Smoke-free Outdoor Air/Public Areas by Jackson

We all enjoy spending our time going out to the farmers markets and such to look around and buy fresh fruits and vegetables. We enjoy our smoke-free air outdoors and even indoors. Families have been shopping at the markets for cheaper groceries, but there are some cases of smokers around them. Smokers just smoke without knowing their surroundings. Secondhand smoke and high levels of exposures can cause health issues such as asthma. In 2005, the California Air Resource Board released a report of second hand smoke to the people of California. They adopted a regulatory amendment that identifies secondhand smoke as a toxic air contaminant.

Many communities suggest that during any kind of event there should be no smoking allowed. Outdoor places like restaurants, bars, and service lines, transit waiting areas, public events, parks, beaches, and even recreation areas are filled with people who smoke. It is important to keep our air safe and clean in order to have a healthy life. About 49.1% of the US population is protected by a 100% smoke free zone. Not everyone is protected, and as a community, everyone needs to get together to get the 49% to 80% or higher.

The people who are opposing this would say that there’s nothing wrong with smoking in public. I think that they just don’t care where or when they smoke, they just have the urge to smoke. When people smoke it causes the people around them to go someplace else other than staying near that person. Others say that smoking is a good thing to benefit a better life. But why would you want to smoke around people who don’t like smoking at all? Why would you not care for others that are human beings just like you?

There are many non-smokers around wanting to have better quality of air to breathe in. They would really love it to have to go to places where it smells fresh, clean, and new. The people would like to have signs all over the outdoor areas saying “There will be no smoking allowed” or something like that to give the people who smoke a warning. Consequences should be made when people get caught smoking in areas that have “no smoking” signs. The people who smoke should find something healthier to do other than smoke.