SOCIAL PROBLEM: PUBLIC SMOKING

 


SOCIAL PROBLEM: PUBLIC SMOKING
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Introduction
	Smoking in public places is a serious social problem that places the lives of smokers and the non-smokers at a risk of different health complications. Although public smoking has been made illegal in different nations, it still exists surreptitiously in certain locals, and it is indeed paradoxical to consider that some hardened and chain smokers would rather pay the charge of smoking than get rid of their habits. Public smoking has been a challenge, affecting both the developing and the developed nations, due to the dangers it poses to the smokers, non-smokers and the environment.
	Statistics indicate that smoking behavior is prevalent among the youth, who account for more than 60% of most countries population. There is an estimation that about 85% of the youths in the middle and tertiary colleges started smoking before attaining the age of 20 years. Among them, 45% started smoking below the age 15 years, 35% below 13 years and 20% below 12 years respectively . Over the years, the number of people engaging in smoking behavior has on the increase thus raising the concern from all involved parties to address the issue before the issue gets out of hand to contain. Public smoking has become a significant social problem due to its effects on the lives of the public and the smokers.
Effects of smoking on the smoker
	The principal effect of smoking on the smoker is health related. Cigarettes contain a chemical substance called nicotine, which is responsible for addiction. This component is also responsible for causing cancer and other heart related diseases. When a smoker is diagnosed with cancer or other heart related diseases, the family is highly affected. In most cases, families have to sell their property to cater for the medical needs of cancer victims .  Prolonged use of cigarettes is known to affect the normal operations of an individual’s liver and lungs, and ultimately reading to death.
	Economically, the smokers suffer from taxation that is imposed on the drugs. This in because cigarette taxation is high as the governments take it as a measure to discourage smoking. This affects the income of families and might affect the ability of the smokers to meet family needs especially when they are not employed.  This leads to family suffering with the children being highly affected. When taking out insurance covers, smokers pay high premiums, which has a negative effect on the income of the family.
	For smokers, who are in employment positions, their career suffers tremendously from the effects of smoking. This is because smoking affects the optimal production of an individual at the work place. Many organizations have attributed low employee productivity due to smoking. To resolve this issue, organizations have adopted the use of smoking cessation strategies geared towards helping employees stop smoking.
Effects of smoking on the non-smokers
	Non-smokers too are at risk because every time they inhale the smoke, they may consume more of the caffeine than the real smokers may. The smoke that is exhaled by smokers is believed to be highly concentrated than what the smoker keeps in the system. “Cigarettes continue to exact an enormous toll on health in the United State, and, increasingly, through the world” . Banning of cigarette production and sale smoking protects the health of smokers and non-smokers.
	Long-term exposure to thick tobacco smoke increases the risk of contracting lung cancer. Environmental tobacco smoking significantly increases the death toll rates resulting from lung cancer. Passive smoke increases a person’s susceptibility to asthma attacks. Tobacco smoke depresses a person’s immune system and thus making them more vulnerable to bacterial infections . Continuous exposure to second hand smoke worsens asthma symptoms and may increase the number of asthma attacks. The smoke causes respiratory passage irritation and increases sensitivity to asthma triggers. Pregnant women who are exposed to the smoke have a higher chance of delivering babies with asthma and lung problems. “Smoking is estimated to cause 30 percent of all cancer deaths, 21 percent of all deaths from coronary artery disease, and 82% of  deaths are because  of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease” .
Causes of smoking
	Smoking is not an innate behavior that one is born with, but it is a learned behavior from the environment. This fact has ruled out the idea that smoking is an attribute of genetics within the family. Studies have shown that there are many reasons that influence individuals to smoke, but the main reasons among youths include the following:
Peer pressure:
	The behavior people exhibit or learn is profoundly influenced by their immediate environment and the people they interact with dail