose, throat, and in the gullet. Coming to blood flow in the body, toxic chemicals in tobacco could damage peripheral regions of blood vessels. This will affect the level of fats present in the bloodstream. This increases the hardening of arteries present in the body. The hardening of arteries can cause heart disease. Sexual problems: Smokers always find difficulty in maintaining the erection right from the middle ages of their life than nonsmokers. This is due to the weakening of blood vessels in the penis. Aging: Frequent smoking leads to the presence of lines in their face which results in aged looking of a person.
Fertility
The presence of fertility gets reduced in the body of the smokers even if it is male or females.
Menopause
It is very easy for a woman smoker to get menopause at an early age itself if she is an effective smoker.
Other related health issues that can arise due to smoking include cataracts, degeneration in muscles, psoriasis, various kinds of diseases present in gums, and optic neuropathy. It is a part of common knowledge is that smoking during pregnancy results in risk of miscarriage, under weighed babies and many kinds of problems during the development of child. Mostly, majority of the people react to the topic as a big issue that needs to be eradicated in order to help future generations. Healthy people are a necessary factor for the active functioning of a region or a nation. Wide use of tobacco is a serious regional problem of health and existence of Kentucky. This truth is presently considered by the Kentucky Supreme Court by a ruling. Smoking is banned in community places of Kentucky region; it is supported and criticized by many people. Supporters argued that second hand smoking kills many, they do not use tobacco. But some take a stand against the ruling of the court because they argue it is the interference on individual liberty.
Supporters of the prohibition of smoking say that the innocent people are the victim of this evil. Lung cancer and cardiovascular disease kill about eight thousand people in Kentucky in each year. This fact has risen to recognize the Supreme Court rule by the followers of the prohibition. At the same time we can see strong arguments against the ban on the use of tobacco. Individual freedom is one of the basic principles of democracy. “The smokers’ lobby group, Forest, points to a BBC poll which showed that 64% or people thought that smoking should be a personal matter” (“Smoking”). This reveals a fact that majority considers smoking as a personal matter; it should not interfere by means of rule or any other actions.
People formulate their opinions in favor or against a problem on the basis of many evidences. For example, death rate due to smoking is higher in Kentucky than in other parts of the country. Many families are bothered about this because they have experienced it and they voice their opinion against the use of tobacco. The rules and regulations also create opinion among the people in the form of arguments against the ban of smoking which raised much criticism.
Livelihood of the people makes divergent opinions among the groups towards the prohibition of smoking. The most important problem that faces the activist of smoking prohibition is that the negative attitude of business firms against the idea of smoking prohibition. Business firms fear the decline of their income due to this ban on tobacco. Restaurants, Bars and Casinos come in these categories, owners and workers of these types of institutions naturally become pressure groups against the ban. They contribute favorable help for tobacco industry.
It was initially expected that the year long ban on smoking in Lexington, Kentucky would cause sales in bars and restaurants to plummet, but astonishingly this has not happened. According to Eric Thompson, an economist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a member of the study’s authors, “Given the data we have to this point… we’re not seeing a post-ban effect,” (Vos).
It could thus be seen that ban on smoking as such does not affect sales and revenues in bars and restaurants. Coming to another important fact, it is not the stale smoke that remains in the air long after the smokers have extinguished their stubs that matter, but the minute lethal particles that remain in the atmosphere for time, and which is breathed by other non-smokers that is dangerous.
Thus, according to me, creating non smoking zones does not really serve any purpose; there should not be any kind of smoking in public places where other people breathe the smoke laden air. While research may confirm the evils of smoking, it is also necessary to consider that while inhalation of secondhand smoke is lethal, it does perhaps as much harm as what could occur while driven in heavy traffic with cars emitting dozes of high carbon monoxide into the atmosphere.
The opinions that people gather regarding smoking and its effects could be seen in terms of the University of Kentucky study on effects of smoking. Most of them felt that more than the question of smokers rights, the issues at hand were ameliorating the quality of indoor air and also non smokers having to breathe tobacco smoke air, which increases their susceptibility for lung and heart ailments. Concern for public health is more important than the prerogatives of smokers. The vested interests who wish tobacco and smoking to flourish are Lexington’s food and beverage association, tobacco and alcohol barons and cultivators of this drug. ““Those for and against the clean indoor air ordinance sat at the same table to discuss the issue, review the scientific data, and share ideas and concerns,” Isaac reported to the President’s Cancer Panel in October, 2006” (“Cooking the books”).
