Smoking---policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Smoking---policy - Essay Example Studies reveal that children get affected most with asthma symptoms due to environmental tobacco smoke. Even an adult who does not smoke but live with a smoker have a 30% higher risk of lung cancer than the one who is not a passive smoker (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2010). It is estimated that secondhand smoke kills over 50,000 non-smokers in the US each year (Graff, 2008). Over the years, nonsmokers have been convincing authorities to put a ban on smoking at all public places as they do not want to become passive smokers and endanger their health. Smokers, on the other hand, oppose any policy that imposes ban on smoking at public places. According to them, such policy is a clear violation to their liberty and basic rights as made out in the US constitution (Kjono, 2007). Currently, the state laws differ significantly in banning smoking at public places. While formulating a policy framework to create smoke-free public places, it becomes imperative to examine such policy in the context of social, ethical, legal and economic perspectives affecting varied stakeholders. Smokers, nonsmokers, and cigarette or cigar manufacturers and marketers are the major stakeholders who are going to be affected from this policy issue. The policy proposition is to safeguard the health of nonsmokers from the second-hand smoke; smokers will lose their freedom of smoking at the place causing inconvenience to them. Any reduction in smoking due to this policy implementation will lower the business potential of the cigarette manufacturers and marketers. The State as a stakeholder will be benefitted in the long-term due to reduced spending on public healthcare. There is a clear divide between smokers and non-smokers as nonsmokers believe that all employees have the right to inhale smoke-free clean air at work places and must be