PHE5ENV 2018 - Letter on Banning Smoking in Public Areas, Victoria

This report presents a compelling argument for banning smoking in public areas, focusing on the detrimental effects of secondhand smoke and environmental pollution. It highlights research indicating that banning smoking can significantly reduce hospital admissions for heart disease and minimize littering. The report also emphasizes the importance of a healthy workplace, advocating for employers to ban smoking to protect employee health. By reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases and lung cancer, banning smoking not only benefits individuals but also alleviates the financial burden on the healthcare system. The author concludes that implementing such a ban is a wise and necessary step towards creating a healthier environment and protecting public health. Desklib provides a platform to explore similar documents and solved assignments.

Running head: BANNING SMOKING IN PUBLIC AREAS
Environmental Influence on Health
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation

BANNING SMOKING IN PUBLIC AREAS 2
Chief Health Officer
Department of Public Health
Tel no: [phone]
Victoria State, Australia
Dear sir/madam,
RE: BANNING SMOKING IN PUBLIC AREAS
Smoking in public places poses several public health threats. While a person may
argue that they do not affect anyone by smoking in public places, the truth is that they make
others to smoke involuntarily. The person who smokes involuntarily is known as the second-
hand smoker (Bauld, McNeill, Hajek, Britton, and Dockrell, 2017). There are numerous
disadvantages that are associated with smoking in public. The disadvantages are reason
enough to justify banning of smoking in public places. Some of the reasons include that
smoking in public increases the chance that a second-hand smoker will suffer from heart
disease and certain types of cancer, e.g. lung cancer. Smoking is associated with littering of
the environment. Banning the smoking would mean a healthier environment. banning
smoking would also mean that every worker granted the right of working in a healthy
environment. These are going to be discussed next.
There are numerous advantages of banning smoking in public. These are going to be
discussed in this section. Unlike other unhealthy behaviours such as abusing alcohol and
binge eating, smoking does not only affect the person who is smoking. It affects those around
the person. It is therefore unfair and unreasonable for a person to smoke in public. Smoking
in public has been implicated in causing deterioration of health of the second-hand smokers.

BANNING SMOKING IN PUBLIC AREAS 3
Extensive research has revealed that banning of smoking in public places has potential of
reducing hospital admissions of heart disease by up to 36% (Kairouz, Lasnier, Mihaylova,
Montreuil and Cohen, 2014). There is also extensive evidence that links smoking to a higher
risk for developing heart disease and some types of cancer, e.g. lung cancer. It follows that
banning smoking in public areas would be a great move in protecting members of the public
from ill health.
The second advantage that is associated with banning of smoking in public is to
minimise littering the environment. Cigarette butt amount for a numerous amount of litter in
the environment in most places (Séguret, Ferreira, Cambou, Carrière and Thomas, 2014). The
case would be different if smokers disposed this waste appropriately. However, most smokers
dispose it recklessly without caring about the cleanliness of the environment. This becomes
evident when one moves to a public place. One is almost sure that they will find some waste
related to smoking. Banning smoking would mean that the littering is reduced. Consequently,
the environment becomes a better and healthier place for human occupation.
Every worker has a right to a healthy workplace. The employer is tasked with
ensuring that occupational health of the employees is kept at an optimum level (Jamal, 2016).
Most working places are places. In the best interest of the health of the workers, it is
important that all employers ban smoking in working environments. While smokers may
argue that they should be allowed to smoke in such environments, it would be unrealistic for
it would be increasing the chance of people affected to have certain diseases.
Smoking has been associated with increased risk for certain diseases among the
smokers, whether primary or secondary (Hughes, Stead, Hartmann, Cahill and Lancaster,
2014). For instance, smoking greatly increases the risk for developing cardiovascular diseases
and lung cancer (Lancaster and Stead, 2017). If these people contract either of the disease

BANNING SMOKING IN PUBLIC AREAS 4
mentioned above, the diseases are costly to treat and manage. Most of the people who smoke
have a family that depends on them. When the disease sets in, the person has limited ability
to work. Treating/managing such a disease is also costly. This could mean that all the
household resources may be used to cater for the treatment of the affected members. This
does not only affect the family members negatively but also creates a health burden for the
whole nation. It is therefore wise to ban the use of tobacco in public places. It would save the
nation a vast amount of funds.
In conclusion, there are numerous advantages that are associated with banning
smoking in public places. One is that the move would potentially reduce the risk for
developing heart diseases and some types of cancer among the second-hand smokers. The
move would also ensure a healthier environment through reduced littering. The working
place would also become a healthier place if smoking at such places is banned. It would
ensure that the health of the workers is kept at optimum.

BANNING SMOKING IN PUBLIC AREAS 5
References
Bauld, L., McNeill, A., Hajek, P., Britton, J., & Dockrell, M. (2017). E-cigarette use in public
places: striking the right balance. Tobacco control, 26(e1), e5-e6.
Hughes, J. R., Stead, L. F., Hartmann‐Boyce, J., Cahill, K., & Lancaster, T. (2014).
Antidepressants for smoking cessation. Cochrane database of systematic reviews, (1).
Jamal, A. (2016). Current cigarette smoking among adults—United States, 2005–2015.
MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report, 65.
Kairouz, S., Lasnier, B., Mihaylova, T., Montreuil, A., & Cohen, J. E. (2014). Smoking
restrictions in homes after implementation of a smoking ban in public places.
Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 17(1), 41-47.
Lancaster, T., & Stead, L. F. (2017). Individual behavioural counselling for smoking
cessation. Cochrane database of systematic reviews, (3).
Séguret, F., Ferreira, C., Cambou, J. P., Carrière, I., & Thomas, D. (2014). Changes in
hospitalization rates for acute coronary syndrome after a two-phase comprehensive
smoking ban. European journal of preventive cardiology, 21(12), 1575-1582.