It is believed that most smoking ban laws are enforced in urban setting. However, it is also necessary to consider what perceptions and beliefs are carried forth by sections of the rural population regarding smoke free zones in rural areas. In a series of telephonic surveys in rural areas of Kentucky, the survey questions that was asked was with respect to whether “they would support a local law prohibiting smoking in public places” (Rayens and et al).
The differences in opinions between groups could be accounted through demographic factors relating to rural or urban areas. While most urbanized sections of the community would like to oppose anti-smoking laws, “More than half (59.6%) supported a local smoke-free law. Controlling for age, gender, ethnicity, education, and smoking status, there was a significant difference in the level of support for a smoke-free law between rural and urban respondents.” (Rayens and et al).
The findings of research studies of this kind seem to be suggestive of the norm that in most cases, rural population would be more inclined to support legislation enforcing local smoke free public places rather than their urban counterparts, thus reinforcing the fact that rural populace are more health conscious and concerned about public health. Analyzing news reports and studies, one can find the fact that prohibition of smoking is essential for the community. Smoking creates different problems such as social, health related, and environmental. Arguments and evidences about personal intentions never affect the initial stance. The online article entitled The Health Risks of Smoking by Terry Martine comments that; “In contrast, there were approximately 850,000 lung cancer deaths during the same year, and 118,000 COPD deaths from smoking in 2001, worldwide” (Martine). It is evident that Prohibiting smoking is essential for a civilized society. News reports often underline the significance of the issue prohibiting smoking in public places.
Severe health problems require serious attention and it creates crucial social issues in Kentucky and many other parts of United States of America. In an extent one can admit the fact that smoking and tobacco use are known for causing various diseases such as heart diseases, lung cancer, and other cardio vascular diseases.
The researcher can find that the problem of health issues is an unsolved and existing problem in current social arena because smoking and tobacco use are only a part of this huge problem. Prohibition of smoking is not an easy job and it requires an effective planning and long term strategy. The possible thing is that to force the local authority to execute the smoking prohibition laws. Another important thing is that to enforce the rehabilitation process of people who worked in cigarette industry. Conduct awareness programs and campaigns to the public. There are different factors such as, social, economical, demographic and personal that influences the process of smoking prohibition. Higher status of revenue income and labor problems plays a vital role in the process of smoking prohibition. The web article titled The Economics of Tobacco – A News Interview remarks that; “Because growing tobacco also required a lot of hard work and labor, more people (human resources) were needed to work in the fields” (“The economics of tobacco – a news interview”). Personal and demographic factors also influence this issue. Some people argue that smoking is a part of personal liberty and they believe that prohibition of smoking is an invasion against a person’s liberty. The following comments by Sean Gabb force the re4ader to think about difference of opinion in prohibition of smoking. Sean Gabb argues that; “I believe that people should have the right to do with themselves as they will, regardless of any possible harm to them” (Gabb). Rehabilitation of employees who worked in tobacco industry is a possible program for local authorities and both government and nongovernmental organizations.
Conclusion
To conclude, prohibition of smoking requires a serious attention from the part of both the people and the media. News reports and research evidences justify this view point. Many people say that continuous smoking creates severe health problems and environmental problems that may affect the human life. In Kentucky, people have different opinion about the issue of smoking prohibition. Recent survey which was conducted in Kentucky reported that the people have supported the local law of prohibiting smoking in public places. Even though various factors such as social, demographic, personal and economical would affect the process of smoking prohibition, severe health problems and environmental issues underline the need of prohibition of smoking in public places and it is essential for humanity.
Works Cited
“Cooking the books.” Tobacco Scam, 2003. Web.
Gabb, Sean. “Smoking and its enemies: A short history of 500 years of the use and prohibition of tobacco.” Echo, 1990. Web.
“Kentucky has the Highest Death Rate Due to Smoking.” Just Care Health. 2009. Web.
Martine, Terry. “The health risks of smoking.” About.Com: Smoking Cessation, 2008. Web.
“Smoking.” CBBC Newsround, 2007. Web.
“Smoking health issues still ‘ignored’.” BBC News, 2007. Web.
“Smoking- The facts.” Patient UK, 2010. Web.
“The economics of tobacco – a news interview.” Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, n.d. Web.
Vos, Sarah. “New study: Lexington, KY business unhurt by smoking ban [04/19-2].” Action on Smoking Health, n.d. Web.