Transcript Environmental Geography ★

Should the Government ban smoking in an
enclosed public place (a pub/cafe to a bus
shelter/phone box)?
It has been clearly established that indoor air
pollution is a serious threat to health and safety
Symptoms like irritation of the eyes, nose and
throat, headaches, dizziness or persistent fatigue
may clue you in to an indoor air pollution
problem. Outdoor air pollution is regulated by
many laws. But there are no regulations of about
indoor air pollutions.
B : Tobacco is a product that is legally grown,
processed and sold in the United States to
consenting adults. Smoking is a perfectly legal
activity. If business owners want to be
"smokefree," let them decide on their own. If it
were profitable for them to do that, don't you
think they would? They are the ones that must
meet budgets and pay bills, not you or the city
council. Why do you get to tell them how to run
their business?
A : Secondhand smoke causes diseases, like
the other things mentioned, so we're adding this to
the list of things that are not allowed. If secondhand
smoke didn't causes diseases, and it just smelled
bad, this would be a completely different argument.
But it does cause heart disease and cancer.
B : Well, that's sort of a silly analogy I think. Safe
food handling measures and building codes and lead
in the water--those are the sort of things that
ordinary people with no particular level of expertise
can't identify or avoid on their own. Secondhand
smoke isn't like that--smoke is easily identifiable
and easily avoidable. That people choose not to
avoid it and then complain about it has always
struck me as odd.
C.: Do you admit that second-hand smoke has
adverse health effects? Why do the majority of your
coalition refuse to admit that smoking is dangerous?
Doesn't this effect your credibility? Smoking makes
us relieve stress and could clean our breathing
organ and tommy due to its toxicity.
As for passive smoking, get real, you listen
to the news way 2 much, you need to get out
more, I know a woman who is a smoker who is
95 and she started smoking at the age of 14
so this passive smoking is just [censored]
and need to face facts rather than talk
bull!!
B : Well, I'm not a scientist and neither is Tac. But
I'd say it's a fair bet that inhaling a bunch of
secondhand smoke is probably not the healthiest
thing you can do.
A : Alcohol is a legal product, and in some places
it's legal to drink and drive. Not in DC -- we
restrict the use of a legal product because it harms
other people. This is not a ban. DC has a ban on
handguns -- no handguns are allowed in the
District. This law extends the current smoking
restrictions to more places. Smokers can still
smoke by going outside.
Smokefree DC does not support a ban on tobacco
sales or use.
C.: I fully support a smoke free DC and
smokers do not have a right to make their
habit my problem. Smoking is a disease and
causes cancer and numerous other health
problems not just in the smoker but in those
around them. Citizens and employees around
DC have the right not to have to inhale second
hand smoke on a daily basis.
A : The libertarian argument "let the market
decide" would also have us getting rid of
public health laws, minimum wage laws,
disabled-access laws and anti-discrimination
laws. The market needs to operate fairly
within the laws set down by our government.
The market doesn't get to decide if asbestos
is okay, or fire exits and alarms, or most
things related to public health and safety.
D: Today, Chicago also passed a smoking ban,
only with the provision that: "if a restaurant bar
or tavern can show it has installed air
purification equipment that ensures the same
air quality inside as outside, it will be granted a
permanent exemption from the smoking ban."
A: Ventilation systems do not remove the
carcinogens in secondhand smoke. They
remove some (but not much) of the smell, but
none of them remove the stuff that causes
diseases. The tobacco companies admit that,
ASHRAE (the trade association that
represents these systems) says that, even the
companies that make the equipment say that
they provide a "comfortable" environment,
NOT a "safer" environment.
I dont think the smoking ban will work as
well as the government expect but i think its
a good thing esp for those none smokers
afterall passive smoking is a big killer
Placing many plants and installing a ventilator
improve indoor air quality.
I think we have to set up some air condition
sensor. If indoor air quality is bed, this sensor
is ringing. At that time, we can open the
window and turn the air conditioner.
We have to set up artificial waterfall system inside building. for it
could make clean indoor air. For
example, a water-fall produces a
negative ion. It clean up the air.
Interior landscape plants for indoor
air pollution abatement the leaves,
roots, soil of plans could be a possible
means of reducing indoor air
pollutants. So, Plants actives carbon
filter.
Our group think its going to affect peoples puuling
power, having been into non smoking
nightclubs all you can smell is sweat and bo
its not nice!! clubs are going to be affected the most at
least most pubs have a garden
.