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Bans on Smoking

Author: SaraMendez
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Over 50% of states are covered by a smoking ban of some form according to en.wikipedia.org. The ban severity depends on the state. Some states the ban includes hotel rooms and others it includes restaurants and bars while other states smoking isn't allowed anywhere. Since healthcare costs in America are completely out of control, many feel bans such as these have come at a good time. If anything the laws are only going to get more and more strict.

In 2005 Washington state imposed $100.00 fines for lighting up within 25 feet of restaurants, bars, movie complexes and other public places according to an article in USAToday. Indiana will not allow smoking at bus stops or ATMs, and in many states healthcare workers are forbidden to smoke during the work day and must sign a contract agreeing to this rule before they are hired. If found in violation of the contract, employees are fired on the spot. Other states have taken their smoking bans to another level, in Iowa even smoking in your car anywhere on the grounds with get you a fine USAToday also reports. California, who has been a pioneer in the smoking ban, also became the first state to out law smoking on all of its beaches, These trends have no where to go but up mainly due to people raising awareness among the public.

In the past second hand smoke was just a minor annoyance. However it has become a major health concern. Research has shown there is cause for major concern, non-smokers, if exposed to second hand smoke, can develop many of the same health problems as smokers. This means, lung cancer, asthma and emphysema are a reality even if you have never smoked a cigarette. The public feels an obligation to keep non-smokers healthy largely due to rising healthcare costs and health problems.

Since California has been one of the major players in the smoking ban, they decided to take it one step further. Just when the public thought the ban couldn't get any tougher, California added the old one two and included a ban on driving while smoking with children in the car. This law passed in 2007 making it one of the most drastic in the nation according to cigarettehouse.net. It outraged smokers who feel smoking in their own car is their business, however California's govern and its lawmakers felt differently. Children should not be made to be exposed to second hand smoke.

California is one of the leaders of the new smoking ban trend. Over the years California has taken drastic measures to protect their public. Just when the public thought California couldn't get tougher on smokers, they did. In 2007, California took their non-smoking ban to a new level and started protecting children. California became one of three states to outlaw smoking while driving with a child in the car according to cigarettehouse.net. This outraged some smokers however the public and California's governor felt the safety and welfare of a child was more important than a smoker having a cigarette.

Fifty years ago smoking in public places and job sites was widely accepted. It was considered a social thing and not thought of as a dirty habit. However after seeing the effects of smoking many have chose to quit. Banning smoking is replacing the smoking socialization factor of fifty years ago, the new trend is healthy and no one should expect this new trend to go anywhere any time soon.