New York is introducing an outdoor smoking ban. But could the UK and other countries follow suit, asks Tom de Castella. It is a city heralded for attracting incomers from around the world, but New York has just become less hospitable to one group - smokers. Under measures approved by local authorities, swathes of outdoor public places including beaches, municipal parks and even Times Square have become tobacco-free. And with smoking legislations, as with so much else, where New York leads, the rest of the world can find itself following. The story is found here:- http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-13467728 What are your feelings on this? To me it doesnt matter as I am a none smoker but to those who do smoke it is becoming very hard to find a legal place to do it. I know the smoking cessation clinics aren't assessable to those who are wanting to stop but who need the help to. Do you think it will come to the UK ?
This is a big trend all over the world. Cities and municipalities are enacting and implementing ordinances which seek to limit areas available for smokers to do their bad habit. I have to admit I do smoke from time to time but I will never do it near anybody -- spreading risks associated with second-hand smoking is something we should be responsible of. Smoking is bad for our health and the people surrounding us especially our loved one.
There's no real safe way to smoke. Even smoking outdoors could pollute the air. But, I guess smokers need a place to go to smoke. And, the governments will have to deal with that. They can't just say, 'You have to stop smoking.' Cause then you will get a situation like during the U.S. prohibition of alcohol when the mafia controlled everything and people got drunk anyway. Hopefully, more people will learn that smoking is deadly and will seek treatment options rather than continuing to smoke.
I'm a non-smoker, but I see it as something as an infraction on our liberties to say people can't smoke. Next they'll ban people from smoking in their own homes and it will go underground. They should at least establish cafes or something where people can go to light up, kind of like in Amsterdam but with tobacco. The problem with banning something like smoking anywhere public is that the air will quickly disperse those particles and most people will never even be exposed to them other than the smoker. Another problem is where does it stop? Do we ban eating fast food because of fat people who can't control themselves and make poor choices? Lets stop the dirty smokestacks if we really care about people's air quality.
