Smoking New Laws and how they changed america Research Paper

Smoking New Laws and how they changed america - Research Paper Example........................VIII third base Hand Smoke..IX Why People Cannot Quit..X ConclusionXI Smoking I. The Twentieth Centurys Take On Smoking disrespect all the research that has been done on gage, millions of Americans still use this form of tobacco. In fact, 45.3 million adults, ages eighteen and over, still smoke in the United States. That is 19.3 per centum of the adult population (Center for Disease Control, 2011). Tobacco use has been popular for many decades, but in the past, Americans did not know any better. This report will direction on the changes America has made with their smoking laws, and will show the differences it has made in the United States. II. Smoking Laws Today When smoking was first introduced, it became the way of life. not only was it okay to smoke in your car, it was also allowed in restaurants, shopping malls, and hospitals. If you felt the need to smoke, you did not choose to wa it until you got outside and ten feet out-of-door from the entrance. Nowadays, though, it is against the law to smoke in most structures and even numerous national parks. If you do smoke in your car, you might be frowned upon, especially if there are children present. Currently, twenty five states and Washington D.C. are completely smoke-free, which includes restaurants, bars, and parks (Center for Disease Control, 2011). III. Why There Are Smoking Laws The reason there is such a push for smoke-free states is because of the harmful effects of secondhand smoke. Inhaling secondhand smoke is similar to smoking a cigarette, for it can cause just as many problems. Individuals can develop cancer and lung problems that tobacco causes without smoking one cigarette. Because this research was not available a few decades ago, smoking inside a building was not given a second thought. As research progressed, however, smoking laws started to take effect. Not soon enough, unfortunately, because many Americans have become the victims of secondhand smoke. When smoking laws were put into place, the smokers of America were enraged that public smoking was becoming taboo. While a few cigarette users understood the advantages, most felt like it was taking away their rights as Americans. All the complaining, though, did not stop the laws from progressing. According to the executive director of Americans for Nonsmokers Rights, Cynthia Hallett, These smoke-free laws start at a local level. They are based on community demand, science looking at exposure to secondhand smoke and the environmental impact (Ossad, 2011). Since secondhand smoke is believed to have caused over fifty thousand deaths in the United States, Americas people are standing up for their rights. IV. Smoking Banned Outside In Some States Smoking has also been banned outside in public properties in a few different states. New York City, for example, banned smoking at all parks and plaza